Overview

The Network Research Division conducts research on the fundamental aspects and advanced applications of network technologies. The division also manages the university’s network infrastructure which connects several research facilities and five campuses.

Integrating Networking and Computing for Advanced IT Infrastructure

The Internet was introduced to Japan in 1986 as an experimental network connecting three universities -—the University of Tokyo Information Technology Center (previously known as the University of Tokyo Computer Centre), Keio University, and Tokyo Institute of Technology. Since then, the Internet has been an essential part of our daily lives, and demand for its availability and reliability has been growing. Moreover, advancement in information infrastructures requires further integration of networking and computing. Security has also become a growing concern as cyber threats become more varied.

The Network Research Division conducts research on networking and computing by examining both fundamental and advanced research topics. Our mission involves designing, constructing, and operating the university’s campus network system, UTNET. We apply our knowledge of network operation to our research while also applying the results of our research to enhance network operation further.

Research Subjects

Internet Trust Engineering

We are engaged in network/information security science and engineering, including formal and analytical internet modeling of security, trust engineering of Internet trust frameworks and related methodologies based on cryptography. We are also investigating mathematical models and applications of machine learning.

Advanced Networking

We are researching two fundamental parts of computer networking: network stacks in host operating systems for high-speed networking and backbone networks for flexible traffic engineering. We are also investigating architectures for information systems specialized for real-time IoT systems.

User Interface for Enhancing Daily Life

We are researching interfaces in AR/VR environments and cross-modal interfaces focused on interactions between the sensory modalities, with the aim of creating new experiences. We are also investigating 3D interaction techniques, context recognition, and user authentication using mobile devices.

ASANO System

We are researching and developing systems that can immediately provide network access and security functions at any place using overlay network technology (SD-WAN).