Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences

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The Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences is developing world-leading international research activities in various fields. Observations and analysis are used to explain the mutual interactions between the various components of an urban environment, including human beings, materials, energy, information, human-made objects and the natural environment. By developing methodologies that make it possible to predict, design, and control each of these components in any space and at any time, this school is striving to establish urban environmental sciences as a branch of science that is conducive to the construction of cities that will continue to develop.

The Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences is also promoting advanced research in specialized research fields related to the components of urban environments, as well as in new fields that integrate those components, and is striving to cultivate individuals who, exercising their ability to identify and solve problems, will be able to lead the mega-cities of the world into the future.

Department of Geography

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Geographic environments are comprised of natural environments and humanmade environments, and their spaces expand in scale from cities and regions to nations, continents, and the planet. Geography is not just the study of the dynamic interrelationships between geographic environments and human beings from the past to the present within a
particular space. Rather, it aims to explain occurrences by taking into account the interrelationships between phenomena that occur on a variety of spatial scales.
This point is particularly important when conducting research in a local community on phenomena that occur on a global scale, such as global warming or economic globalization. It is possible to intensify the research being conducted on cities and the environment by adding this new perspective to the conventional field of geography, which has focused on the differences in the configurations and mechanisms of geographical phenomena due to differences in spatial scale, and on regional differences within the same spatial scale.
The Department of Geography comprises the five units of (1) geomorphology and geology, (2) climatology, (3) environmental geography, (4) geographic information science, and (5) urban and human geography, and conducts research in each of these fields.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

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Civil and Environmental Engineering, as suggested by the title, is a discipline that serves citizens, and its goals are to build scenic national lands and cities, to build living environments that offer safety and security, and to create rich social foundations.
This role covers a wide range of activities from the planning, construction, management, and maintenance of infrastructure, to the preservation of urban and natural environments.
It also includes disaster management efforts that aim to protect people’s lives and property.

In this department, students systematically conduct research in the field of civil and environmental engineering from the three perspectives of infrastructure, environmental systems, and safety and disaster prevention. Through research and educational activities, this department cultivates individuals who can take the initiative in uncovering the challenges that need to be addressed and devising solutions to those problems. Research partnerships and joint seminars with research institutions both in Japan and abroad are actively pursued, and many research findings are applied back into the Tokyo metropolitan region and the broader community.

Tokyo is among the world’s leading cities. Overcoming the challenges that Tokyo faces will not only help the local community, but will lead to the active dissemination of information to other communities and other countries around the world.

Department of Architecture and Building Engineering

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The Department of Architecture and Building Engineering aims to promote and conduct research on building beautiful, safe, and comfortable buildings and urban spaces in a sustainable society, and cultivate individuals who do the above. Students will contribute to society by conducting research on the appropriate maintenance of the existing stock of buildings and on the creation of buildings and urban spaces that are safe, comfortable, and appealing, while also reducing the environmental burdens. The department cultivates highly specialized individuals who study a wide range of theories and technologies related to architecture, and who have the ability to solve architectural problems.

Students engage in progressive and practical research to solve problems in the Basic Research Course, which covers the fields of architectural design and planning, urban planning, architectural history and design, building construction and materials, building structures, and building environments. In the Project Research Course, multiple instructors specializing in distinct academic fields form project teams and lead specific research projects to help students develop the practical skills they need for identifying and solving complex problems in the worlds of urban planning and architecture. Upon completing the requirements, students will be eligible for either a master’s degree (in engineering or architecture) or a doctoral degree (in engineering or architecture).

Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment

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This department cultivates creative engineers and researchers capable of playing a leading role in applied chemistry and material chemistry to achieve sustainable development using resources and energy in harmony with the environment.

The department has developed educational offerings aimed at imparting the kind of basic chemistry knowledge needed for solving the various problems that persist in cities, which feature high concentrations of matter and energy. The department engages in education and research focused on teaching students to exercise autonomy and to develop their ability to find and solve problems. The department cultivates engineers and researchers with a broad perspective and the ability to demonstrate leadership in the 21st century by promoting cutting-edge research around key themes such as environment, energy, bio, and nanotechnology in such research areas as analytical chemistry, polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, complex chemistry, inorganic chemistry, electrochemistry, chemical engineering, interface chemistry, photochemistry, catalyst chemistry, and atmospheric chemistry. Prominent Japanese and international researchers are invited to speak at colloquia that are held about ten times a year, providing students with extensive access to cutting-edge research being conducted around the world.

Department of Tourism Science

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The Department of Tourism Science undertakes education and research aimed at safeguarding and enhancing the cities, villages and natural environments that constitute both the resources and the field of tourism, and at fostering their appropriate utilization. An additional aim is to facilitate the effective use of tourism to enhance the appeal and value of individual localities, promoting region-building that can help to revitalize the local economy.
The department seeks to cultivate generalists, specialists, educators and researchers who are capable of using the knowledge and techniques of science and engineering to clarify local phenomena, interpret tourist behavior and awareness, and draw up and implement plans for the promotion of tourism.

In this field, particular importance is attached to joint research that involves collaboration between universities, the public sector and the private sector, with researchers taking on the role of planners and proposal formulators, carrying out projects that are closely linked to local communities and that cover everything from diagnostic investigation to identify potential tourist attractions, through to planning and implementation. Also important is a proactive approach toward sending graduate students to study and work overseas, and toward encouraging overseas students to study in Japan. In this way, while maintaining a broad, international perspective, it is possible to develop coordinated solutions to the problems that affect tourism and the wider environment in which tourism operates.

Department of Urban Science and Policy

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The Department of Urban Science and Policy is dedicated to the cultivation of human talent capable of developing a comprehensive picture of the modern city with its dynamic transformations, visualizing how cities can become safe, comfortable places where residents enjoy peace of mind, and undertaking analysis and research from spatial, systemic, social and other perspectives, thereby helping to realize sustainable urban development. In addition to providing a multidisciplinary curriculum that teaches the techniques needed to analyze urban phenomena and helps students develop a multi-faceted understanding of the types of public policy that can be applied in different areas, the department also incorporates practical learning activities involving collaborative research with the public agencies responsible for drafting urban development policy, private-sector firms, NPOs, local community organizations, etc.

Research Projects

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