AGU RESEARCH

communication

※ Video markItems marked with include video content.

  • School of Global Studies and Collaboration, Department of Global Studies and Collaboration
  • Published on 2026/04/30
  • As a member of the local community, we listen to people's voices and explore the possibilities of international cooperation.
  • Professor Masanobu Horie
  • International relations is a field of study that analyzes the relationships between states and the structure and challenges of the international community. Professor Masanobu Horie, while specializing in this field, incorporates fieldwork from a cultural anthropological perspective into his research methodology. He was drawn to the field of international cooperation while working for a major general contractor, and transitioned to becoming a UN staff member. Currently based primarily in West Timor, an Indonesian territory, he continues to explore how to deliver the "light" of international cooperation while listening to the voices of the people living there. He argues that ultimately, the most important thing is the attitude of people understanding each other, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or lifestyle. The human relationships he has sincerely built through his research have become an invaluable asset for Professor Horie.

  • Faculty of Social Informatics, Department of Social Informatics
  • Published on 2025/05/16
  • Combining insights from sociology and information science, we tackle complex social problems.
  • Associate Professor Shinya Obayashi
  • "Social dilemmas" refer to the phenomenon where rational choices made by people can actually lead to undesirable situations for society. This topic is closely related to everyday issues such as energy conservation in the middle of summer. Associate Professor Shinya Obayashi is conducting research on these social dilemmas from the perspective of "computational social science," an interdisciplinary field of study. He is investigating cases using a sociological approach while utilizing computational technology and big data for analysis, working to elucidate the mechanisms of their occurrence and methods of avoidance. (Published in 2025)

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies, Department of Education
  • Published on 2025/05/16
  • From a perspective only available by being on the ground, this book questions the state of higher education in Japan.
  • Professor Yumiko Sugitani
  • Professor Yumiko Sugitani, specializing in higher education theory and educational sociology, is immersed in the university setting, her research subject, and actively teaches numerous courses and seminars. From her position as a university faculty member, she grasps various issues in the educational field and continuously observes and analyzes the realities through her daily interactions with students. Furthermore, through a wide range of research activities and social contributions, including participation in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology councils and joint surveys with companies, she explores the future of higher education in Japan. (Published in 2025)

  • School of Global Studies and Collaboration, Department of Global Studies and Collaboration
  • Posted on 2024/05/10
  • Pursuing reconciliation based on individual trust for sustainable peace
  • Professor Naoko Kumagai
  • Even after a ceasefire is once agreed upon around the world, there are many cases in which conflicts and clashes break out again. Professor Naoko Kumagai is researching the necessary conditions for such conflicts in the international community to reach "reconciliation," exploring the meaning of apology, forgiveness, memory, compensation, justice, and more. Referring to past cases in East Asia and Europe, she has been searching for a way to restore trust between victims and perpetrators. In order to overcome negative emotions and build sustainable peace, it is necessary to face history squarely and listen to the inner voice of each party involved.

  • Faculty of Law, Department of Human Rights
  • Posted on 2024/05/01
  • International human rights law protects all people on the planet.
    What are the challenges facing Japan in promoting human rights?
  • Professor Hae Bong Shin
  • "Human rights" are fundamental values shared by the international community, and are a theme of great social significance that is also aligned with the SDGs' philosophy of "leaving no one behind." It is also a practical academic field that is directly linked to our daily lives, in that it cultivates an attitude of respecting the rights of others while protecting one's own rights. Professor Hae Bong Shin is exploring and examining measures to promote the protection of human rights in Japan from a legal perspective, making full use of comparative law with other countries.

