Project Centers

Shimane University has interdisciplinary research groups called "Project Center" with the aim of promoting unique research and educational activities.

Project Centers

 Ruby OSS Project Center

  • Director
    Tetsuo NODA, Professor, Faculty of Law and Literature
  • Theme
    Comprehensive research into developing software in open source form; research on the application of education and human resources development
  • Term
    2012/12/28-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    Public data collected or possessed by administrative agencies and subsequently released as easy-to use Open Data are expected to bring about positive economic effects. We aim to establish an approach and methods for the estimation of the economic effects through the utilization of Open Data to estimate the positive economic effects provided by the utilization of Open Dataquantitatively. The result of the surveillance study shows that the use of Open Data in local governments in Japan is still in an earlierstage and it would be difficult to produce the economic effects within these areas. But, it also shows the possibility of estimating the economic effects by the utilization of Open Data quantitatively.

Geo-Park Project Center

  • Director
    Toshiaki IRIZUKI, Professor, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • Theme
    Scientific investigation of the Izumo region in order to promote it in Japanese and international Geo-parks
  • Term
    2012/12/28-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    The UNESCO Global Geopark is an official program aiming at promoting sustainable local development of the areas which are valuable from the point of geoscience through education and geo-tourism utilizing the geological heritage from the perspective of the earth, ecosystems, and humans. Our center reexamines the Kunibiki-myth world by using the idea and scheme of the geopark. The main purpose of our ongoing research, education and outreach activities is to develop new regional resources for the Kunibiki region by reevaluating it from the interdisciplinary points of view such as geoscience, ecology, history and culture.
  • To the Project Center's website ---Geo-Park Project Center

Nanotechnology Project Center

  • Director
    Yasuhisa FUJITA, Professor, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • Theme
     ① Research on evaluation techniques and applications of nanomaterials
     ② Research on fabrication technologies for nanoparticle coated devices
     ③ Biomedical applications of Raman spectroscopy
  • Term
    2012/12/28-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    Irradiation of ultrashort (nanosecond and femtosecond)
    pulsed-laser on a material induces melting and evaporation of a small localized part of the material. Such a feature of laser enables us to prepare nanoparticles and modify their size by using laser irradiation on materials suspended in liquids. In our laboratory, research and development of the mechanism of laser processes in liquids are carried out.
  • To the Project Center's website ---Nanotechnology Project Center

Higgs and Early Universe Project Center

  • Director
    Naoyuki HABA, Professor, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • Theme
     Theoretical research of Higgs particle and early universe
  • Term
    2014/02/17-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    A newly discovered elementary particle called "Higgs", which was discovered at a large collider, LHC, in 2012, has a unique property that its vacuum condensation endows other elementary particles with mass. We are conducting a theoretical research on the mechanism for the Higgs condensation. Elementary particles like the Higgs belong to the microscopic world, but they are also connected to the structure of the entire Universe. We focus our attention on the fact that "neutrinos", the elementary particles that pass through almost all matters, are deeply related to a mystery that anti-matters scarcely exist in Nature, and are performing simulations of the neutrino-detection experiment planned in Oki Islands.
  • To the Project Center's website ---Higgs and Early Universe Project Center

Fisheries Management Research Center

  • Director
    Futoshi ARANISHI, Professor, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science
  • Theme
    Development of fisheries management systems for sustainable production and stock enhancement of valuable fisheries resources in the San-in Region.
  • Term
    2014/02/17-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    Shimane University established Fisheries Management Research Center (FMRC) as the first institution of higher education and research of fisheries science in the National Universities along the Sea of Japan in 2014. FMRC delivers educational programs and research projects for the development, management,  conser vation, aquaculture  and breeding  of valuable fisheries resources.  FMRC also promotes the practical application of research results in consideration of the characteristics of the San-in Region for sustainable fisheries production and stock enhancement in cooperation with governmental and non-governmental fisheries organizations in the San-in Region.
  • To the Project Center's website ---Fisheries Management Research Center

Wood-Design Project Center

  • Director
    Hisataka KOBAYASHI, Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • Theme
    Repairing vacant houses in Central City of Matsue using plywood and cross-laminated timber made in Shimane
  • Term
    2014/02/17-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    The ratio of vacant house in 2014 in the northern central city of Matsue, the capital city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, was approximately 10.5% (cf. the national average of 13.5% in 2013), and it is increasing each year. Population decrease is the main cause of the high vacancy rate, but there are other reasons which contribute to it in concert, such as the zone of employment being concentrated in urban areas, an increase in nursing home use due to longevity of the residents, and so on. Here, we propose a method for repairing and using vacant houses in Kitatamachi, Matsue, and actually try to renovate a house accordingly.

