Speakers (random order/titles omitted)

• Takashi Hitomi (Director Oracle Corporation Japan)
• Chiharu Kura (Kobe Steel, Ltd. / Ph.D.)
• Riku Takahashi (NTT Basic Research Laboratories/Ph.D.)
• Mr. Kazuya Iseda (Asahi Kasei Corporation Human Resources Department / Ph.D.)
• Takuya Yoshihara (Specially Specially Appointed, Human Resources Development Division, Hokkaido University University)
• Toshiyuki Nakagaki (Professor, Hokkaido University University / Director, Research Institute for Electronic Science)
• Jun Masamune (Professor, Graduate Faculty of Science Hokkaido University University)
• Koichiro Ishimori (Professor, Graduate Faculty of Science Hokkaido University University/Representative of Ph.Discover Project)

progression

• Yukihiro Maru (Leave a Nest Group Co., Ltd. CEO/Ph.D.)
• Masaki Kato (Department URA/Ph.D., Hokkaido University)
• Tamako Otsu (Associate Professor Faculty of Science Hokkaido University University/Ph.Discover Project)

*History is as of February 16, 2020

A question​ ​from a visitor: "Have you ever had a parent​ ​object to your decision to go on to a doctoral course?"

Iseda: I would like to share my personal experience, but since I have been paying all my tuition fees myself since my first year of undergraduate school, I didn't think there was any reason for opposition. Many parents may not understand the value of doctors. In my case, it wasn't about refuting my parents, I just said that I decided to go.

Ishimori: There was a desire for stability, but I don't know what will be stable in the future, so I think that having a Ph.D. A Ph.D. is like a license that works anywhere in the world. In some cases, people with a Ph.D. have higher lifetime wages. You may pay a lot while you're in school, but it's clear from recent statistics that much more comes back, including the opportunity cost.

Doctoral course​ ​support system 

Ishimori: In Japan, there are overwhelmingly few grant-type scholarships. In Europe, tuition is almost free, and in America, although tuition is expensive, the scholarship system is solid. I also hear that if a graduate school of excellence is selected, they will receive support from companies. However, in the case of Japanese companies, there seems to be a lot of thinking that they cannot provide scholarships to people who might go to other companies because of compliance. It is difficult to explain to shareholders. In addition, universities have a rich system of exemption from scholarship repayment and tuition fee exemption, but it is not well known. I think that the system of support will expand if more political measures are taken.

Hitomi: Oracle provides software, hardware, cloud, etc. to those who want to start up startups that provide research environments for researchers. The cloud environment that runs the Ph.Discover homepage this time is also provided by Mr. Ishimori's application. There are various forms of support, and I think there are others.

Messages and​ ​visions​ ​from seniors 

Kura: I think that not only reading, but also thinking about various things during my Ph.D. My biggest concern when I was a student was that it would be difficult to get a job if I went on to a doctoral degree.

At the research institute where I work, half have doctors. Among them, only about one-fourth of the undergraduates go on to get doctoral degrees, so most of them are working adults and get doctoral degrees. As a company, we want people who can think more deeply, so we highly recommend pursuing a doctoral degree. However, working as a doctor seems to be difficult because he conducts research while balancing work. That's why I'm glad that I went on to become a doctor when I was a student. If you are interested or like research, I would like you to go on to study and be active.

Takahashi: One message I would like to convey is that if you act quickly, you will have more leeway later. It's a method that has worked well for me, so I want you to try it. Specifically, since I was a master's student, I have applied for many corporate scholarships and received them. The sooner you act, the more options and possibilities you have, so if you're hesitant, I think it's a good idea to encourage yourself to move early and create more free time for yourself in the future.

I have been very grateful to go to the doctor. Organizing yourself and going abroad must be difficult if you try to do it alone. However, if there is a program to support you, or if there is a system to support travel expenses for international conferences, I definitely recommend taking on the challenge. I think it will be a very difficult experience. I went to the doctor with a feeling that it would be the last time I could be unreasonable. Then the next step is no longer unreasonable. It's strange for me to say that while I'm young (laughs).

Iseda: When you have the choice of going to a doctor or working at a company while receiving money, I would like you to choose the path that will make you more excited and excited. Of course there are financial concerns. Statistics show that people with Ph.D.'s are actually paid better. I feel that having accomplished something leads to self-confidence, and I feel that the hurdles to take on various challenges are lowered, so in the end, I am glad that I went to the doctor's office.

How many Ph.D.s are needed in Japan? 

Ishimori: I think it's not enough for the quotas that each university has. At least Japan is a science and technology creative country. It would be nice to be a country with a lot of resources, and if you dig the ground, you can find all sorts of things, but it's not that kind of country, so people have to compete with each other. When that happens, we will not be able to stand at the starting line with the same number of doctors as in other countries, so the current situation is overwhelmingly small. In that sense, when I think about Japan 50 or 100 years from now, I think it would be nice to have twice as many Ph.D.

吉原： 世の中に送り出す博士を倍にするなら、希望者は3倍から4倍にするというのが大事かなと思います。「いやぁーやっぱり博士になりたかったけどなれなかったな」って人が出てくる位がちょうどいいのかも。

Kato: In the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, there is a comparison of the percentage of researchers with doctoral degrees among corporate researchers by country. 10% in the US, 10% in Russia, and over 14% in France and Norway.

closing

Ishimori: You talked about what we have been thinking about so far, and I felt that the direction we were thinking of moving forward was correct. Unfortunately, I think the biggest problem is that this kind of topic does not spread. The future may be rosy for those with a Ph.D. We have to say it properly. When I think about the future of Japan 50 or 100 years from now, I feel that there is no other way for Japan to survive than doubling the number of Ph.D.s.

Maru: One thing you must not make a mistake about is that getting a doctorate is not your goal. Whether you want to change the world, have an impact on the world, or want to do this kind of research, it is important to put forward the will of each individual. It is a passing point. Through today's discussion, I got the feeling that the most important thing is the will to continue to play an active role. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for giving me this precious opportunity today. Let's create another opportunity like this to overwrite the discussion.

See related articles and videos here.

Challenges and​ ​Future​ ​of Doctoral Human Resources​ ​[1] From Ph.Discover Kickoff Event

Issues and future of doctoral human resources [1] Go to article page

Challenges and​ ​Future​ ​of Doctoral Human Resources​ ​[2] From Ph.Discover Kickoff Event

Issues and future of doctoral human resources [2] To article page