SYMPOSIUM Commemorative Symposium for the 20th Anniversary of the Double Degree Program in Keio Science and Technology
- Looking Ahead to the Brain Circulation Ecosystem in 2040 -

Professor Shinnosuke Obi is a professor of mechanical engineering at Keio University, specializing in fluid mechanics, turbulence modeling, computational mechanics, and flow measurement. He earned his BSc and MSc from Keio University and holds a Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing.) from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. He served as Vice President for International Collaboration at Keio University from 2019 to 2021 and as Dean of the International Center from 2017 to 2020. Over more than a decade, he chaired the International Affairs Committee of the Faculty and Graduate School of Science and Technology, playing a key role in launching international initiatives, including double degree programs with European partner universities. A Fellow of both the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Japan Society of Fluid Mechanics, Professor Obi is also active in policy advising. He currently serves on committees of the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) and the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), contributing to the development of scholarship and mobility programs for domestic and international students. His work continues to bridge education, research, and international cooperation in higher education and science policy.

Marie-Pierre Favre, Ph.D., has served as VP for International Relations at INSA Lyon for 10 years and then was appointed five years ago as Senior Advisor/ Vice-President delegate for International Development of INSA Group - the largest group of publicly-funded engineering graduate schools in France. She experienced 5 years abroad (USA and Spain). A varied professional experience, both in the private sector (International development for a Business school, Insurance industry, and Financial service for exports in a private company) and in HE allows her to adapt consequently in the international arena. Several leading positions in international offices of different HEIs provide her with a solid background to manage and promote successful internationalization. She served as well in several strategic committees in France, Europe, and overseas. Newly appointed as Chief Global Officer and Vice President for Comprehensive Internationalization, she is now fully dedicated to the internationalization strategy and its implementation at Tohoku University in order to expand Tohoku University's global network and improve its outreach / contribute to the internationalization of the campus / improve global readiness and awareness of university members. Specialty Field: Internationalization in Higher Education / Cross-cultural management / International development in HE.

Dr. Romyen Kosaikanont is Vice President at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU), Thailand, and former Centre Director of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation: Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED). At SEAMEO RIHED, she advanced the internationalization of higher education in Southeast Asia, working closely with member countries and the ASEAN Secretariat to co-create a common higher education space with the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusive and Belonging) principles. Under her leadership, SEAMEO RIHED lead key regional initiatives aimed at harmonizing higher education through policy dialogues such as the Southeast Asian Higher Education Senior Officials Meeting (SEA-HiEd SOM), student mobility programs like the Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS), and collaborative platforms including the RIHED-SHARE online knowledge exchange. In partnership with organizations such as the British Council and DAAD, SEAMEO RIHED delivered impactful flagship projects, including leadership development in "Good Governance on Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity" and the “Strengthening Research Ecosystem: Horizon Southeast Asia – Pushing the Frontier of Research for Sustainability”. At MFU, Dr. Romyen continues to strengthen the university’s global engagement. MFU is recognized among Thailand’s top institutions for international outlook, with a diverse student community and growing academic partnerships across the region.

Prof. Vincent Frémont received the M.Sc. (2000) and PhD (2003) degrees in automatic control and computer science from the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France. From 2005 to 2018, he was an Associate Professor at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC) within the Heudiasyc Lab, UMR CNRS 7253. Since 2018, he is a Full Professor at Ecole Centrale de Nantes within the ARMEN team at the LS2N Lab, UMR CNRS 6004. His research interests belong to perception systems and scene understanding for autonomous mobile robotics with an emphasis on computer vision, deep learning and multi-sensor fusion for self-driving cars. He has published 100+ papers in international journals and conference papers. Since 2019, he is the coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus Japan-Europe Master on Advanced Robotics (JEMARO) programme, and since 2021, he is the Director of International Relations of Centrale Nantes.

Dr. Mami Matsukawa received her Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Doshisha University in 1993. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan. Her research is concerned with the advancement and application of ultrasonic technologies, encompassing areas such as non-destructive evaluation, medical ultrasonics, and the interactions between acoustic and optical phenomena. Dr. Matsukawa has previously served as a researcher at the Academic System Research Center of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and as Chair of the Japan Chapter of the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control (UFFC) Society. She presently serves as Vice-Chair of the Symposium on the Fundamentals and Applications of Ultrasonic Electronics, and as an advisor to the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) under its Creative Research Support Program. In addition, Dr. Matsukawa has actively contributed to international student exchange initiatives within the scientific and engineering disciplines. As the designated coordinator from Doshisha University for the Top International Managers in Engineering (T.I.M.E.) Association, she has served on its Advisory Committee from 2019 to 2025. Notably, since 2021, she has been the sole non-European member of the committee.

Norihisa Miki is Professor and Department Head of Mechanical Engineering, and Chair of International Affairs at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University. He joined Keio in 2004 after serving as a postdoctoral associate and research engineer at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His expertise spans a wide spectrum—from nano/micro engineering and biomedical engineering to ethics, innovation, art, and internationalization—reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to education and research. Since taking up the role of Chair of International Affairs in 2018, he has led strategic initiatives to advance student mobility and forge collaborative academic programs with partner institutions worldwide. In 2023, he served as Division Head of the Micro-Nano Science and Technology Division of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). Prof. Miki has authored over 140 peer-reviewed publications and continues to mentor emerging researchers across disciplines. He serves as President of the Keio University Ice Skating Club, blending leadership in both academic and extracurricular spheres.