Speakers & Panelist
Seishi Okamoto
Corporate Executive Officer EVP, Head of Fujitsu Research
Since joining Fujitsu Laboratories in 1991, he has been engaged in research related to artificial intelligence. In 2011, he moved to a business development division focused on big data, where he worked on the business application of machine learning technologies while also fostering and developing numerous data scientists.
In 2014, he returned to Fujitsu Laboratories and subsequently served as Director of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Corporate Executive Fellow. Since 2023, he has held his current position.
He has held academic appointments as a Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo and the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and is currently a Visiting Professor at Institute of Science Tokyo. He also serves on various external committees, including the Advisory Board of the Institute of Mathematics for Industry (IMI), Kyushu University.
In addition, he has promoted Japan’s first professional doctorate program for working professionals of excellence, with a strong focus on the social implementation of technology and the development of human talent. He holds a Doctor of Science degree.
Case Presentations & Panel Discussion
“Building an Ecosystem in Which PhD Talent Can Thrive”
Panelists:
Seishi Okamoto (Corporate Executive Officer and EVP, Head of Fujitsu Research, Fujitsu Limited)
Tadahisa Kagimoto (Representative Director, President and CEO, Healios K.K.)
Natalie Konomi (Senior Vice President, Kyushu University / Professor, Global Strategies Office, Kyushu University)
Saori Yabumoto (Senior Researcher, Organization & Human Capital Strategy Division / Policy Research and Consulting Group, and CR Department Future Co-Creation Group, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.)
Representative, University Collaboration Promotion Office, Innovation and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Moderator:
Vice President for Education, Kyushu University
Special Session
“Foreign National Doctoral Talent: Settling and Succeeding in Japan”
Panelists：
Naoya Taniguchi (Special Assistant Professor, Career Support Division, Institute for Advanced Education, Nara Institute of Science and Technology / Representative, TRI-PhD SALON)
Aya Puka (Professional Career Development Program Specialist, Office of the Dean, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University / Deputy Representative, TRI-PhD SALON)
Kazuya Iseda (Manager, Energy Storage Research Institute, New Materials Business Development Center, Asahi Kasei Corporation)
Xing Zhu (Nissan Research Center, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
Moderator:
Vice President for International Affairs, Kyushu University
Kazuto Ataka
Faculty of Environment and Information Studies /
Professor,Keio University Senior Strategist at LY Corporation
He is also Representative Director of the nonprofit "A Worthy Tomorrow," and a founding board member and Skills Definition Committee Chair of the Data Scientist Association of Japan. He has contributed to major Japanese government policy initiatives spanning AI, data, and science and technology. Previously, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at Yahoo! JAPAN for a decade from 2012, and before that spent 11 years at McKinsey & Company. He holds an MS in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of Tokyo and a PhD in Neuroscience from Yale University, and is the author of the national bestsellers Issue Driven, Shin Nihon, and Valley of the Wind.
Registration
Participation in the Forum for Graduate Educational Reform 2026 requires prior registration.
If you wish to attend, please register using the form below.
※Registration is not required for students participating in student presentations.
≪Registration Period: Monday, September 7, 2026 – Friday, November 27, 2026 (until 17:00)≫