Advanced Collaborative Research Organization for Smart Society (ACROSS)Waseda University

The construction of a new social infrastructure that integrates various smart social technologies is essential to achieving carbon neutrality and simultaneously solving other social issues such as aging. The SDGs, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, state that “no one will be left behind” to ensure that the goals and targets are met by all countries, all people and all parts of the world. The construction of a smart city is an important means to realize this principle. We aim to conduct comprehensive social science research to realize a smart society by analyzing the effects of building a smart society from economic, social, and environmental aspects primarily using the input-output analysis. Research activities at the Institute are as follows.
1. Collaboration with sciences and engineering
In collaboration with science and engineering research, we will examine the options for smart society technologies, how they can be integrated, and how they should be implemented in society. The effects of the same technology will differ depending on the social system in which the technology is operated. We aim to conduct social science research to explore a shortcut to the realization of carbon neutrality and achievement of the SDGs by maximizing the strengths of smart technologies.

2. Input-Output Analysis of a Smart Society
Our research using the input-output analysis, which is one of our strengths, includes the following topics.

(1) Development and analysis of the input-output table for analysis of next-generation energy system (IONGES): IONGES is a table that adds the renewable energy power sectors to the input-output table published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Using this table, we analyze the effects of the introduction of renewable energy on the economy and environment. We also examine the effects of the practical application of new energy management technologies such as virtual power plants.
(2) We will discuss the state of smart cities (smart communities including large cities and rural areas) that implement smart social technologies. In a smart society, the principle of the SDGs, namely that no one should be left behind, must be fulfilled. We will consider new urban development and social systems to ensure that the benefits of smart technology truly reach every corner of the economy and society, leaving no one behind.
(3) We also study various other kinds of “smart.” We believe that the essence of “smart” is to improve efficiency by strengthening management. Management in various fields has been dramatically enhanced by the progress of ICT and AI. Furthermore, in recent years, the management of society has become automatic without people being aware of it. Smart management is necessary for the simultaneous achievement of the various goals of the SDGs.

Research Areas and SDGs

Director

Ayu WASHIZU (Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences)

Advisors

DAISHO, Yasuhiro
KOBAYASHI, Naoto

Institute Members

AKAO, Kenichi Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Social Sciences
AMANO, Yoshiharu Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering
HAYASHI, Yasuhiro Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Advanced Science and Engineering
KONDO, Yasushi Professor, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, School of Political Science and Economics
NOZU, Takashi Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering
WASHIZU, Ayu Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Social Sciences

Adjunct Researchers

ARAI, Sonoe
HARADA, Daisuke
ITA, Sayaka
MURANO, Akito
SAMURA, Isao

School of Social Sciences/Graduate School of Social Sciences, Waseda University

1-6-1, Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050 JAPAN
【WEB】 https://washizu.w.waseda.jp/index.html