“Tackling both local and global issues with transdisciplinary collaboration”
Koshun YAMAOKA
Dean,
Graduate School of Environmental Studies
The Graduate School of Environmental Studies (GSES) at Nagoya University consists of three department, Earth and Environmental sciences, Environmental Engineering and Architecture, and Social and Human Environment. The majors of these departments belong to science, engineering, and social/human sciences in the conventional classification. Our graduate school is characterized by the collaboration between these majors, which focus on the foundations of our lives. The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences covers the sciences from the formation of the Earth in the solar system to the behaviors of the atmosphere, ocean, and the Earth’s interior. The Department of Environmental Engineering and Architecture focuses on the cities and structures that human beings have created to live on. The Department of Social and Human Environment studies the activities and policies of people and society from the perspectives of geography, sociology, economics, and law. As the research subjects of each department are deeply interrelated, GSES emphasizes the not only the importance of the deepening of research in each subject, but also the impact of inter-major connections. For this reason, GSES awards a common degree on environmental studies to the students who have focused on interdisciplinary fields, as well as degrees in science, engineering, architecture, geography, sociology, law, and economics to students who have made achievement in each academic field.
GSES deals with a wide range of issues, from local issues such as depopulation or aging, to global issues such as global warming. In order to solve any of these issues, elucidation, prediction, and design are necessary. For example, for global warming, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of climate change and the impact of human activity on global warming, and to predict the future based on the results. This is the subject of natural and social/human science. It is also necessary to design countermeasures based on the predictions and to make policies. Design is a subject of engineering and policy making is a subject of social/human science. GSES provides an environment where students can learn and become familiar with such problem solving. Students can not only deepen their own specific subjects, but also acquire the broad perspective for solving the problems. GSES also aim to develop human resources who will use this knowledge to become leaders in society.
GSES has variety of students, who are not only graduates of Nagoya University, but also graduates of other universities. As 40% of the students are international students, GSES has established an International Office to provide advice on their studies and daily lives. GSES also accept non-students applicants as part of their recurrence education. From this year, Nagoya University started a long-term course system for working students, which allows them to keep tuition fees low even if it takes longer than standard years of education. Supports for doctoral students are expanding. In addition to the special researcher system of JSPS, a national fellowship system starts from this year. GSES also provides support through a new supporting program. In addition, each laboratory has its own support. In the doctoral course, students experience writing academically valid papers on one’s own through in-depth discussions with supervisors, researchers from other departments and universities. Students also spent time in studying and thinking freely and independently on research, which will be an irreplaceable asset for a lifetime to survive in today’s rapidly changing society.
Thank you for your understanding and support for the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Nagoya University.