Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences
Based on observation and analyses, the Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences clarifies the interactions among: (1) the natural environment, (2) humans, (3) materials, (4) energy, (5) information, and (6) man-made structures such as buildings and automobiles. The Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences was established to add a sustainability and environmental perspective to the study of engineering (including civil engineering, architecture, and construction), geography (focusing in particular on surveys of the natural environment), applied chemistry (from micro-level substances to energy and the wider environment), tourism science (emphasizing a multi-faceted approach to tourism that incorporates environmental, cultural and IT-based perspectives) and urban policy science (which seeks to develop solutions to urban problems from a contextual perspective).
In addition to the specialized knowledge pertaining to each of these areas, the Faculty also endeavors to cultivate the know-how and skills needed to make a positive contribution toward the development of the techniques and methodologies that can help to solve environmental problems and foster sustainable development.
Department of Geography
Based on the various fields of geography, students in this department gain integrated knowledge of the mutual interactions between the natural environment and human activity, which are the key constituent elements of an urban area. By studying basic science subjects and specialized geographical subjects, including field work and practical training in GIS, students in this department are able to solve various issues confronting humankind.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The goal of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is to train talented people equipped with a multilateral perspective and knowledge to plan and maintain infrastructure for the sustainability of all ecosystems on Earth. The department offers three fields: infrastructure, environmental systems, and disaster prevention.
Department of Architecture
The Department of Architecture offers academic and professional education for students pursuing careers in building and the urban environment. It covers such specialized fields as architectural history and design, architectural design and planning, city planning, environmental engineering, building materials, building construction, structural engineering, and comprehensive urban issues.
Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment
The Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment offers a unique educational program based on a wide range of applied chemistry, from basic to advanced areas. The goal of the department is to train highly qualified engineers and researchers as leaders in such fields as environmental chemistry, energy chemistry, materials chemistry and biological chemistry.
Department of Tourism Science
The Department of Tourism Science aims to provide tourism education using scientific and engineering approaches, and to develop professionals, such as engineers, consultants, or rangers, who are responsible for understanding phenomena and planning and implementing tourism promotion, and practical generalists, who perform comprehensive management of tourism.
The department comprises three main units: the Regional and Urban Planning Unit, the Environment Management Unit, and the Behavior and Management Science Unit, all of which are based on urban planning and design, transport planning, architecture, geography, ecology, information science, psychology, economics, and management science.
Department of Urban Science and Policy
It is vitally important that creative solutions be found to the complex problems that are affecting the world’s cities (including Tokyo), such as the need to maintain and improve the urban environment, issues relating to the aging of the population, healthcare and welfare provision, industrial development, disaster prevention and recovery, while at the same time ensuring that diverse groups of people are able to live in harmony with one another. To this end, there is a real need for policy-making capabilities that reflect both a global perspective and a regional perspective, that are able to outline a clear picture of what urban society and urban spaces should look like, and that are able to formulate suitable policies for implementing these plans in collaboration with ordinary citizens. The Department of Urban Science and Policy curriculum is tailored to address these key issues relating to urban development, and is designed to help students cultivate the planning capabilities needed to create the new-generation cities of the future.
