Activities of Our Seniors
The Field of Industrial Engineering and Management
Natsuki Sato, 1st Year Master’s Student
In management accounting laboratory, I am conducting research on building a model for identifying publicly traded Japanese companies that are engaged in accounting fraud. The growing prevalence of accounting scandals has made the task of detecting fraudulent practices through audits a more pressing issue. We plan to have our model (an accounting fraud detection model) used in the auditing field by certified public accountants (CPAs) and auditing firms, among others. To achieve this, we have partnered with a firm working on the leading edge of audit services to carry out the research with us and provide feedback on our findings to improve the model. Our current aim is to build a model that delivers greater accuracy and ease when interpreting the results, balancing the need to solve problems unresolved by previous research on accounting fraud with the model’s use in real-world practice.
Our research team consists of five undergraduate students—four 4th-years and one 3rd-year. I serve as team leader. In addition to building the dataset and selecting the model, I also manage each team member’s progress and provide guidance on reporting their research. In building the dataset, we’ve prepared a manual that instructs how data should be collected in the laboratory and incorporated into the dataset. We determine the manual’s content based on discussions with our research partners at the auditing firm, and address any issues or uncertainties together as they arise. We adopted this process partly because our dataset also serves as the database used by the auditing firm.
I’m also active in publishing my research findings. In my senior year of undergraduate study, I presented my graduation research at an overseas conference. After entering the master’s program, I presented at the spring conference of the Japan Industrial Management Association (JIMA) in May 2021 and won the Best Presentation Award, in recognition of the quality of my research and presentation. In fall of the same year, I authored and submitted two research papers. Going forward, I plan to present my research findings at Kanagawa University and elsewhere and continue to refine my research.
The Field of Industrial Engineering and Management
Shohei Araki, 2nd Year Master’s Student
I originally planned to get a job when I graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, and received a tentative job offer from one of my preferred employers. However, when doing research for my graduation thesis, I became conflicted about whether to accept the job offer or to continue on with my researches. I started enjoying the process of gaining new insights through analyzing data, and my academic supervisor also recommended that I enroll in graduate school. So, after getting my parents’ endorsement, in January of my senior year I decided to decline the job offer and enroll in this program.
Now I’m conducting research on the relationship between the rankings shown by travel websites and word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. Using online text data written by website users about travel rankings, and applying text mining to this data to convert it into numerical variables, I am studying how WOM influences rankings. Text data is conventionally viewed as qualitative data, but with the application of text-mining methods, we can extract quantitative characteristics from otherwise qualitative text data.
During my time in the program, I have presented my research findings three times at conferences in Japan. Also, in spring of my first year in the master’s program, I polished my graduation thesis and submitted it for publication in the Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association (JIMA). After responding to comments from reviewers, my paper was accepted for publication in November of my second year in the master’s program.
After graduating, I plan to get a job at an IT firm. I hope to use what I learned through research and other experiences in the program to contribute to society.
The Field of Industrial Engineering and Management
Kazuki Ota , completed Master’s Program in 2020
Although I originally intended to get a job when I graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, I decided to further my studies in the Master’s Program. When I was job-hunting, I heard people say that there is a big difference between simply using your knowledge and using it with an understanding of theory, and this stirred the idea that I wanted to gain deeper knowledge and extend my skills by advancing my studies.
Compared to my undergraduate studies, I feel that going on to the Master’s Program improved my ability to think theoretically, gave me self-confidence, and broadened my horizons. I acquired these skills mainly through research. I am currently conducting joint research with a company that supplies boxed meals to corporate clients for their factory and office employees. Specifically, the project is developing boxed meal menus that change from day to day, based on mathematical optimization, and we meet once a month to report on progress. In preparing documentation for these meetings I think about things like why we got the results we did and what points might be of interest to the client, and making these reports has been a factor in my growth.
My classes include lessons on mathematical optimization, which relates directly to my research, and Bayes’ Theorem , which is effective even in cases where only small volumes of data are obtainable. Regardless of whether or not they relate to my research, classes cover all kinds of things. Since they take the form of a journal club, I need to understand the content to the point where I can explain the area I am covering to others, and enable them to also understand it. Since the classes are small, if people don’t understand something, they can further their understanding by asking questions and engaging in discussions.
In the 2019 academic year I presented my research findings a total of three times in Japan and overseas. The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan awarded me an excellent paper presentation prize in its Electronics, Information and Systems technical meeting . In October 2019, I presented in English at the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science in the US, and won the Best Student Paper Award. These experiences gave me a lot of confidence.
The Field of Industrial Engineering and Management
Sakura Kano, completed Master’s Program in 2020
I am currently conducting joint research with a company in Kanagawa Prefecture that produces around 13,000 boxed meals a day for delivery. The project uses state-space models to forecast demand for such meals. As student leader of a seven-person research team, I propose data analysis methods and forecasting models, manage the team, and prepare and present reports to the company.
Since the volume of data provided was too small to use deep learning, we focused on state-space models and intensively studied technical texts. We also conducted Skype interviews with the highly experienced employee in charge of demand forecasting in the workplace three times a week, spending a total of around 100 hours on such information-gathering. As a result of repeatedly conducting data analysis, workplace interviews, and model-building, we improved the accuracy of forecasting and expect our models to be applied in the workplace.
As student leader, I allocate roles considering team members’ areas of expertise and manage progress. I proactively communicate with and support team members who are facing challenges. I have prepared presentation documents for more than 10 progress reports to the President’s Office and the workplace of the company involved. With advice from my research supervisor, I considered what analysis results would be useful to the people in the workplace and what they would be interested in, and devised ways of presenting this information. Our efforts have been highly evaluated by the president, and the joint research is still under way.
In November 2019 I presented our findings at a national conference of the Japan Association for Management Systems, and won a student research presentation excellence prize, which is only awarded to a few students. In February 2020, I also had the experience of presenting in English at an international conference in the Netherlands.