7 Computer Science Degree Programs in Japan

The Faculty of Science and Technology constitutes three departments; the Department of Materials and Life Science, the Department of Computer and Information Science, the Department of Systems Design Engineering, based on the policy of being “mission-oriented,” providing education that can meet both the needs of the students and the society.

The Computer and Information Science Program (former Department of Computer and Information Sciences) was established in 1998 and is now one of the six programs in the School of Engineering at Nagasaki University. The program is one of the most up-to-date engineering schools in the country.

The School of Computer Science offers systematic training in programming basics and its various applications. Starting April 2015, four new courses have been established to accommodate a more diverse range of technological fields. By equipping students with advanced information and communications technologies (ICT) that are essential for creating a comfortable future society, the department aims to nurture engineers who have the theoretical and practical expertise that society truly needs.

Systematic studies of the basics of and applications in the respective fields of software, hardware, database and network, and human communications technologies provide an understanding of technology’s fundamental principles, fostering creativity and the ability to develop and find applications for those technologies.

In recent years, information technology is no longer limited to computers, having broadened in application to a myriad of products including home electronics, mobile phones, autos, and more. The field is also gaining importance as high-speed networks are linking information systems as social infrastructure. This course trains students and engages them in research on information technologies facilitating the informatization of society in the 21st century: i.e. information processing, information systems, information networks, information media, and living assistance technologies. Through this curriculum, we work to educate sophisticated engineering capable of a high level of creativity and problem-solving abilities able to anticipate changes in the informatization of society—that are leaders in their fields.

Computational neuroscience has a rich history going back to the original Hodgkin-Huxley model of the action potential and the work of Wilfrid Rall on cable theory and passive dendrites. More recently networks consisting of simple integrate-and-fire neurons have become popular. Nowadays standard simulator software exists to apply these modeling methods, which can then be used to interpret and predict experimental findings. This course introduces some standard modeling methods with an emphasis on simulation of single neurons and synapses and an introduction to integrate-and-fire networks. Each theoretical topic is linked to one or more seminal papers that will be discussed in class. A number of simple exercises using the NEURON simulator will demonstrate single neuron and synapse modeling.

The elements and constructions of robots and information–communication devices are studied. Students learn not only the skills for electrical-electronic information and mechanical control, but also acquire applied skills such as bioengineering.