About IMI

Message from the Director

Greetings

Masato Wakayama (Director)
Institute of Mathematics for Industry, Kyushu University
April 1, 2011

The Institute of Mathematics for Industry (IMI) has been established as the university's fifth research institute. IMI is a deliberately planned offshoot of the Global COE Program "Education and Research Hub for Mathematics-for-Industry" (FY2008-2012).

The idea behind IMI is traced to the 21st Century COE Program "Development of Dynamic Mathematics with High Functionality"(FY2003-2007). The aim of this 21st Century COE Program̶a precursor to the Global COE Program̶was to provide abroad view to mathematics doctoral students and to open new career paths for them, through, for example, an introduction of the program of long-term internships in industry. From its birth in 1939, the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science has enjoyed a long tradition of respect for striking a harmonious balance between pure and applied mathematics. This balance serves as the framework of designing IMI.

The basic activity of IMI is to promote industrial mathematics on and for the basis of various mathematics researches and to grow human resources in this field. By Mathematics-for-Industry we mean a new field of research for creating industrial mathematics of the future. The history of the development of mathematics has led us to the belief that an essential idea will someday find its utility. The history shows, on the other hand, examples of the inability of research to respond to the serious requests from the society even in the cases of actual demand. For that reason, with a focus on mathematics, IMI aims to cooperate more closely with industry through joint research and to advance, over the pure‒applied barrier, to a wider range of mathematics in amalgamated form. IMI focuses on basic research while respecting its contact with modern society. IMI also needs to focus on the facts like, for example, the great pioneers of the 19th century who combined theoretical research and numerical calculations. While focusing on both theoretical and computational/experimental research, IMI will incorporate deterministic considerations, and statistical and probabilistic methods to continually promote research from a broad outlook. In addition, IMI will step-by-step establish itself as a center of interactive cooperation between mathematics and various industry and scientific fields. Internationally, IMI will forge industry‒mathematics collaboration in the Pacific and East Asia regions as a global partner in activities associated with Mathematics-for-Industry.

Kyushu University has instituted Graduate School/Graduate Faculty System. According to the rule of this system, university faculty members, in principle, belong to a Graduate Faculty or a Research Institute. A Graduate School is an educational organization (education body) of a graduate school studies. IMI and the Faculty of Mathematics are the partner bodies responsible for the Graduate School of Mathematics.

Today, the importance of mathematics is better recognized than ever, with accumulation of evidences that mathematics contributes directly and crucially to deepen things and to solve problems in the society. As a consequence, the roles of experts dedicated to mathematics are growing for the development of the society. The day is not far off when mathematicians―the describers of scientific foundations―will be the navigators for the real world and industrial technology. While aiming to train researchers for positions at universities, research institutes, and in industry, IMI will make every effort to develop excellent professionals who can meet the needs of society. IMI's mission is to become a center on the cutting edge of mathematics in the real world and world of science.

In the field of mathematics, IMI is the third research institute established in Japan after the Institute of Statistical Mathematics and RIMS, Kyoto University, but has a distinctive feature. As such, the birth of IMI marks the formation of a unique international institute. We thank you very much for your cooperation and interest thus far. IMI looks forward to receiving continued support from you.