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies, Department of Psychology
  • Focusing on the reactions of the brain and body, we capture the "emotions" that are not expressed in words and actions.
  • Associate Professor Izumi Matsuda
  • Psychophysiology is a field that seeks to understand the "movements of the mind" from physiological responses such as brain waves and heart rate. Associate Professor Izumi Matsuda has been involved in research into polygraph tests at the National Research Institute of Police Science for many years, contributing to the advancement of scientific investigations. Using the knowledge and skills she has acquired there, she continues to take on the challenge of unraveling the physiological aspects of the human mind more broadly. As times change, research subjects become more diverse, and new research methods are born as technology advances, expanding the possibilities of psychophysiology in many directions.
    (Released in 2023)

  • School of Business, Department of Business Administration
  • Turning expertise into social benefit.
    Exploring data science to create more value
  • Associate Professor Ibuki Hoshina
  • Statistical modeling is a method of deriving mathematical models from data that represent the structure behind the data, which can be used to predict and interpret various phenomena. Associate Professor Hoshina is working on developing new methods that apply existing theories, aiming for more accurate predictions and more versatile models. By taking advantage of the strengths of theoretical research and introducing methods to society that allow for error-free data analysis even without specialized knowledge, he looks toward a future in which anyone can make the most of the benefits that data science brings.
    (Released in 2023)

  • College of Literature, Department of Japanese Language and Literature
  • Utilizing cutting-edge computer technology
    Understanding with Data Science
    The mysterious world of classical languages
  • Professor Yasuhiro Kondo
  • The idea of "integration of humanities and sciences," which transcends the boundaries between the humanities and sciences and involves learning across both academic fields, is now becoming more widespread in the field of education. Professor Yasuhiro Kondo of the Department of Japanese Literature, Faculty of Letters, was one of the earliest researchers to focus on computer-based research into Japanese language since the 1970s, and has truly put the integration of humanities and sciences into practice. He has continued his research to unravel the mysteries of the oldest classical languages using cutting-edge computer technology. What kind of talent and creativity does Professor Kondo envision as being required for humanities research in the future? (Published in 2022)

  • Faculty of Law, Department of Human Rights
  • Exploring LGBTQ human rights issues from the field of law, with a focus on legal interpretation.
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  • Professor Hiroyuki Taniguchi
  • Serious discussions on LGBTQ human rights issues began in Europe in the 1980s and spread globally, but the situation in Japan is still far from ideal. Professor Hiroyuki Taniguchi is addressing this issue from the perspective of legal interpretation, conducting research on the influence of international human rights norms on Japanese legal interpretation, keeping in mind its historical and social connections. Not only for LGBTQ issues, but for human rights issues in general, viewing them solely from the perspective of individual awareness and feelings will lead us further away from fundamental solutions. What perspective should we adopt?
    (Published in 2022)

  • College of Community Studies
  • What is the purpose of a museum?
    Understanding from people, history and background
  • Associate Professor Masanori Oki
  • From around 2000, local governments began to merge and close public museums against the backdrop of worsening finances and other factors. This prompted people to question the purpose of museums and their significance. Associate Professor Oki Masanori, who specializes in museology, explains the importance of museums in discovering and evaluating cultural resources, and providing local residents with a place for intellectual activity. We will consider the value of museums in the present and future by unraveling the history of museums established by philanthropists in modern Japan and the aspirations and history that have been passed down to the present day. (Published in 2021)

  • College of Literature
  • The "SSARC model" leads
    Adapted to each individual's cognitive abilities
    A future where you can choose how you learn
  • Professor Robinson, P.J.
  • Professor Robinson, PJ is a pioneer of Task-Based Language Learning. He is also a leading authority in the field of language learning, and his papers are ranked in the top 1% worldwide in the fields of second language acquisition and applied linguistics in terms of the number of citations in Scopus (one of the world's largest abstract and citation databases). His scientifically-backed research is paving the way for the future of language learning, and the SSARC model theory he has established can be applied to a variety of studies outside of linguistics. (Published in 2021)

  • School of Global Studies and Collaboration
  • How will the Internet change language, opinion, and society?
  • Professor Eiichirou Kabashima
  • Printed communication, which first appeared in the late 1400s, has grown over the past 500 years alongside the major media in society, including newspapers, books, and magazines. However, with the rise of the Internet in the mid-1990s, a major change occurred. This was not just a shift in media, from paper to electronic, and from analog to digital, but a major change that shook up the words and thoughts we use. Here, we discuss with Professor Kabashima of the Faculty of Global Studies, who specializes in media industry theory, what this once-in-500-year change from print to the Internet was, and how it has changed our words and thoughts. (Published in 2021)

