Theoretical and Practical Training for Innovative Human Recourses for the Future
Department of Communication and Information, established in 2005,provides a wide variety of subjects for communication research ranging from body language, culture, information, to media studies. This interdisciplinary field allows students to find interesting research topics on their own by "organizing" various knowledge and theories concerning verbal/ non-verbal communication, visual images and music, entertainment media such as animation, mass-media communication, local media by citizens, and Information Communication Technologies such as the internet. The division leads the formation of future innovative leaders by developing communication skills. Students are assisted in obtaining skills to "discover," "reflect," and "communicate" that are required to tackle tasks and to solve problems in today's society. Knowledge and skills for persuasive communication as well as effective media usage learned in this division form a practical foundation for membership in future society.
What is communication?
How many kinds of communication can you think of?
Perhaps scenarios like two people engaged in conversation, an owner talking to her pet, and media such as television or newspapers come to mind. The field of communication is actually much broader and more profound.
For example, imagine a music concert. The artist speaks to the audience from the stage and may shout out to them during a song. The performance itself is also a form of communication. The drummer sets the count with his drumsticks and the members make eye contact periodically to communicate with each other. Additionally, the audience sends its own message through everyone's cheers and applause. The entire music venue has become a field for communication.
We convey and receive information regarding our feelings, thoughts, and knowledge not only with words but also with facial expressions and gestures. Many animals communicate with calls and sounds, and for some, even licking is a form of communication. The excretion of pheromones by some species of insects to attract mates or alert others to the presence of food or enemies can also be considered a form of communication as well.
With this perspective, it becomes clear that communication is what holds together the world in which we live. Without communication, there would be nothing but nature. No, wait - listen to the sound of waves crashing against the sand. It seems as if even nature has its own forms of communication.
What is information?
In the modern world, we have access to an unprecedented amount of information. The Internet allows us to search instantly for anything, even from the other side of the planet, and lets us have products from far away delivered right to our doors. We can chat and exchange emails with people we have never met in person and disseminate information all around the world.
Another way to think of this, however, is that we must put up with excessive amounts of information. Modern city dwellers have to process an enormous amount of information day to day in all facets of life. Not a day goes by without seeing some kind of advertisement, whether it's a television commercial, a newspaper ad, a flyer, or a billboard. Some warn that our brains are not capable of processing this much information. Our brains have to pick and choose which information it lets reach our consciousness, and it is highly doubtful that it can always make the right selections. This is a major source of stress for us in the modern age.
What is the Department of Communication and Information?
The Department of Communication and Information was established in April 2005. It focuses on the study of communication, information, and the media. As this is still a fairly new field, there is a lot of freedom for students to design their own academic paths above and beyond the opportunities traditionally offered at public universities, in topics such as issues in communication related to words or literature, media such as videos and music, or IT technology focused on the Internet. In designing their research topics in these themes, students will work to edit and compile a wide variety of knowledge and methodologies. This department fosters a mastery of communication in its students so that they will go on to play leading roles in society after graduation, as professionals with clear goals who have discovered their place in the world. They will contribute to society through the transmission of information and their actions. For this reason, we focus on increasing students' proficiency in language and information/media management, as this becomes the foundation for students to develop the skills of discovery, thinking, and communication they will need in the real world.