Natural Environment

Natural Environment

1. Departments and educational programs

Our graduate school has the following three departments: the Department of Artificial Environment, the Department of Natural Environment, and the Department of Information Environment. Each of these departments offers three educational programs with predetermined courses that students must or can take before they acquire their intended types of degrees. Each student must decide their educational program (and the degree they want to pursue) when they enroll. The educational programs are offered with a clear definition of the knowledge, skills, and expertise that the holders of the respective degrees are expected to possess.

Name of department Educational programs (and awarded degrees) Academic advisors
Department of Natural Environment
(Master's Programs)

The sustainability of human society depends crucially on understanding the sustainability of the natural environment as society's foundation and the way to ensure its safety. Without limiting the focus of programs to the use and conservation of the living environment and the sustainability of eco-systems over the medium to long term, this department helps students to acquire the knowledge and skills required to take into account the environmental changes that have occurred throughout the history of the Earth and interactions with local communities.
Ecology and Bioscience Program (Master of Environmental Science)

Knowledge of ecology and life science is essential for discussing the conservation, maintenance, and recovery of the natural environment that surrounds us. This program helps students to acquire the essential ecology-related knowledge and skills required to ensure the sustainability of local communities and the world as a whole while seeking co-existence with nature.
ISHIKAWA Masahiro,
OIKAWA Hiroki,
OGATA Shinichi,
KAGAMI Maiko,
KOIKE Fumito,
SAKAI Akiko,
SASAKI Takehiro,
SHIMODE Shinji,
NAKAMURA Tatsuo,
NAKAMORI Taizo,
HIRATSUKA Kazuyuki,
YAMAMOTO Shinji,
YOSHIDA Ryuji,
WANI Ryoji
Earth and Biological Science Program (Master of Science)

Earthquakes and other major disasters associated with intensifying climate change often undermine the safety and security of our environment. Responding to such violent changes in the natural environment requires an understanding of geoscience and life science. This program produces experts in the sciences who can help humankind to respond to these changes.
ISHIKAWA Masahiro,
OGATA Shinichi,
KAGAMI Maiko,
KOIKE Fumito,
SAKAI Akiko,
SASAKI Takehiro,
SHIMODE Shinji,
NAKAMURA Tatsuo,
NAKAMORI Taizo,
HIRATSUKA Kazuyuki,
MATSUDA Hiroyuki,
YAMAMOTO Shinji,
YOSHIDA Ryuji,
WANI Ryoji
Environmental Studies Program (Master of Philosophy)

As the Future Earth Initiative states, global environmental issues cannot be resolved by researchers in the fields of ecology, life science, and geoscience alone. Instead, an expanded form of interdisciplinary research involving a wide variety of stakeholders is required. This program fosters professionals who can envisage and develop proposals concerning management of the natural environmental with due attention given to the legal system for protecting the ecosystem and collaboration with local community members.
OIKAWA Hiroki,
KAGAMI Maiko,
KOIKE Fumito,
SAKAI Akiko,
SASAKI Takehiro,
NAKAMORI Taizo,
Department of Natural Environment
(Doctoral programs)

The sustainability of human society depends crucially on advanced specialist knowledge concerning the sustainability of the natural environment as society's foundation and the way to ensure its safety. This department helps students to build a sound foundation in the following: the exploration and use of the living environment and its phenomena; the exploration of ecosystem sustainability over the medium to long term; a detailed understanding of the Earth, including the environmental changes that have occurred throughout its history and the characteristics of its deep interior; and the social relationship that exists between the natural environment and the local community. After that, the students acquire the specialist knowledge and skills required to consider and offer solutions to issues related to the relationship between humankind and nature.
Ecology and Bioscience Program (Doctor of Environmental Science)

