Kobe Studio Seminar (KSS in short) is the place where we have long discussions on several topics with the smallest possible number of participants. Past topics have come from many different fields of mathematics, computing and arts, such as:
Low-dimensional topology, differential geometry, complex analysis, algebraic geometry, number theory, category theory, computer sciences, symbolic computation, drawing, computer graphics, graphics, typography, music, sound construction, architecture, building construction, house planning, choreograph, cinematography, linguistics, contemporary art, classical art, and etc.
Place: Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University (No. 10 at the Campus Map) and other places (rarely).
Please feel free to contact the corresponding organizers if you have any proposal plan for talks and workshops.
Our main goal is creating a place where several sorts of specialists (e.g. mathematicians, computer scientists, R&D personnel of companies, and so on) easily attend and have long discussions by which they can recognize their own issues and enrich their considerations on the issues. To achieve the goal, with much consideration that several kinds of specialists easily attend and have long discussions regardless their specialities, we organize various kinds of seminars (talks and workshops) where all the participants can have long academic discussions (beyond short-term interests of the participants).
Recently, there are several ongoing projects that integrate and reorganize academical reseach activities and industrial needs to build a good cooperation between industry and academia with some well considerations on theories and practical situations (e.g. Institute of Mathematics for Industry, Kyushu University is one of such places in Mathematics). In general, most of the projects forcus on some specific theme or form some collaborative research to solve or resolve the targeted problem. On the other hand, in KSS, we would like to deepen discussion between several sorts of specialists and make specialists involved in their own networking contacts regardless of their speciality. We believe this is more important than focusing on some specific problem, in the long and medium terms. Therefore, we do not study nor produce anything for a specific subject.
To see (or understand) each other's underlying issues, we think that sorts of general academic or lecture meetings may not be appropriate. A new kind of seminar style where we are able to have long discussions easier and have some practical sessions as occasion may demand, is preferable. We would like to call this kind of seminar style "Studio Seminar" where all the participants attend seminars as central players regardless their roles (speakers and listeners). Having long discussions is most important in KSS.
Studio Phones has started to cooperate between industry and academia for discussions on various sorts of academic subjects since 2008, "Studio Phones Seminar" and "Studio Phones Fellowship Program" for example. Since 2011, to deepen and expand the discussions, Studio Phones Seminar moved the place to Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, with an associate professor as a co-organizer.
In Division of Mathematics and Informatics, we believe that collaborating with several sorts of specialists (regardless with or without us) is important. Therefore, we closed Studio Phones Seminar in 2013 in order to expand it as "Kobe Studio Seminar" (since 2013) where several sorts of specialists (e.g. mathematicians, computer scientists, R&D personnel of companies, and so on) easily attend and have long discussions, organized by the division.
Since 2014, to make the seminar being with much consideration for industrial personnels, KSS has been co-organized by Division of Mathematics and Informatics (now, Division of Environmental Science Foundation), and Studio Phones as cooperation between industry and academia.
KSS has the following 3 activities.
We organize 4 seminar series for various sorts of specialists and subjects: "for Mathematics" for subjects in Mathematics, "for Design" for methodological issues between several subjects, "for Studies" for discussions on underlying issues beyond subjects and affiliations, and the special series "for Studies with Renderman" for discussions on/by Computer Graphics.
We think, from our experience in the past activities, it is very important for their communication in long discussions with various sorts of specialists, to have common notations, languages (technical terms), implementations (basic framework) and so on. We organize some fundamental projects that seek to build such common things by which several sorts of specialists easily attend KSS seminar series and have long discussions (regardless of short-term/long-term and stage of project, i.e. preliminary discussions are also our interests).
We believe that students could be participants of long discussions in KSS as one of specialists since they will finish their programs with a certificate of speciality (bachelor, master, or doctorate). Therefore, we make arrangements of extracurricular work for students unless this prevents the purpose of KSS.