Akito Takasaki, Dr.Eng., DSc.
Vice-president, Professor
Shibaura Institute of Technology
Department of Engineering Science & Mechanics,
College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology,
3-7-5 Toyosu, Koto-Ku, Tokyo 135-8548, Japan
Email: takasaki@shibaura-it.ac.jp

Prof. A. Takasaki obtained his doctoral degree in engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1984 and 1988. Moreover, he obtained a doctoral degree in science from Hiroshima University in 1996. In his early career stages, Professor Takasaki held research positions at several leading research institutions in Japan and abroad. For example, he was a researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute in 1987. He was also a researcher at the OECD Halden Reactor Project (Institutt for Energiteknikk, Halden, Norway) from 1988 to 1990. During this time, he developed a keen interest in materials and energy engineering. He then moved to the Department
of Mathematics and Physics, National Defense Academy in 1991.

Professor Takasaki began his professional career at the Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) in 1996 and has been a professor since 2003. He has been a vice president of SIT since 2021. At SIT, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the curriculum and research direction of the department, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world problem-solving. Throughout his tenure at SIT, Professor Takasaki has spearheaded numerous research projects aimed at advancing
the frontiers of materials, mechanical, and energy engineering.

Prof. Takasaki has published about 150 scientific papers on the mechanics of materials, materials science, and engineering fields. He is renowned for his research, particularly in the low-temperature toughness of stainless steel, waterside corrosion of zirconium alloys, hydrogen susceptibility of titanium aluminides, magnesium hydrides, and titanium-based quasicrystals. Moreover, He was a keynote and plenary speaker at many seminars and lectures outside Japan. Additionally, he was a Visiting Professor at the Department of Physics of Washington University in St. Louis (USA) and at the Faculty of Energy and Fuels of AGH University of Krakow (Poland). Through his contributions, in 2004, he received an Honour of Outstanding Scientific Achievement in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials from the International Hydrogen Association.

Prof. Takasaki has cooperated closely with AGH University of Krakow since 2004 and was a visiting professor from 2007 to 2010. As a result of the cooperation between 2006 and 2017, more than 20 internships were carried out for AGH master and doctoral students between 2007 and 2016. Moreover, a joint research project was conducted from 2006 to 2010 as part of the European research program. This research cooperation produced over 25 joint papers published in Philadelphia-listed journals, and 3 Ph.D. dissertations in which he was the promotor of two Polish-Japanese doctoral theses. Moreover, he also initiated and organized six editions of the Japanese-Polish Winter School of Energy Engineering and three editions of the Polish-Japanese Summer School in Energy Engineering.

In addition to his research endeavors, on 1 November 2017, he was awarded the title of Honorary Consul of AGH (by Resolution No. 90/2017 of the AGH Senate of 28 June 2017) for his exceptional contributions to the development of scientific and teaching cooperation between AGH and SIT (Shibaura Institute of Technology). The ceremony took place in Tokyo during the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Shibaura Institute of Technology. The representative from AGH University of Krakow was the Rector, Professor Tadeusz Słomka, the Vice-Rector for General Affairs, Professor Mirosław Karbowniczek, and the coordinator for cooperation between Japan and AGH University
of Krakow, Professor Janusz Szmyd. Moreover, Prof. Takasaki also received a Medal of the National Education Commission from the Ministry of Higher Education of the Polish government in 2011. Those awards prove that Professor Takasaki is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of engineers and scientists, guiding them in their research pursuits, and helping them develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in academia and industry.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Prof. Takasaki was a trustee of the Materials Research Society of Japan from 2009 to 2013 and an academic advisor to the ASEAN University Network/Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network from 2010 to 2017, a Japan International Cooperation Agency project. Since 2021, he has been serving as chairman of the board of directors of the Japan University Consortium for Transnational Education, where he promotes international higher education in Japan for students from Southeast Asian countries. Professor Akito Takasaki’s contributions to the field of engineering and his dedication to education and research have left an indelible mark on the academic community.