The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University

Course Outline

Charter

Charter of the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University

The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science was formed, with the Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University and the Graduate School of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University as its primary foundation, to establish a unique and flexible educational research organization by synergistically linking the constituent universities and to realize education through which a broad perspective, highly professional knowledge and technology, comprehension skills, deep insight and power of execution will be acquired. Through cultivating researchers and professional engineers/technologists with highly professional competence, abundant academic knowledge and a broad perspective, it also aims to contribute to the advancement of agricultural science and the development of biological-resources-related industries.

Agricultural science is an integrated science based on the relationship between biological production and human life, consisting mainly of biological science, biological resources science, environmental science, life science and social science. (in Charter of Agricultural Science, Japan, 2002) The United Graduate School provides a wide variety of subjects through the credit-based system and allows its students to conduct a research for their doctoral dissertation under the guidance of multiple supervisors. The United Graduate School promotes education and research to allow students to acquire broad knowledge of agriculture and the ability to conduct a research on a given subject and seek a solution, and furthermore to develop the ability to solve problems and the ability to discover research subjects that can be exercised in the boundary fields and multidisciplinary fields.

  1. Strive to utilize the synergy of both universities in promoting credit-based system and providing guidance for doctoral dissertation research.
  2. Foster human resources that have strong ethics and leadership as an engineer/technologist and a researcher.
  3. Foster researchers and professional engineers/technologists who understand agricultural science as an integrated science and contribute to the society.
  4. Foster human resources who have a willingness to contribute to the local community.
  5. Foster human resources with international perspectives who can play an active role on the global stage.
  6. Promote acceptance of international students who are willing to learn and acquire advanced agricultural technologies and science.

Key Strategies of the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science

1. Education

(1) Education of the United Graduate School

  • Develop a system which enables students to receive broad educational and research guidance at the constituent universities.
  • Conduct the Faculty Development (FD) on an ongoing basis to improve the quality of education.
  • Cultivate researchers and professional engineers with highly professional ability and abundant academic knowledge.
  • Enhance its sub-supervisor system to further strengthen research guidance by multiple supervisors.
  • Strengthen its educational research organizations by utilizing its guidance system realized by collaboration of both universities.
  • Provide distance education by utilizing information technology (IT) and network.
  • Enhance and further improve the Integrated Agricultural Seminar.

(2) Globalization of education and research

  • Actively accept international students to cultivate human resources that can play an active role on the global stage.
  • Promote education that fosters a broad and international perspective.
  • Promote education in English and provide research guidance to pursue outstanding international research.

2. Research

  • Enhance its support system to stimulate research activities.
  • Promote research that can respond flexibly to the development and changes in science technology.
  • Strive to create an environment in which students will be aspired and motivated to conduct a research.

3. Social Action

  • Provide care to international students at the time of their acceptance and during their study as well as after the completion of their study.
  • Strive to provide financial assistance such as scholarships to privately funded international students.
  • Encourage research on a subject related to the local community and thereby contribute to the local society.

4. Administration

  • Validate the operation and promote continuous improvement of managing the graduate school.
  • Strive to stabilize its financial basis necessary for education and research.
  • Conduct recognizable publicity activities such as its website and annual report.
  • Ensure that everyone is well informed concerning protection and management of information, in particular, personal information.
  • Promote utilization of IT devices and strive to simplify the operational systems.