Leading University in Innovation, Research, and Education in Asia
. The fusion of five fields—Humanities, Education and Human Development, Law, Economics, and International Development—drives data-driven research.
We implement research outcomes in contributing to solving social issues.
Mission of the DHSS
1 Strengthening research management capabilities across the entire university, not only in the humanities and social sciences, through collaboration between the Research Strategy Division, the Institute of Innovation for Future Society, and the Academic Research and Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration.
2 Developing a one-year digital talent development program, enrolling graduate students in the program, and employing them as research assistants to cultivate digital professionals such as data scientists and digital archivists.
3 Actively publishing digital data in collaboration with the university library and promoting mutual utilization
→ Realizing open science.
The Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Nagoya University aims to strategically and systematically promote data-driven digital humanities and social sciences research by leveraging digital data. Through the development of new interdisciplinary fields, the center seeks to advance research in the humanities and social sciences while fostering the creation of new convergence knowledge led by these disciplines. By addressing social issues that are difficult to solve solely through technology-driven approaches and integrating these efforts with scientific initiatives, the center strives to enhance the university's overall research capabilities. Additionally, to cultivate the digital talent essential for advancing digital humanities and social sciences research, the center develops a digital talent development program. By enrolling graduate students in this program, the center aims to pioneer new career paths in the humanities and social sciences.
Projects
Digital Heritage Project
Project Details
— Discovering hidden treasures buried in ancient ruins.
People sometimes imagine that archaeology is all about finding valuable treasures. But in reality, it’s about careful observation, recording, and building a deep, accurate understanding based on data. What kind of cultures did people in the past create? What kind of environments did they live in? And how did their societies change over time? To explore these questions, we gather historical records, conduct fieldwork, and develop data that helps us see the bigger picture of human history over time.
In this project, we use various tools to collect and analyze images and texts. We also create archives and use data mining to push our research further. For example, we’ve carried out detailed 3D surveys of the Great Pyramids of Giza to study their structure in ways never done before. We’ve also used text mining to uncover hidden meanings in historical documents. These approaches are opening up entirely new ways to do research.
We’re also working with researchers from many different fields, such as space and earth sciences, and even law. By recreating historical sites in virtual space, we’re creating new educational experiences. And by digitally preserving cultural heritage and tourism resources, we’re also looking ahead to future economic impacts.
We hope this project will serve as a foundation for both current and future research to grow and shine even more brightly.
(Text by Tatsuro Ayatsuka)
Humanitext Project
Project Details
“I wonder what the ancients thought happened to the soul after death?”
We live in an age where asking ChatGPT immediately yields contextually relevant answers. However, the sources underlying these responses are diverse, inconsistent in quality, and challenging to incorporate reliably into academic research.
In the field of Western classical studies, numerous textual databases containing trustworthy information have been developed, primarily overseas. Today, researchers have access to vast amounts of high-quality resources online, including original texts, dictionaries, grammars, translations, and scholarly commentaries. Yet, searching a database for a term such as “soul” can return tens of thousands of results. Identifying which entries specifically pertain to the concept of the “soul after death” becomes impractical, as checking each result individually would be virtually impossible.
If this information could be provided contextually—based on reliable sources—it would significantly enhance research efficiency.
Research methodologies in Western classical studies are poised for a dramatic transformation. This project aims to create an international research platform originating in Japan, dedicated not only to Western classical studies but also broadly to the humanities.
Moreover, we seek to expand this platform to other academic fields. As a practical example, we are currently developing an AI system designed to provide accurate and comprehensible information on laws and regulations, including their context. By lowering the barriers preventing citizens from understanding complex legal texts, we can facilitate meaningful discussions regarding their appropriate implementation and legitimacy.
Several additional social issues must be addressed when incorporating generative AI technology into humanities research. These include establishing robust research methodologies, ethical guidelines, and educational frameworks to utilize large language models (LLMs) effectively, all supported by a reliable academic data infrastructure. Ultimately, our project seeks to introduce the public to a novel approach to research and education: a methodology we call AI Humanities.
(Text by Tatsuro Ayatsuka)
Contact :
Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences (DHSS)