2014 -- Masashi KASHIWAGI, Professor, Graduate School of Engineering

2014 -- Masashi KASHIWAGI, Professor, Graduate School of Engineering

Osaka University has led the fields of study in shipbuilding and ocean engineering over the decades since Osaka Technical School's Shipbuilding Department, one of the predecessors of Osaka University, accepted its first students in 1900. Since then, t he University has produced leaders in the academic and industrial circles.

One such leader, Professor Masashi KASHIWAGI, has put much effort in teaching young people. Following his winning of the Presidential Award for Achievement in Social and International Contribution in 2013, Professor Kashiwagi again won the prize in 2014, this time in the field of education, making him a recipient of the award for two straight years. His effort in planning and applying for the Global Leadership Education Program in Maritime and Urban Engineering was highly evaluated as responding to the call for the globalization of education and the nurturing of professionals able to thrive on the international stage.

"Before coming to Osaka University, I focused on my research at Kyushu University. But once I started here at OU, I decided to make efforts to nurture those individuals who will take over the tradition of shipbuilding and naval engineering."

Thus, he has carefully prepared for his classes through the creation of lecture notes, among other things. Based on the result of a survey for selecting the best lecture targeting students expecting to graduate from the Department of Global Architecture, his class received the best responses and received the Global Architecture Education Award for the fourth consecutive year since its founding.

"Although I'm not a very good speaker," Professor Kashiwagi smiled, continuing, "I feel that my enthusiasm for nurturing my students into world class researchers will be conveyed to them. Having said that, however, I have to remain at the top. That's why I can't stop striving for greatness." His efforts are truly inspiring.

Prof. Kashiwagi won the Weinblum Memorial Lectureship in the 2011-2012 academic year. This is the highest honor to be given by Germany and the U.S. to only those from the academic circle who have made great contributions of global importance in ship hydrodynamics. He is the 6th Japanese scientist who received the award.

He has invested his energy in nurturing young researchers through the Strategic Young Researcher Overseas Visit Program for Accelerating Brain Circulation sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He has played a very active role in education and research.

(The photo at the top of this page was taken at the water tank for ocean testing on the Suita campus.)

About Professor Kashiwagi

Professor Kashiwagi graduated from the Shipbuilding Department, School of Engineering, Osaka University in 1978 and finished the doctoral course at the same school in 1983. After serving as an assistant at the Navigation Department, Faculty of Mercantile Marine, Kobe University of Mercantile Marine and as an assistant professor at the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, he became a professor at the same school in 2001. In 2008, he became a professor in Global Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University. He has a doctorate degree in engineering and specializes in seakeeping and hydrodynamics of floating bodies. He won the 2011-2012 Weinblum Memorial Lectureship.

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