Fukui, Japan June 2026
From Silicon Valley to the Classroom: My First Lecture at the University of Fukui
Link to article (LinkedIn)Today, I taught my first lecture in my new role as Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Fukui, in a graduate course on MOT (Management of Technology).
The topic: Engineering Human Systems: Applied SEM for Startups. With support of my co-author Muskaan Irfan, we had students run live structural equation modeling in Python/Colab on our research data (N=112), analyzing volunteer motivation in a zero-budget organization.
For any data-driven CEO or manager, the core insight is this: the variables that drive your team can be measured, modeled, and optimized with the same rigor you apply to your product.
Three Takeaways from the Data
- Latent variables let you measure things like "felt support" with mathematical precision.
- A job title costs $0 and moves the needle strongly (λ = .797).
- The statistical model is the map. The leader still drives.
As founder of Virufy, a medical AI nonprofit operating across the US, UAE, and Japan, my mission is to teach the next generation of engineers that human systems can be designed with the same rigor as software.
Thanks to Professor Takuji Takemoto for his trust, and to the students for their energy today.
Opportunities
- Join our lab (Master's or PhD, Apr 2027 intake): English-based, ~$10K total for 2 years, working at the intersection of AI, social innovation, and behavioral science. virufy.org/amil-jp-degree
- Join Virufy: our global medical AI nonprofit working on respiratory disease detection. virufy.org/join
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