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies
  • Does paying attention to your appearance improve communication?
  • Professor Kenji Endo
  • You may feel rebellious when you hear that "appearance is everything," but other people can only "guess" what's going on inside of us. Therefore, if you want to build good relationships (communication) with others, you will have no choice but to pay attention to "appearance," which is an important factor in judging people.
    This column focuses on "appearance," one of the non-verbal means of communication, and uses multiple data to consider how others react to "changes in appearance," exploring the "just right appearance" for building better relationships with others. (Published in 2015)

  • School of International Politics, Economics and Communication
  • How to improve your communication skills
  • Professor Kiyoko Sueda
  • "Communication skills" have been ranked number one for the 10th consecutive year as an important factor in recruitment selection, and communication skills are becoming increasingly important these days. What can we do to improve our communication skills?
    In this column, we will delve into the essence of communication and explain what true "communication skills" are. (Published in 2015)

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies
  • Global communication skills start from your Japanese language skills
  • Professor Emeritus Shigeru Komori
  • In Japan, the importance of learning English is emphasized, and there is a push to have children acquire basic English skills from an early stage in elementary school. However, is it advisable to enrich English education at a stage when Japanese cannot be fully understood or used? This column discusses the importance of thoroughly learning one's native language, and explains how improving one's Japanese language skills will lay the foundation for learning a foreign language. (Published in 2014)

  • School of Global Studies and Collaboration, Department of Global Studies and Collaboration
  • Published on 2026/04/30
  • As a member of the local community, we listen to people's voices and explore the possibilities of international cooperation.
  • Professor Masanobu Horie

  • Faculty of Social Informatics, Department of Social Informatics
  • Published on 2025/05/16
  • Combining insights from sociology and information science, we tackle complex social problems.
  • Associate Professor Shinya Obayashi

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies, Department of Education
  • Published on 2025/05/16
  • From a perspective only available by being on the ground, this book questions the state of higher education in Japan.
  • Professor Yumiko Sugitani

  • School of Global Studies and Collaboration, Department of Global Studies and Collaboration
  • Posted on 2024/05/10
  • Pursuing reconciliation based on individual trust for sustainable peace
  • Professor Naoko Kumagai

  • Faculty of Law, Department of Human Rights
  • Posted on 2024/05/01
  • International human rights law protects all people on the planet.
    What are the challenges facing Japan in promoting human rights?
  • Professor Hae Bong Shin

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies, Department of Psychology
  • Focusing on the reactions of the brain and body, we capture the "emotions" that are not expressed in words and actions.
  • Associate Professor Izumi Matsuda

  • School of Business, Department of Business Administration
  • Turning expertise into social benefit.
    Exploring data science to create more value
  • Associate Professor Ibuki Hoshina

  • College of Literature, Department of Japanese Language and Literature
  • Utilizing cutting-edge computer technology
    Understanding with Data Science
    The mysterious world of classical languages
  • Professor Yasuhiro Kondo

  • Faculty of Law, Department of Human Rights
  • Exploring LGBTQ human rights issues from the field of law, with a focus on legal interpretation.
    ​
  • Professor Hiroyuki Taniguchi

  • College of Community Studies
  • What is the purpose of a museum?
    Understanding from people, history and background
  • Associate Professor Masanori Oki

  • College of Literature
  • The "SSARC model" leads
    Adapted to each individual's cognitive abilities
    A future where you can choose how you learn
  • Professor Robinson, P.J.

  • School of Global Studies and Collaboration
  • How will the Internet change language, opinion, and society?
  • Professor Eiichirou Kabashima

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies
  • Does paying attention to your appearance improve communication?
  • Professor Kenji Endo

  • School of International Politics, Economics and Communication
  • How to improve your communication skills
  • Professor Kiyoko Sueda

  • College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies
  • Global communication skills start from your Japanese language skills
  • Professor Emeritus Shigeru Komori
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