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Interdisciplinary Clinic
This clinic provides a forum for casual exchange among the Department of Mathematics and Information Sciences, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Department of Mechanical Engineering. It enables graduate students from these three departments to interact with each other in a face-to-face manner to resolve current problems, improve research literacy, and cultivate the seeds of future research. Assistant professors act as advisors at this clinic and endeavor to create a relaxed atmosphere in which students can ask each other questions or talk about their respective research projects while drinking tea or having other refreshments. These clinics are presently being held about twice a week at a predetermined time.
In more detail, the Interdisciplinary clinic enables graduate students to get help with math problems that appear in engineering or get answers to questions that they might have on something presented in an inter-departmental seminar. They can also obtain advice on giving poster presentations and how to improve their research literacy as in the use of TeX, and they can receive computer-programming consultation and get help with using the CAD room. The Interdisciplinary clinic may also be the scene of casual seminars or social gatherings to introduce the research being carried out by each of these three departments and it may even hold mini-lectures on key topics. Regular participation in this inter-departmental clinic by students can lead to the formation of new interdisciplinary projects and associated groups.
Actual content of the clinic is decided on by a team of advanced tutors (ATs). An AT should be a person who wants to create constructive friendships that cross department lines while creating an inter-departmental community in which the inter-departmental clinic and SNS complement each other in a seamless fashion.
Mathematics Refresher Education
Refresher Education as a TA
This program appoints teaching assistants (TAs) mainly from among pre-doctoral (master's) students participating in the program. An appointed TA is involved in educational activities as a tutor in relation to basic undergraduate mathematics for science and engineering and to undergraduate specialized mathematics (for engineering students) while also engaging in personal refresher education in mathematics. The work of a TA is generally guided by an assistant professor acting as an advisor. Working in pairs, TAs are put in charge of supplementary math classes held twice a week. In addition, students appointed as TAs generally participate in the Interdisciplinary clinic and engage in personal refresher education through consultation and other means.
Taking Undergraduate Specialized Courses
Graduate students participating in this program engage in refresher education by taking undergraduate specialized courses. For example, graduate students in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering can take undergraduate math-science courses required for this program, while graduate students in the Department of Mathematics and Information Sciences can take undergraduate electrical-and-electronic-engineering and mechanical-engineering courses. However, to take such an undergraduate course, the student in question must (1) obtain the approval of the Inter-departmental Coordination Program Promotion Office and (2) have such a course recognized as "a course supporting one's major" by the Interdisciplinary Affairs Committee.