Graduate School Outline
Interdisciplinary Department of Science and Engineering
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Interdisciplinary Department of Science and Engineering

Due to changes in society and the pressures of globalization, the conventional pattern of education and research for general science and engineering majors no longer suffices. To develop the skills necessary for today’s science and engineering professionals, two new courses have been created.

The first course, the Research Foundation Course, was created to broaden and stimulate the training for future researchers, while furnishing them with a strong basis of knowledge and ethical judgment. The curriculum for what was formerly the departments of Material Science and Production Engineering, System Information Science, and Life and Environmental Sciences, will now come under the joint administration of the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, and the United Graduate School of Agriculture.

The second course, Advanced Topics in Engineering, focuses on developing research skills among people already working in the field of business, to generate innovation in industry, and contribute to the advancement of the knowledge base, flexible conceptual skills, and problem solving ability of these professionals. The Graduate School of Science and Engineering is well placed to administer this course, with research being carried out in regional development, leadership training, engineering safety, environment, energy, medical and social welfare engineering, and astronomy/space science. Through this course the Graduate School of science and Engineering also aims to fortify the structure of these fields.

Educational Objective

The philosophy of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering is to develop truth-loving, highly ethical, self-motivated individuals who can meet challenges and contribute to the development of the regional and international community through the creation of an education and research system and framework that responds to the demands of the times. In order to live up to this philosophy, we have set ourselves the objective of developing capable people who study and teach the most recent academic theories and findings in the fields of science and engineering. From foundational to practical application, we delve deeply into scientific inquiry and contribute to the development of human civilization. In order to achieve this objective, one further objective is necessary: To cultivate engineers, researchers, and highly specialized, next-generation professionals who possess the sound ethical judgment necessary to confront contemporary issues, who have comprehensive knowledge about the environment, and who can respond extensively and flexibly to the advancement and diversification of natural science.

Admission Policy

1.Qualities The candidate

a) shares the principle of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, has the basic ability and motivation to realize it, thinks logically and rationally, and has good communicative skills.
b) is deeply interested in different issues in science and engineering, sparing no effort in grappling with a variety of problems who has a strong inquiring spirit.
c) is willing to sharpen their skills, formulating scientific and multi-dimensional execution plans and analyzing their results logically in order to clarify different phenomena in science and engineering.
d) appreciates the different values and cultures of the world, has high ethical standards and is keen to use the expertise acquired at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering to make contributions to local and global communities.
e) is willing to become a scholar or highly qualified professional in science or engineering and is eager to take on the responsibilities of leadership.

2.Prerequisite Knowledge

The successful candidate will have advanced expert knowledge/skills in science and engineering, and advanced knowledge/fluency in a foreign language [English].

3.Selection Process (General Selection)

The successful candidate will have advanced expert knowledge/skills in science and engineering, and advanced knowledge/fluency in a foreign language [English].

Foundations in Research Course

This course is mainly targeted at those already employed in their field, researchers, and international students aiming to become professors. With the aim of training researchers who can have a significant impact on the wide-ranging fields in science and engineering, research skill in one specific area of a science or engineering specialization is not enough. By developing an integrated, scholarly approach, researchers will have the agility to solve a considerable range of issues. It is this development that is our main educational objective.

Interdisciplinary Field

Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, and the United Graduate School of Agriculture are endowed with a unique characteristic; with this new collaboration, conventional knowledge and ways of thinking have not yet been established. Therefore it will be possible to take multiple viewpoints and develop progressive ways to solve research issues with the aim of training innovative professionals.

Material Science and Production Engineering

Our aim is to undertake fundamental, integrated research and education to examine materials production sciences, from the production of material through to the fabrication process of industrial manufacturing. Building on a background of broad foundational knowledge, our research must involve developing a symbiotic relationship with the environment. Researchers need an understanding of the careful use of energy and the flexibility to respond to changes in the diversification and complexity of industrial activity, taking into account its impact on the natural environment.

System Information Science

We aim to train professionals not only to acquire leading expertise in their specific field, but also to build on the relevant foundational knowledge to realize multiple research areas in order to utilize high tech skills to create integrated technology systems, and in this way conduct a high level of original, creative research and development over a wide range of topics.

Life and Environmental Sciences

We aim to train professionals not only to acquire leading expertise in their specific field but also to build on the relevant foundational knowledge to be able to find the convergence between various areas of research in order to deepen the understanding of the various functions of life, its structures and fluctuations, the Earth and space (nature) which supports life, and the symbiotic relationship between the environment and the life it contains. Our students are also encouraged to personally participate in circulating their research within the international community.

Advanced Studies in Science and Technology Course

This course is mainly targeted at students who wish to enter a doctoral program directly after completing their Masters’, with the aim of finding employment in industry. Students wishing to undertake professional development to become leaders or entrepreneurs for smaller regional businesses, or who wish to contribute to innovation and global activity in research and development at large companies, should consider this course.

Energy and the Environment

Our target is all things connected to human life and ecosystems, from micro-chemical environments, to the built world of human-scale architecture, to the mezzo-scale marine environment. In order to understand the needs of society from a global perspective, students will engage in work that combines various fields of study in order to acquire leading-edge knowledge. Our aim is to train professionals who have the creative skill to design and implement plans for a sustainable society.

Medical and Public Health Engineering

Our society is facing both an aging population and a declining birthrate. From now on, both medical treatment and public healthcare will become increasingly complex and diverse, and professionals in the field must be able to contribute their knowledge of human cognition and organic systems. We aim to train professionals who can respond flexibly to these needs, by developing a high sense of ethical standards and full knowledge of medical engineering and public health engineering.

Regional Value Creation and Safety Engineering

It is through the sustainability and conservation of the natural environment, we are able to create safe, worry-free living spaces that are accessible to all. At the regional level we must face complex, diverse changes occurring to industrial activity, and the natural environment. By polishing their skills in research and education, our students can flexibly apply fundamental, comprehensive knowledge to create tangible solutions to the threats we face in our world.

Advanced Material Science

We expect our graduates to become professionals who can bring about innovation in manufacturing. To this end, our students develop a deep knowledge of the fundamental physical properties and structure of materials, as well as the ability to conduct functional assessments, functional instrumentation analysis, predictive simulations of changes in function and traits, and gain an understanding of manufacturing processes, systems control, nanostructure control, function and trait expression mechanisms, and resource recovery.

Astronomy and Space

Building on a background of extensive foundational knowledge in astronomy, space science, Earth science and/or space engineering, and with the careful observation of astronomical objects, space, and Earth as our aim, we are engaged in the development of equipment and data processing systems. In addition, from development to application of equipment and systems, we employ practical observations in understanding the universe. We aim to train professionals who can make original, high quality contributions to research and development in this interdisciplinary field.