Student Interviews

Toru Maegawa

In preparation for the full-fledged realisation of e-government and e-municipalities, I am conducting research to make users understand the safety of "resident registry network" and other systems.

Finding solutions for the use of the resident registry network and becoming a university professor were the reasons for my admission

In the mid-1990s, I was in the US, and disseminated information about the commercial use of the internet to Japan. With this background, I am currently teaching IT business at Cyber University. I enrolled in this postgraduate course, because I was offered a position as a professor and I wanted to organise my knowledge in a systematic way. Another major reason for my enrolment was that I wanted to research measures to make more effective use of the resident registry network, which I had been involved with since the revision of the Basic Resident Registration Act.

The gap between what the system provider says is "safe" and what the users feel is "safe"

The reason why the resident registry network has such a poor reputation is that it is perceived as a system for the government to control its citizens. However, advances in information technology, such as encryption and authentication, have made security very strong, and the foundations are in place to improve services for residents while protecting their privacy. Having said that, there is no point if the users of the service do not feel safe. I intend to promote research that links safety and security, including trust in government and analysis of the psychological aspects of users. Based on further academic support, I hope to present my research as policy recommendations.

Will meeting faculty members and current students from diverse backgrounds change the future of government?

This graduate school is attractive because it has faculty members and students with various backgrounds, including Professor Hayashi, who is both a doctor of law and economics. Through various encounters, I feel that this graduate school has an environment in which we can make proposals to society from a new perspective.

Toru Maegawa
Toru Maegawa
Graduated from Nagoya Institute of Technology, Department of Information Engineering
Professor at Cyber University, Visiting researcher at Fujitsu Research Institute
Enrolled in April 2007
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