Kyoto Computer Gakuin
Encyclopedia
Kyoto Computer Gakuin is Japan
's first private computer educational institution in Japan founded in 1963 by Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa. KCG is the main institution of the KCG Group. KCG’s Eki-mae is the main campus which is centrally located near the Kyoto Station
. KCG also has other sites at the Kamogawa Campus which houses the Computer Graphics Art Department and the Rakuhoku Campus where the Computer Informatics Department is found. The KCG group is also composed of the Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics
(KCGI), the Kyoto Japanese Language Training Center (KJLTC), KCG Career, Inc. and KCG Co., Ltd.--- all global education-related institutions. Over nearly half a century, KCG has developed a strong and growing alumni network of 37,000 members who are currently active in the Japanese information industry.
was then entering a period of economic growth and recovery in the post-war period and computers were still rare at that time. Only a handful of organizations like major banks, university research centers and airline companies possessed computer technology. At that time, people asked: "Why should the average person study computers? What is the computer for?" “What do we need computer education for at this time?” But Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa, both educators, had the foresight of the future society in the IT era.
. "The FORTRAN Research Seminar" was renamed as the "Kyoto Software Research Seminar".
The uses of software was studied from a wider perspective, as the Kyoto Software Research Seminar group took in members not only from the academic community but from various sectors of society and subsequently the members found themselves involved in various educational activities.
The latter part of 1960s saw the emergence of Japanese made computers. By using the locally made "HITAC-10" computer, the seminar group was able to conduct courses on programming and as students increased, Hasegawa’s group had to rent an extra room as a computer laboratory.
In 1969, the "Kyoto Software Research Seminar" was renamed as "Kyoto Computer Gakuin". In the subsequent years, computer facilities of the school rapidly increased with the growing demand for computer education.
Later, KCG acquired the medium-scale-computer of Toshiba; the TOSBAC3400, IBM's main frames—the IBM 370, 4341, 3031; the large-scale UNIVAC (later called UNISYS) 1100, 1106 computers. In 1983 when the PC was just coming out of the market, KCG acquired a large number of PCs and initiated a PC Loan Program lending PCs to all KCG students for free.
Even the major universities did not engage in any such program, but this is one of the early evidence of the KCG founding president’s clear vision for the development of computer education in Japan.
[2] Provide education that meets the demands of the society and IT sector.
[3] Encourage the further development of computer technology．
[4] Cultivate interdisciplinary ways of thinking．
[5] Promote both the intellectual and various aspects of student character.
IDCE's launched its first project by donating 300 8-bit personal computers to Thailand’s secondary and upper level schools in Thailand
in 1988. IDCE then went to other countries such as Ghana
, Poland
, Kenya
, Peru
, and Zimbabwe
.
As of March 2008, 21 countries have been benefited by IDCE.
IDCE's goal is to widen access to basic computers for educational purposes in developing countries, where often there is no public access to computer technology. The program aims to enhance basic computer literacy and serves also as a medium for encouraging cultural exchange between Japan and participating countries.
and Korea's Korea University Graduate School of Information Security)http://cist.korea.ac.kr/, Cheju National University http://www.cheju.ac.kr:8080/eng/main.jsp), and in Europe (the Czech Republic's VSB-Technical University of Ostrava)http://en.vsb.cz/.
On May 15, 2008 the KCG Group (including KCG http://www.kcg.ac.jp/ and the Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics http://www.kcg.edu/) and the University of Pardubice http://www.upce.cz/english, one of the best national universities in the Czech Republic held the world's first online academic exchange agreement signing ceremonies between two universities in Japan and Europe. The KCG Group and the University of Pardubice http://www.upce.cz/english signed the memorandum of understanding for academic exchange agreement by holding ceremonies using video conferencing technology.
in 2002, as base of deeper academic exchange with Chinese universities and to support IT education in China
.
in 2000 as a base of overseas projects of the KCG group. The office was moved to the Rockefeller Center
in 2004 and resumed operations after the terrorist attacks in New York
.