Knowledge of ecology and life science is essential for discussing the conservation, maintenance, and recovery of the natural environment that surrounds us. With the aim of ensuring the sustainability of local communities and the world as a whole while seeking co-existence with nature, this program helps students to acquire advanced ecology-related knowledge and skills at its core as well as additional expertise on life science and geoscience.
ISHIKAWA Masahiro,
OIKAWA Hiroki,
OGATA Shinichi,
KAGAMI Maiko,
KOIKE Fumito,
SAKAI Akiko,
SASAKI Takehiro,
SHIMODE Shinji,
NAKAMURA Tatsuo,
NAKAMORI Taizo,
HIRATSUKA Kazuyuki,
YAMAMOTO Shinji,
YOSHIDA Ryuji,
WANI Ryoji
Earth and Biological Science Program (Doctor of Science)

Earthquakes and other major disasters associated with intensifying climate change often undermine the safety and security of our environment. Responding to such violent changes in the natural environment requires the exploration of natural phenomena based on diverse fields of expertise that incorporate an advanced understanding of not only geoscience and life science, but also the principles of ecology. This program produces experts in the sciences who can contribute to this pursuit.
ISHIKAWA Masahiro,
OIKAWA Hiroki,
OGATA Shinichi,
KAGAMI Maiko,
KOIKE Fumito,
SAKAI Akiko,
SASAKI Takehiro,
SHIMODE Shinji,
NAKAMURA Tatsuo,
NAKAMORI Taizo,
HIRATSUKA Kazuyuki,
MATSUDA Hiroyuki,
YAMAMOTO Shinji,
YOSHIDA Ryuji,
WANI Ryoji
Environmental Studies Program (Doctor of Philosophy)

As the Future Earth Initiative states, global environmental issues cannot be resolved by researchers in the fields of ecology, life science, and geoscience alone. Instead, an expanded form of interdisciplinary research involving a wide variety of stakeholders is required. This program fosters highly specialized professionals who can envisage and develop proposals concerning management of the natural environmental with due attention given to the legal system for protecting the ecosystem and collaboration with local community members.
OIKAWA Hiroki,
KAGAMI Maiko,
KOIKE Fumito,
SAKAI Akiko,
SASAKI Takehiro,
NAKAMORI Taizo,

2. Admissions policy

department Admissions policy
Department of Natural Environment

(Master's Programs)
This department aims to foster problem-solvers who are able to consider, in an integrated manner, the physical environment that consists of artificial objects and the people who live in this environment. They need to be able to derive adequate solutions by gaining a cross-sectional and panoramic understanding of problems rather than focusing on the technical or management aspects. Prospective students from diverse backgrounds are welcomed if they aspire to make a social contribution by engaging in the following research and challenges while seeking to adopt ever wider perspectives.
  • The pursuit of various types of knowledge and skills in engineering and management methods with the aim of promoting new technologies for ensuring the safety of artificial environments and systems.
  • The pursuit of the knowledge and management methods involved in monitoring the actual state and impact of contamination and other problems caused by artificial environments, as well as implementing the necessary measures and policies in our society.
  • The pursuit of knowledge and skills related to the policies, strategies, and management involved in conducting various corporate and other organized activities aimed at identifying and overcoming challenges to the sustainability of human society and social implementation of conducive technologies.
Department of Natural Environment

(Doctoral programs)
This department aims to foster problem-solvers who are able to consider, in an integrated manner, the physical environment that consists of artificial objects and the people who live in this environment. They need to be able to derive adequate solutions by gaining a cross-sectional and panoramic understanding of problems rather than focusing on the technical or management aspects. Prospective students from diverse backgrounds are welcomed if they aspire to make a social contribution by engaging in the following research and challenges while seeking to adopt ever wider perspectives.
  • The pursuit of various types of knowledge and skills in engineering and management methods with the aim of promoting new technologies for ensuring the safety of artificial environments and systems.
  • The pursuit of the knowledge and management methods involved in monitoring the actual state and impact of contamination and other problems caused by artificial environments, as well as implementing the necessary measures and policies in our society.
  • The pursuit of knowledge and skills related to the policies, strategies, and management involved in conducting various corporate and other organized activities aimed at identifying and overcoming challenges to the sustainability of human society and social implementation of conducive technologies.

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