Regional Environment Systems

In limited areas such as urban cities, the social and cultural activities of human beings are likely to negatively affect the living environment in the area. For sustainable community development, harmony between the activation of community activities and conservation of the living environment is inevitable.
In addition, to realize this, there is a necessity to work on the issues spreading across a range of fields including electrical engineering and computer science, materials science, chemistry, mechanical engineering, architecture and civil engineering.
Doctoral candidates in the Regional Environment System Course will deepen research in their own specialized field. At the same time, it is also aimed that they will contribute to forming the foundation of a better society, culture and life in the regional environment by having an insight into the influence and effect of technology on society and nature, and through exchanging information among researchers from different specialized fields. The educational goal of this course is to nurture talents who have a broad view regarding the regional environment and can achieve this aim, by making use of their highly specialized knowledge.

The educational goal of the Regional Environment Systems Course is to nurture talents who have a broad viewpoint regarding the regional environment and who are capable of realizing their own ideas utilizing a high degree of expertise. Obtaining a degree in this course will require the candidates to fulfil the following requirements, in addition to submitting a doctoral thesis. Candidates will:

• Complete all of the prescribed units and possess an in-depth as well as an extensive knowledge.
• Possess an extensive knowledge in addition to the knowledge of their specialized area, and have the capability of conducting evaluations and judgments on things from a broad perspective.
• Have the capability of utilizing their own knowledge to work on actual issues.
• Have the communication skills to be able to work cooperatively with engineers and scientists from other fields in dealing with complex issues such as environmental issues.
  ※ - Have communication skills.

Assessment Procedures

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering or Science) will be awarded to those who meet the following criteria. In addition to the submission of a dissertation, the following criteria must be met in order to receive a degree in this course.

1. Degree Assessment Criteria for Candidates in the Doctoral Program
   1. Period of enrollment
      Students must have been enrolled in the doctoral program of the Graduate School for at least three years and have received the prescribed research guidance. However, those who have achieved outstanding research results need only be enrolled for at least one year.
   2. Research achievements
      1. At least two papers submitted as the first author to academic journals reviewed by academic societies and published during the period of enrollment, in principle. However, one of the two papers may be replaced by two proceedings of international conferences (first author) that have been reviewed. If the student is not the first author but is the first contributor, the primary supervisor may substitute this by attaching a document showing the student's contribution as the first contributor.
      2. If the paper has been accepted for publication in a journal or for presentation at an international conference, please attach documentation to prove this.
2. Degree Assessment Criteria for Doctoral Program by Completion of Coursework (Early Completion Course for Working Adults)
   1. Period of enrollment
      The period of study shall be one year. However, if the student is unable to complete the course in one year, the student must continue in the program and complete it in three years.
   2. Research achievements
      1. At least three peer-reviewed papers (including permission for publication) by the first or second author(s) related to the content of the dissertation. However, at least one of the papers must be by the first author. If the student is not the first author but is the first contributor, the primary supervisor can substitute this by attaching a document showing the student's contribution as the first contributor.
      2. The student must have at least one international conference proceedings as a presenter (first author) during his/her studies. However, the presentation must be made before the final examination or be accompanied by a document certifying that it has been made. Note that the presentation in question may have been submitted prior to enrollment.
      3. If the presentation has been accepted for publication in a journal or for presentation at an international conference, a document proving the acceptance must be attached.
   • Those who are eligible to apply for the Early Completion Course for Working Adults must be working adults who have a certain level of research achievement in the following categories.
     1. Those who have completed a master's course and have at least three years of work experience.
     2. Applicants must have at least two refereed papers.
3. Criteria for Assessment of doctoral degree by Thesis
   1. The applicant must have graduated from a university and have at least five years of experience in research and development work, and must have submitted at least five papers as the first author to academic journals reviewed by academic societies and published in them. However, when a student who has withdrawn at maturity applies for the award of a doctoral degree without being re-enrolled, the examination criteria for a course doctorate will be applied with regard to research achievements only if the examination is completed within two years of the student's withdrawal at maturity.
      However, for exchange students based on a double degree agreement, the regulations for research achievements in the doctoral program will be applied as the degree examination standards criteria.
   2. Those whose research results have been accepted for publication in academic journals must attach a document certifying the acceptance.

The curriculum offered in the Regional Environment Systems Course (this course) is composed with the aim of nurturing talents who will realize harmony between the activation of community activities and conservation of the living environment through a range of fields including electrical engineering and computer science, materials science, chemistry, mechanical engineering, architecture and civil engineering. Therefore, research guidance and subjects covering many different fields have been prepared. In this way, the foundation of the course is based on the idea that curriculums in each area within the wide range of coverage will work to deepen the research in specialized fields. However, the course also encourages and leads doctoral candidates towards being involved in exchanges between different fields and the fusion boundary region, including the relationship between technology and society, nature and the environment, and provide opportunities to acquire the knowledge, which will enable them to contribute to society, culture, sophistication of life, purification, normalization, as well as the improvement of reliability and safety.

Furthermore, the basic policy of the curriculum of this course is: to enable the doctoral candidates to not only accumulate specialized knowledge but also to enhance the skills to utilize such knowledge; to enable the candidates to acquire a high degree of specialized knowledge and skills as well as a wide range of knowledge and insights, taking into account the fact that this course is for the doctoral candidates in the Graduate School of Engineering and Science and that its purpose is for them to gain the doctoral degree; to become a place for learning in which the candidates will enhance their communication skills and acquire skills to appropriately present their research outcomes.

The Department of Regional Environment Systems aims to contribute to the formation of a better society, culture and life in the regional environment through the exchange of information among researchers in different specialized fields. With a broad perspective on the local environment and utilizing our high level of expertise, we seek to develop human resources who can realize their own ideas. For that purpose, a wide range of curriculums are the basis for deepening research in specialized fields. However, it is necessary to promote cross-disciplinary exchanges and guidance to boundaries and fusion areas, including the relationship between technology and society, nature, and the environment. We encourage students to acquire knowledge that can contribute to the sophistication, purification, normalization, reliability, and safety of society, culture, and life, so we are seeking the students listed below as human resources who can respond to these educational policies.

1. Those who have a High ethical standards.
2. Those who have knowledge about the specialized field and are motivated to deepen it.
3. Those who are interested in various social problems including problems of the local environment and can work on their solutions with enthusiasm.
4. Those who accept various opinions and can work together with other fields to solve problems.