Distinguished Achievement and Contributions Award

Hiroshi Harashima

Dr. Hiroshi Harashima received his B.A., M.E., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tokyo, Department of Engineering, was appointed lecturer at the University of Tokyo Department of Engineering in April 1973. He was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1975, and to full Professor in 1991. While engaged in education and research in the field of communications engineering at the University of Tokyo, Dr. Harashima was instrumental in setting up an Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies and Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, and building a multidisciplinary foundation encompassing the information field at the University of Tokyo. After reaching mandatory retirement age and being named Professor Emeritus in March 2009, Dr. Harashima has continued his studies and continued to guide students at Meiji University School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa Research Organization, Graduate School of Letters, Joshibi University of Art and Design, College of Art and Design, and other institutions.   Dr. Harashima has broad-ranging research interests covering information and communication theory, signal theory, signal processing, and biological modeling, intelligent communications, shared-space communications, emotional communications, information technology and culture, and other areas. His research findings in the area of high-density data transmission schemes have already been widely incorporated in Tomlinson-Harashima precoding. He has advocated new academic disciplines such as human communication engineering and facial studies, and through his pioneering efforts has made significant contributions that laid the groundwork for more human-oriented information and communication technologies.   He has served as a member or expert member on many advisory bodies under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) including the Telecommunications Technology Council, the Information and Communications Council, and the Evaluation Committee for Incorporated Administrative Agencies. Dr. Harashima played significant roles as Chairman of the Radio Regulatory Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and as Chief Delegate of the Council for Science and Technology Research Planning and Evaluation Subcommittee under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and thus helped define Japan's information and communication policy vision. In his capacity as Chairman of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Future Project for Promoting an Intuitive Human Interface, Dr. Harashima promoted research and encouraged younger researchers in the field of digital media through the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Strategic Basic Research Program (CREST), through supervision of basic technology supporting creation of digital media, and other programs.   Dr. Harashima has received numerous awards and commendations for his work including the Yonezawa Memorial Paper Award, two Best Paper Awards, two Achievement Awards, and was elected Fellow by the IEICE; the Fujio Memorial Award, two Best Paper Awards, the Best Book Award, the Best Achievement Award, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Institute of Television Engineers and Institute of Image Information and Television Engineers; the Special Contribution Award from the Virtual Reality Society of Japan; the Special Contribution Award from the Japanese Academy of Facial Studies. Moreover, Dr. Harashima has also received the Ministry of Internal Affairs Award, the Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award (the Science and Technology Award), the NHK Broadcast Cultural Award, the Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Award, the Tokyo Technology Promotion Merit Award, the Rinzaburo Shida Award, the Telecom Achievement Award, the Ichimura Academic Achievement Award, the International AI Foundation Academic Achievement Award, and the Telecommunications Advancement Foundation Award (Telecom System Technology Award).   Dr. Harashima played a significant role in setting up a number of societies in the IEICE, serving as the first President (Director) of the Engineering Sciences Society and helping establish and set up the Technical Committee on Human Communications Studies. He served as Director of Journal and Transactions, as Vice President, as a member or secretary of the Handbook Committee for over 30 years, and currently holds the post of Chair of the Handbook and Knowledge Base Committee. Similarly, he also served for many years as a member or secretary of the Textbooks Advisory Committee, and currently serves as Chair of the Textbooks Planning Committee.   Given Dr. Harashima's outstanding contributions and achievements promoting the development of IEICE and Japan's electronic, information and communications fields, we give him our endorsement as an excellent candidate for the IEICE Distinguished Achievement and Contributions Award.