Raman Project Center for Medical and Biological Applications

  • Director
    Tatsuyuki YAMAMOTO, Professor, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science
  • Theme
    Applied study of Raman spectroscopy on medical and biological fields
  • Term
    2014/02/17-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    Raman spectroscopy gives us the information of molecular structures and environment  as they are, without need for the pre-analysis.  In our Project Center, we utilize Multivariate Curve Resolution technique to decompose the measured Raman spectra into some genuine components when they are applied in the fields of medicine and biology. By using this technique, we can observe and evaluate the living tissues and cells in vivo as they are with Raman spectroscopy.
  • To the Project Center's website ---Raman Project Center for Medical and Biological Applications

Tatara Nanotechnology  Project Center

  • Director
    Takuya OHBA, Professor, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • Theme
    Study on new methods of quantitative analysis of complex microstructures in steel and iron
  • Term
    2014/04/01-2019/03/31
  • To the Project Center's website ---Tatara Nanotechnology  Project Center

Project Center for Comprehensive Research on Congenital Anomalies

  • Director
    Hiroki OTANI, Professor, Faculty of Medicine
  • Theme
    Comprehensive research by multidisciplinary approach including biomedicine and mathematics on normal and abnormal development in humans and experimental animals
  • Term
    2014/04/01-2019/03/31

"SUIGANN" Project Center

  • Director
    Takeshi URANO, Professor, Faculty of Medicine
  • Theme
    Antibody drug preparation against pancreatic cancer
  • Term
    2014/04/01-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    Morbidity for the pancreatic carcinoma in Shimane Prefecture is on a high level in Japan. It is a highly lethal cancer; mortality for the disease is also high. More than 90% of patients die within 5 years of their diagnosis and 75% of patients die within the first year. The mortality rate in Shimane prefecture is above the national average. Since it is a disease whose prognosis is extremely poor compared with other cancers, development of novel treatment methods is desired. Shimane University Hospital is taking a leading part in multidisciplinary, fundamental/clinical researchers with the aim of eradicating the pancreatic cancer. We will make a number of monoclonal antibodies for early diagnosis and/or treating the disease.

Ancient Izumo Project Center

  • Director
    Yasuo OHASHI, Professor, Faculty of Law and Literature
  • Theme
    Interdisciplinary Research of the Development of a Regional Polity in the Formation of Izumo no Kuni (the Izumo Province)
  • Term
    2014/04/01-2019/03/31
  • Outline
    We are pursuing a comprehensive  study on the formation and development  of the areal province in the process of formation of "Izumo Province" in a multifaceted way by utilizing methods of document-based  historical research, archaeology, and geology. Especially we concentrate on reconstructing the image of ancient Izumo by investigating how the unit of a "local area" was formed by researching timeless historical data. As one of the main subjects, we are making investigation and researches of local administrative offices centering around the Izumo provincial government, which was deeply related with the formation of Ancient Izumo. The local administrative system of ancient Japan is represented by the structure of areal administrative offices centering around the provincial government. We therefore try to elucidate when the provincial government was established and how its structure was.

(The Center for Community-based Health Reserch and Education(CoHRE))

  • Director
    Toru NABIKA, Professor, Faculty of Medicine
  • Theme
    The multidisciplinary cohort study targeting age-and lifestyle-related diseases in rural communities in Shimane Prefecture
  • Term
    2012/12/28-2017/03/31
  • To the Center's website ---Center for Community-based Healthcare Research and Education
    *2018/04/01, this center raised as the Center for Natural Disaster Reduction Research and Education.

(The Center for Historical and Cultural Studies in Eastern Asia and Pacific Area)

  • Director
    Hiroaki OKAMURA, Professor, Center for Foreign Language Education
  • Theme
    Interdisciplinary research in History, Tradition and Culture beyond National Boundaries
  • Term
    2015/02/23-2017/03/31

(Project Center for the 6th Industrialization of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries)

  • Director
    Toshikazu MATSUMOTO, Professor, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science
  • Theme
    6th Industrialization of Izumo regional products
  • Term
    2012/12/28-2018/03/31

(Natural Disaster Reduction Project Center)

  • Director
    WANG Fawu, Professor, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • Theme
    Focusing on the San-in region of western Japan, clarify the characteristics of natural hazards, and examine effective measures for natural disaster prevention and risk reduction.
  • Term
    2012/12/28-2018/03/31
  • Outline
    The main activities of the center are to study the local natural disasters including that caused by earthquake, Tsunami, volcano, flooding and landslide for the effective countermeasures  to prevent and reduce the natural disasters, and to make a database for future references. At the same time, education in disaster reduction is conducted for students and local citizens, in order to foster personnel concerning to the disaster reduction. Results are published in journal articles, website, and included in the symposium for the local citizens.
  • To the Project Center's website ---Project Center on Natural Disaster Reduction
  • *2018/04/01, this center raised as the Center for Natural Disaster Reduction Research and Education.