Master’s Program Admissions for 2026

Introduction

The Shinagawa Laboratory is recruiting master’s students in the 2026 admissions. We welcome applications from international students who are interested in system software or security research.

Our lab has particular strengths in low-level technologies such as OS kernels and hypervisors, and we aim to have our research published at top-tier international conferences.

We do not accept applicants focusing on deep learning topics.

In Japan, students begin full-scale research in the master’s program and write a master’s thesis with the goal of submitting their work to an international conference. Preference is given to those intending to pursue a PhD. Students whose primary goal is to seek employment in Japan may not be a good fit for our laboratory.

About the Laboratory

Our main research topics focus on operating systems, virtualization software, and other system software. We also conduct extensive research in computer security related to system software.

Our core research areas are low-level system software, including OS kernels and hypervisors. We particularly welcome students interested or experienced in these areas. However, we also cover a wide range of topics within system software, including middleware, distributed systems, and compilers.

For more details, please see:

👉 About the Lab

Recent Research Topics

• Security in virtualized environments (confidential VMs, TEEs, hypervisors)
• Isolated execution environments using FPGAs and new hardware features (process and VM isolation, confidential processes)
• Vulnerability discovery through fuzzing (nested virtualization, containers, root cause analysis)
• Program transformation and verification techniques (C to Rust translation, reference monitor formal verification)
• Authentication and security technologies (e.g., FIDO2)

Research Keywords

OS kernels, hypervisors (virtual machine monitors), confidential VMs, TEEs, nested virtualization, protection domains, DMA, FPGAs, I/O devices, firmware, device drivers, containers, cloud, file systems, capabilities, non-volatile memory, live migration, fuzzing, buffer overflow attacks, use-after-free, malware, rootkits, JIT compilers, eBPF

Research Achievements

Our papers have been accepted at top conferences such as OSDI, ASPLOS, and USENIX ATC. We continue to aim for publications in top-tier venues from Japan in the system software field and are looking for students to work together toward this goal.

A list of our research achievements is available here:

👉 Publications

Lab Operations

• Weekly lab seminars are held.
  • Primarily online, with on-site meetings once a month.
  • Regular seminars and individual guidance help promote effective research progress.
• Research themes are set based on your interests.
  • You are welcome to work on a theme you define yourself.
  • If you need assistance, we will support you in selecting a suitable theme based on your interests.

Research Environment

• Each student is provided with at least two monitors.
  • Preferred keyboards and mice are also provided.
  • We value efficient programming environments.
• Latest desktop machines are provided for work and experiments.
  • Laptops are also available upon request.
  • We fully support low-level system programming environments.
• Financial support is available if needed.
  • We aim to create an environment where you can fully concentrate on your research.

Ideal Candidates

• Those with a strong interest in system software and security research.
• Those eager to engage in programming and implementation tasks.
• Those who can identify problems and take initiative in their research.
• Those who are motivated to work in an international research environment.

Application Information

We are currently accepting students only through the Department of Computer Science, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo.

The general schedule for the 2026 academic year summer entrance examination (held in 2025) is as follows:

1. Graduate School Admissions Briefing: Saturday, May 10
2. Application Period: May 30 – June 5 (until 14:00 JST)
3. Written and Oral Exams: August
4. Results Announcement: Early September

Your research proposal should include a survey of international conferences in the system software field whenever possible. We recommend CORE Rank A or higher conferences from the list below.

👉 Related Conferences

Please review the following carefully, especially both the graduate school and department guidelines:

• 👉 Graduate School Admissions Info
• 👉 Department Admissions Info

Lab Visits & Inquiries

If you wish to enroll in the Shinagawa Laboratory for a master’s degree, please contact me in advance if possible. When contacting me, please provide a detailed description of the research you would like to pursue in the field of system software, as well as your previous research and development experience. Simply mentioning topics listed on the laboratory website is not sufficient. Inquiries lacking specificity will not be considered.

Prof. Takahiro Shinagawa