City in Japan
. It is accessible from the Kyoto Station
, the gateway into Kyoto
, the ancient capital of Japan. Kyoto is known to be a “student-friendly city” with several amenities and reasonable housing, food and shopping facilities that cater to its large student population due to the location of universities and schools in the area.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's first private computer educational institution in Japan founded in 1963 by Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa. KCG is the main institution of the KCG Group. KCG’s Eki-mae is the main campus which is centrally located near the Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station
is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof...
. KCG also has other sites at the Kamogawa Campus which houses the Computer Graphics Art Department and the Rakuhoku Campus where the Computer Informatics Department is found. The KCG group is also composed of the Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics
Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics
The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics is Japan's first IT professional school with adjunct masteral programs in Applied Information Technology on Web Business Technology & Web Systems Development...
(KCGI), the Kyoto Japanese Language Training Center (KJLTC), KCG Career, Inc. and KCG Co., Ltd.--- all global education-related institutions. Over nearly half a century, KCG has developed a strong and growing alumni network of 37,000 members who are currently active in the Japanese information industry.
History
Kyoto Computer Gakuin was established by Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa in 1963. Yasuko Hasegawa, the first woman to be enrolled at Kyoto University's doctoral program in Astrophysics, formed a study group for IBM 709/7090 and started teaching to young faculty and graduate students at Kyoto University. They called the workshop as "the FORTRAN Research Seminar" which was later renamed as the "Kyoto Software Research Seminar". This workshop became Kyoto Computer Gakuin (Kyoto School of Computer Science) in 1969. JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was then entering a period of economic growth and recovery in the post-war period and computers were still rare at that time. Only a handful of organizations like major banks, university research centers and airline companies possessed computer technology. At that time, people asked: "Why should the average person study computers? What is the computer for?" “What do we need computer education for at this time?” But Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa, both educators, had the foresight of the future society in the IT era.
KCG’s Founders: Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa
Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa organized the "FORTRAN Research Seminar" in Kyoto in 1963. This became the roots of Kyoto Computer Gakuin and the KCG Group of institutions. There was an urgent need to have this kind of research group studying programming languages. However, there were neither accessible computer equipment nor books on computing in bookstores and FORTRAN could be used in Japan on a few computers which at that time were all imported. Under the ill-equipped environment of those times, Yasuko Hasegawa, the incumbent KCG president, struggled to develop a computer education system. In 1986, KCG co-founder Shigeo Hasegawa died at the age of 56.From Kyoto’s FORTRAN Research Seminar to The Kyoto Software Research Seminar
The FORTRAN Research Seminar was started as the independent seminar which studied the uses and applications of FORTRAN. All the attendees were young research scientists from Kyoto UniversityKyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
. "The FORTRAN Research Seminar" was renamed as the "Kyoto Software Research Seminar".
The uses of software was studied from a wider perspective, as the Kyoto Software Research Seminar group took in members not only from the academic community but from various sectors of society and subsequently the members found themselves involved in various educational activities.
The latter part of 1960s saw the emergence of Japanese made computers. By using the locally made "HITAC-10" computer, the seminar group was able to conduct courses on programming and as students increased, Hasegawa’s group had to rent an extra room as a computer laboratory.
In 1969, the "Kyoto Software Research Seminar" was renamed as "Kyoto Computer Gakuin". In the subsequent years, computer facilities of the school rapidly increased with the growing demand for computer education.
KCG’s outreach program: The early years
In the beginning, KCG founders Yasuko and Shigeo Hasegawa set the example by taking it upon themselves to transport the HITAC-10 in their car whenever there was a need to give lectures in faraway venues.Later, KCG acquired the medium-scale-computer of Toshiba; the TOSBAC3400, IBM's main frames—the IBM 370, 4341, 3031; the large-scale UNIVAC (later called UNISYS) 1100, 1106 computers. In 1983 when the PC was just coming out of the market, KCG acquired a large number of PCs and initiated a PC Loan Program lending PCs to all KCG students for free.
