PROGRAM SUMMARY
- 4 years program starting from the 2nd year of Master’s program that transcend borders between nations and
specialties to foster human resources with the will and ability to “understand the entire Earth” - Special curriculum designed to develop a global perspective and interdisciplinary research abilities
- Lectures and research guidance by world-leading faculty members including those from
overseas partner institutions - Overseas training for more than 6 months at overseas partner institutions
- Student-led interdisciplinary seminars
- International cross-disciplinary workshops (regularly held)
- International field excursions for the undergraduates and the graduate students who are interested in this field
- Conferment of “Jointly Supervised Degree” or “Double Degree”
- Various kinds of support such as financial support and overseas travel support
- Quality assurance of education by “Tohoku University Institute for Promoting Graduate Degree Programs”
PHILOSOPHY of OUR PROGRAM
The education philosophy of the International Joint Graduate Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences (GP-EES) is to develop human resources with the motivation and ability to understand the entire earth system, and to build an international education and research program that integrate different areas of research seamlessly. Students who have completed GP-EES are expected to acquire the following abilities for research:
- Ability to see earth and environmental science issues from a broad view and
multiple perspectives without being constrained by existing academic boundaries - Ability to identify and solve issues from a global perspective
- High basic academic abilities, techniques, and communication skills that serve as a foundation for
conducting world-leading research - Broad knowledge and management skills that can contribute to academic development through the review and
editing processes of international academic journals - Ability to have a bird’s eye view of academic disciplines, leadership and management skills (such as planning,
organizing and coordinating), and English communication skills, which are all necessary for
the tasks such as conducting session proposals at the international conferences and symposiums as a convener.
Selection method
To conduct research overseas for at least six months in principle and become a person who can play an active role in the global environment, students are required to have the ability to pursue research as well as basic academic skills, which are tested in a graduate school entrance examination. A selective examination for GP-EES is conducted at the end of the 1st year of the Master’s Program to determine whether students have such ability and skills. Students who pass the examination can enroll in GP-EES from their 2nd year in the Master’s Program. Criteria for the selective examination include scores for the courses taken by students during their 1st year of the Master’s Program and English proficiency (such as TOEFL scores). The selective examination consists mainly of interviews, which are conducted to confirm students’ intention to go on to the Doctoral Program and evaluate their motivation and aptitude for overseas research and education activities. The final decision for acceptance is made based on the agreement of the Program Committee of GP-EES and through discussion by the Academic Affairs Committee in the Division for International Joint Graduate Programs, Institute for Promoting Graduate Degree Programs, Tohoku University.
QE (Qualifying Examination)
Thesis defense is performed at the Graduate School of Science and the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, to which relevant students belong. Regarding students who aim to complete a jointly supervised degree in GP-EES, instructors and researchers from overseas partner institutions participate in the thesis defense process as examiners. In Qualifying Examinations (QEs) conducted at the end of each of the Master’s and Doctoral Programs, the number of credits that students have earned in International Joint Graduate Programs and their achievements in research article publication and conference presentation are confirmed. In addition, the ability to explain the meaning and purpose of their research in a comprehensive way to examiners from a wide range of areas is evaluated through presentation in English and Q&A sessions.
Direction of career path and support measures
Students who have completed GP-EES are expected not only to obtain high-level research capabilities, but also to more easily acquire positions as postdoctoral researchers or tenure-track instructors at universities and research institutes abroad as well as in Japan by increasing their name recognition in international communities of researchers. They can also build deep relationships with overseas researchers, which will be useful in the future. Moreover, there are expected to be certain personnel needs in global companies, government agencies, and international institutions, according to the research contents. Instructors in this program will work to widely introduce this program and students who have completed the program to people at home and abroad by conducting public relations activities and using a network of contacts developed through the International Joint Graduate Programs. They will also work to help students acquire work positions and increase positions for postdoctoral researchers by making use of external funds including government subsidies for scientific research.