The 60th anniversary of Kyoto Computer Gakuin (KCG), Japan's first computer education institution, and the 20th anniversary of Kyoto College of Information Technology (KCGI), Japan's first IT professional graduate school, were celebrated on Friday, October 6, 2023, at the main hall of KCG Kyoto Ekimae Campus and KCGI Kyoto Ekimae Satellite.Many people from industry, government, and academia, as well as alumni and current students from Japan and abroad, attended the event.At the ceremony, the KCG Group reflected on its 60 years of history and renewed its determination to lead IT education in Japan with even greater enthusiasm as it looks toward its next milestone, the 100th anniversary.The ceremony was followed by a commemorative lecture, and the celebration party held at the Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto was filled with a festive atmosphere with live performances by famous singers.
The commemorative ceremony opened with the opening movie "Link to the Pioneer Spirits," which introduced the 60-year history of the KCG Group.The music used in the movie was composed by KCGI Professor Nizza Melas for the 60th anniversary of KCG.Professor Nizza Melas, a singer-songwriter based in Montreal, Canada, who is active internationally and is the main vocalist for Cirque du Soleil, teaches performing arts-related classes at KCG Group, among others.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Wataru Hasegawa, President and Chancellor of KCG, KCGI, and Kyoto College of Gearmanship (KCGM), delivered a speech.After reviewing the history of the KCG Group and introducing the University's efforts in today's digital society, President Hasegawa stated, "We are all deeply grateful for the warm support and understanding we have received from so many people over our 60-year history to date.I am convinced that the pioneering spirit of KCG, which created Japan's first computer education institution and Japan's first IT professional graduate school, will be the foundation for the next era if current students, graduates, alumni, faculty and staff carry on this pioneering spirit, and if the visionary and challenging spirit that lives in the KCG family of over 50,000 people shines through in their respective fields," he concluded.
Congratulatory speeches were delivered by H.E. Joseph Giro Effangon Obage, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Gabon, to whom TUAT has donated computers and provided IT education support through the Overseas Computer Education Support Activities (IDCE); H.E. Samuel Abal, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (video message); followed by Akimasa Yamashita, Deputy Governor of Kyoto Prefecture; Takashi Hikihara, Vice President and Director of Kyoto University; Shojiro Nishio, President of Osaka University; Katsuhiko Shirai, President of the Japan Open Online Education Council (JMOOC) and former President of Waseda University; and Norishige Morimoto, President of Information Processing Society of Japan.KCGI President Shinji Tomita gave the closing remarks.
In the commemorative lecture, Markus Kummer, former Secretary General of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF)* and former Director of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)*, spoke on the topic "From Internet Governance to the Global Digital Compact".ICANN* Director Avri Doria also spoke on "Understanding and Educating the Multi-Stakeholder Model.
They are key members of the Internet Governance Forum Kyoto 2023 (IGF Kyoto 2023), the first UN-sponsored international conference in Japan to be held in Kyoto City (October 8-12).The lecture was made possible by the fact that our university has been a central player in the Internet since its early days.
The celebration was moved to a hotel, where President Hasegawa delivered an address, followed by congratulatory remarks by Mr. Masashi Nishida, LDP deputy chairman for political affairs and member of the House of Councillors.The banquet began with a toast by Dr. Norihiko Mino, General Manager of the Information Integration Division of RIKEN.Attendees enjoyed a friendly chat over food and drink.KCGI Professor Nizza Melas, who composed the opening movie song for the day's commemorative ceremony, enlivened the celebration with a live performance.KCGI President Shinji Tomita concluded the meeting with a few words of acknowledgement.
Thank you very much for your attendance.
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In 1963, the FORTRAN Study Group, a computer study group, was established near Kyoto University and held an "electronic programming workshop.This was the first private computer education in Japan and the first step for the KCG Group.Later, the scope of the courses was expanded, and in August 1969, "Kyoto Computer Gakuin," Japan's first full-time computer education institution, was established.In 2004, “The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics”, Japan's first IT professional graduate school, was opened as a group school. In 2012, graduate satellites were opened in Sapporo and Tokyo.Furthermore, in 2013, "Kyoto College of Automotive Technology," which has the longest history and tradition in Kyoto, joined the KCG group.
The KCG Group has always exuded the pioneering spirit that is the identity of the university, while striving to nurture the human resources required by the times in the rapidly developing IT field, fostering many information processing engineers who will lead the industry and producing over 50,000 graduates.We have also made steady progress by building networks with overseas educational institutions.
On the occasion of our 60th anniversary, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the many people who have supported us through the years.We are determined to make this major milestone the start of a further leap forward, pledge further development to meet the expectations of various fields including related industries, and open up new horizons together with current students and graduates for the next era.
*Kyoto Computer Gakuin acquired its Internet domain name (kcg.edu) in 1995..edu" is one of the gTLDs (generic Top Level Domains: top-level domains used on the Internet by field), and only institutions of higher education recognized by accreditation agencies in the United States are eligible to register.Since the dawn of the Internet, our university has been at the center of its development and operation.Currently, TUFS manages and operates the geographical name top-level domain ".kyoto" with the approval of ICANN, an international domain name management organization.
The Internet Governance Forum Kyoto 2023 (IGF Kyoto 2023), organized by the United Nations, is one of the most important conferences in the field of Internet policy, where many stakeholders engage in dialogue on all Internet-related issues on an equal footing.It has been held annually since 2006, but this is the first time it has been held in Japan.Tohoku University has established the first School on Internet Governance (SIG) office in Japan, and is hosting "SIG Japan" to discuss Internet governance from various perspectives as a related event to IGF Kyoto 2023 and as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the university's founding.