Even the major universities did not engage in any such program, but this is one of the early evidence of the KCG founding president’s clear vision for the development of computer education in Japan.
KCG's Five Mission Statements
[1] Provide education in the theoretical aspects of computer technology.[2] Provide education that meets the demands of the society and IT sector.
[3] Encourage the further development of computer technology．
[4] Cultivate interdisciplinary ways of thinking．
[5] Promote both the intellectual and various aspects of student character.
International Development of Computer Education Program (IDCE): KCG Group’s current global outreach program
The International Development of Computer Education (IDCE) http://idce-world.org/index.html program is a special program to expand computer education initiated in 1988 by Yasuko Hasegawa and her daughter Yu Hasegawa. Over the past several years, the IDCE program has donated almost 3,000 computers and provided computer instruction to countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America.IDCE's launched its first project by donating 300 8-bit personal computers to Thailand’s secondary and upper level schools in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in 1988. IDCE then went to other countries such as Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
As of March 2008, 21 countries have been benefited by IDCE.
IDCE's goal is to widen access to basic computers for educational purposes in developing countries, where often there is no public access to computer technology. The program aims to enhance basic computer literacy and serves also as a medium for encouraging cultural exchange between Japan and participating countries.
Academic Exchange Agreements
The KCG Group of institutions also has academic exchange agreements with various institutions with Information Technology programs in the US (Rochester Institute of Technology College of Imaging Arts and Sciences and B.Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences (RIT))http://www.it.rit.edu/it/index.maml, in Asia (China's Tianjin University of Science Technology (TUST) http://www.tust.edu.cn/english/about/about.htm, Dalian University of Foreign Languagehttp://edawai.dlufl.edu.cn/, Fujian Normal University http://www.fjtu.edu.cn/contents/English/, Nanjing University of Technology http://www.njut.edu.cn/english/and Korea's Korea University Graduate School of Information Security)http://cist.korea.ac.kr/, Cheju National University http://www.cheju.ac.kr:8080/eng/main.jsp), and in Europe (the Czech Republic's VSB-Technical University of Ostrava)http://en.vsb.cz/.
On May 15, 2008 the KCG Group (including KCG http://www.kcg.ac.jp/ and the Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics http://www.kcg.edu/) and the University of Pardubice http://www.upce.cz/english, one of the best national universities in the Czech Republic held the world's first online academic exchange agreement signing ceremonies between two universities in Japan and Europe. The KCG Group and the University of Pardubice http://www.upce.cz/english signed the memorandum of understanding for academic exchange agreement by holding ceremonies using video conferencing technology.
KCG’s RIT Summer Workshop
KCG’s academic agreement with RIT was established in 1996. Since then KCG organizes the RIT Summer workshop where students get the chance to attend classes at RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences and B. Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences and have a feel of campus life in the US as well as see the sights in Rochester, Niagara Falls and New York City.Kyoto Japanese Language Training Center
The Kyoto Japanese Language Training Center http://www.kcg.ac.jp/KJLTC/ is an institution accredited by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education and authorized by the Ministry of Education as a preparatory school (currently there are only 17 approved schools in Japan).Kyoto Computer Gakuin - Beijing Office
The office has been established in the Parliament Library of BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 2002, as base of deeper academic exchange with Chinese universities and to support IT education in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Kyoto Computer Gakuin - New York Office
The office was established in World Trade CenterWorld Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in 2000 as a base of overseas projects of the KCG group. The office was moved to the Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
in 2004 and resumed operations after the terrorist attacks in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Environment and Location
The Eki-mae campus is centrally located in the Minami Ward of KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
City in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is accessible from the Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station
is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof...
, the gateway into Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, the ancient capital of Japan. Kyoto is known to be a “student-friendly city” with several amenities and reasonable housing, food and shopping facilities that cater to its large student population due to the location of universities and schools in the area.