Information and communication technology has broken down borders and created a global community where information runs instantly over the world. It is global leaders who have the ability to see the big picture, and are able to adjust accordingly, that will thrive in this rapidly changing modern society. The Program for Leading Graduate Schools implemented by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is designed to promote a new graduate school education system that can meet the current needs in this global society. An innovative curriculum is systematized in parallel with the ordinary doctoral curriculum. The program aims to be a high-quality graduate program by gathering top-level faculty from Japan and overseas as well as gaining the cooperation of industry, academia and government.
Currently Nagoya University has six Leading Programs, and each program has developed an education system based on its own unique features. In addition to nurturing solid foundational knowledge, the programs foster doctoral degree holders with the ability to view issues from broad perspectives based on a high degree of specialization.
This program, which integrates fields such as the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, aims to foster leaders who can play active roles in the industrial, academic and governmental sectors both in Japan and overseas and who can be a driving force within the global society.
This program, which traverses research domains, aims to foster leaders who can synthesize industrial, academic and governmental projects and drive innovation in addressing issues facing society.
This program, which utilizes unique resources worldwide, aims to foster leaders who can pioneer new fields of research.
The Leading Program is a five-year complementary program for students pursuing combined masters and doctoral degree courses, and extends beyond disciplinary boundaries. The trans-disciplinary curriculum of the program distinguishes it from the conventional graduate schools. Our six programs share an integrated curriculum that combines different disciplines. Through a phased and systematic approach involving nurturing of creative and critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and leadership skills, students are able to acquire the necessary capabilities to become global leaders. In addition, common subjects and open courses are arranged among the six programs to foster globalized thinking on current issues and prospects.
To foster practical knowledge and abilities, which cannot be acquired through lectures and research at university alone, a variety of training courses, such as research internships, overseas training and overseas field research are implemented. Through such activities, the worldview of students is broadened. Especially, as overseas training outside Japan is a unique opportunity to experience diverse cultures and values. By working together through friendly competition, students acquire international communication skills, explore issues from a global perspective, and acquire the ability to solve those issues.
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| River water quality testing in the suburbs of Ulan Bator in Mongolia | Exchange with children living around the Payatas Dumpsite in the Philippines |
By making use of the industry-academia-government network of Nagoya University, which has many Nobel laureates and top leaders in industry, we have built a system to support students’ academic goals.
Discussion with Dr. Toshihide Maskawa, Distinguished Professor,
Nagoya University
