On March 11 (Tuesday) and 12 (Wednesday), 2025, Doshisha University, in collaboration with the University of Tübingen, held the 5th International Interdisciplinary Symposium. The symposium took place at the Kambaikan Hardy Hall and the Ryoshinkan R305 at Doshisha University.

The theme of this symposium was “Humans and AI: Coexistence and Conscience – Toward a Future Where Humans and AI Develop Together for the Improvement of Society.” Researchers from various fields at Doshisha University and the University of Tübingen engaged in multi-perspective discussions.

During the keynote speech at Kambaikan Hardy Hall, President Katsuhiro Kohara of Doshisha University delivered a lecture titled “AI and Conscience: From the Perspective of Religious and Cultural Diversity.” During his lecture, President Katsuhiro Kohara emphasized the importance of constructing environmental ethics in light of the ongoing societal shift from natural and cultural environments to a digital one. He discussed how this transition calls for thoughtful consideration of environmental ethics in the midst of these changes. Professor Katja Schenke-Layland, Designated Vice President of the University of Tübingen, spoke about the Tübingen AI Center, a hub for AI in Europe, and the ELLIS-Institute Tübingen, a European network of excellence focusing on fundamental science, technological innovation, and societal impact. She highlighted how these initiatives are creating excellent research environments to attract top-level machine learning researchers from around the world.

In Panel 1, discussions were held on the transformative effects of large language models (LLMs) on communication and community-building, social robots and their role in communication, and the potential of AI’s massive visual data processing and modeling of neural processes. Ethical challenges in communication were also discussed.

On the following day, Panel 2 focused on the applications and developments of AI in space technology and medical sciences, while Panel 3 addressed legal issues surrounding regulation in marketing and organoid intelligence.

The symposium saw a total of 110 participants, including graduate students, engaging in lively discussions. New connections were formed in each of the thematic panels. The DU-UT Symposium is expected to contribute to the further development of research collaboration between both institutions.

Program

Keynote Lecture I

Keynote Lecture II

Discussion

Panel Ⅰ　【Humans and AI】

Panel II　【AI in Space Technology】

Panel II　【AI in Medical Sciences】

Panel III　【AI and Legal Challenges】

Group photo

Title: Comparison between the proposed computer-automated assessment method and the established manual scoring method
Caption: The good linearity depicted in this plot indicates excellent agreement between manual scoring and fully automated scoring, showcasing the potential of the proposed system.
Credit: Michael McGuire from Doshisha University, Japan
Image license: CC BY 4.0
Usage restrictions: You are free to share and adapt. Attribution is required.

Image title: Instantaneous streamwise velocity fields with Galilean transformation by the half bulk velocity in the x-y plane
Image caption: Visualization of instantaneous streamwise velocity fields in the x-y plane for different Weissenberg numbers (Wi = 0.0, 0.019, 0.022). The meandering motion emerges at higher Wi, enhancing turbulence and heat transfer in the backward-facing step flow.
Image credit: Dr. Shumpei Hara from Doshisha University, Japan
Image link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0017931025001346?via%3Dihub
License type: CC BY 4.0
Usage restrictions: You are free to share and adapt. Attribution is required.

Current students at Doshisha Univeristy will be peer supporters to help you start a new life successfully.
This program is targeted for international students (full time students, special students, students at the Center for Japanese Language and Culture, and students at the Center for Global Education).
The supporters assist you on and off campus as your friends.

For further details, please check the document below titled "Details of Peer Support Program for International Students".
To apply for the program, please click Application Form or scan the QR code in the flyer.
Application deadline is 17:00 on April 28th(Mon.), 2025.

Title: vmTracking enables accurate identification in crowded environments
Caption: Conventional markerless tracking methods struggle with body part misestimations or missing estimates in crowded spaces. In vmTracking, markerless multi-animal tracking is performed on a video containing multiple individuals. The resulting tracking output may not always be fully accurate. However, since some of these markers are extracted and used as virtual markers for individual identification, high overall accuracy at this stage is not required. By applying single-animal DeepLabCut to the generated virtual marker video, more accurate pose-tracking results can be obtained compared to conventional methods.
Credit: Hirotsugu Azechi from Doshisha University, Japan
Image license: Original content
Usage restrictions: Cannot be used without permission

Image title: Overview of the proposed mechanism of 25-OHC-induced ferroptosis 
Image caption: This image summarizes the main findings of the study, showing the multifaceted effects that exposure to 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OHC) has on Schwann cells. 
Image credit: Professor Yasuomi Urano from Doshisha University, Japan
License type: CC BY 4.0
Image source link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584925000103?via%3Dihub
Usage restrictions: You are free to share and adapt but credit must be given to the creator.

*We have published articles written by participating students during the program period, titled "Student Voice" on the EU Campus website in both Japanese and English. Please refer to the link below for more information.

The Global Leadership Program, a short-term study abroad program of Korea University, one of the most prestigious private universities in South Korea, was held at Doshisha University Imadegawa Campus for about three weeks from January 20 to February 7, 2025, and 19 international students studied at our university. 

In this program, Japanese language classes are thoroughly taught by faculty members of the Center for Japanese Language and Culture at TUFS. There are many daily assignments, and every year many Korea University students have mastered the Japanese language and deepened their understanding of Japanese culture. And it's not just about the language. The program also includes various hands-on learning experiences that are only possible in Japan, such as a Zen meditation experience, and an aikido experience. One of the most attractive aspects of studying abroad is the chance to meet and interact with people. Many Doshisha students again participated in the program as supporters and study volunteers, assisting in classes, holding welcome and farewell parties, and making efforts to interact with the students on a daily basis. They helped the students with conversation practice and presentation preparation, and deepened their friendship with the international students by interacting with them as young people outside of the study program.

On the final day of the program, the participants gave presentations on themes related to Japan that they had chosen. The students prepared presentation materials and gave their presentations entirely in Japanese, and the results of their studies over the past three weeks were fully demonstrated in their presentations. The themes were very original, and we listened to them with great interest.The final event of the day was the completion ceremony. Everyone received their certificates with smiles and poses. After the ceremony, it was time for the last exchange before returning home. It was impressive to see the international students and our student supporters enjoying conversation in Japanese and regretting their separation. 3 weeks was a short period of time, but it seems that the students were able to build friendships and have a wonderful influence on each other. We sincerely hope that the students of Korea University and Doshisha University who participated in this program will continue to strengthen their friendship and become a bridge between Korea and Japan and the world.