On the occasion Assuming Office of Chairman for the 57th Term
Shujiro Sawai, Deputy Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA
I have had the great opportunity to be appointed as the 57th chairman. I feel a bit out of place compared to the previous presidents who have all achieved brilliant results, and it feels as though a heavy baton has been passed to me by my former president, Prof. Shinichi Nakasuka, who was full of leadership skills. I have worked in research and development on satellites, probes, and transportation systems at the ISAS/JAXA. My original field of expertise was control engineering, and my doctoral thesis was on system identification of a rocket in flight. At the same time, since becoming an assistant professor at ISAS, I have been asked to participate in the development of several things including satellite propulsion systems, and since then I have been active without being tied to a specific field. Although my work has been limited to the space industry, I have experienced many different fields and have had the opportunity to interact with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of expertise. It would be a great pleasure if the knowledge gained there could contribute even a little to the development of the society.
Needless to say, the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences is an organization that supports various academic activities in the fields of aviation and space science in Japan. It is an organization consisted with talented members, all of whom come together around the keyword aerospace. Recently in particular, while based on academic knowledge, the Society has been aiming to broadly encourage the aerospace field without being limited to it. This has led to activities such as the certification of aerospace technology heritage and the Space Co-Creation Business Awards, in addition to hosting academic symposiums. We should continue to carry on this great trend while searching for answers to questions such as what the Society should be like and what the purpose of its existence is.
It is widely said that for a long time now, if youneed information about academic results, you can get a lot of information by doing an internet search without having to go to a symposium. Of course, when searching online, doubts can arise about the accuracy and quality of the information, so in that respect, it will continue to be important for the academic society to continue screening information before disseminating it. However, that alone may mean being left behind by the times. In addition to that, I think what is needed is a function that creates an opportunity where ideas that have not yet been put into practice can be generated, by providing a place for people from diverse backgrounds to come together in a frank manner. From my own experience, I have realized that breakthrough ideas are born from interactions with diverse people, including those with different expertise, positions, ways of thinking, and even genders. When I was proposing Japanese Lunar Lander project “SLIM”, which landed on the moon a while ago, I made numerous appearances at academic symposiums, looking for people who would be willing to work with us. I cannot predict what the future holds, but at least for now, I believe that new, unexpected generation of ideas are not something that can be completed online, but are driven by discussions in places where many talented people gather, such as symposiums.
From this perspective, it seems that an important mission of the society is to provide opportunities for diverse people to come together and co-create. What should we do to achieve this? The first thing to consider is the fact that the Society is run by the enthusiastic volunteer efforts of many members. I would like to do whatever I can to help the members who support the Society with such dedication to feel the benefits, and to encourage them to feel excited about Society activities and actively participate in them. I also think it is important to ensure that the members who contribute through such volunteer activities are as diverse as possible. I think the ideal situation would be for everyone to support the society in a stress-free and enjoyable way. I believe that the image of many diverse members coming together to run the society will be reflected in the society itself.
Ideal appearance may not be attainable overnight. However, we should continue to make steady progress, even if it is just one step at a time. I would like to do whatever I can to help the Society contribute not only to the aerospace industry in Japan, but to the world at large.
