On May 27, four students from the System Software and Security Laboratory (YAMAUCHI Toshihiro Laboratory) won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the 18th Crisis Management Contest. This was the second time that students earned the award, following last year. The Crisis Management Contest is a contest for information security, which takes place as part of the “Shirahama Cyber Crime Symposium” held in early summer every year.

The students included those who have completed or are currently taking “Formation of bases for fostering information technology personnel supporting growth fields (Education Network for Practical Information Technologies for undergraduate students: enPiT2),” an education program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (enPiT2-Security, Basic SecCap course). The enPiT2 is an initiative designed for the development of high-level IT personnel, including lectures and exercises with a focus placed on solving problems in the real world targeting four fields, such as “big data/AI” and “security,” with the cooperation of both universities and companies. Okayama University has voluntarily continued the project for enPiT2-Security in collaboration with the related universities after FY2021.

One of the students who won the award expressed their delight and intentions for the future by saying: “We were able to win this prestigious award since our solution to the challenge, as a result of teamwork, was highly appreciated. We would like to profoundly thank Professor Yamauchi, who has taken on an advisory role despite his busy schedule. We will make use of our experience in this contest and undertake research activities from now on, while valuing our cooperation with the people around us.”

［Award winners］
・EBISU Koji (second year in the Division of Electronic and Information Systems Engineering, Master’s course, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology)
・MICHISHITA Daigo (first year in the Course of Computer Science, Mathematical, Physical, Electronic and Information Sciences program, Division of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Master’s course, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology)
・OKAYAMA Takamasa (fourth year in the Department of Information Technology, School of Engineering)
・JIMBO Hiroyuki (fourth year in the Department of Information Technology, School of Engineering)

[Reference]
○Crisis Management Contest
○enPiT2-Security