Program for Leading Graduate School Syllabus

Each research laboratory of the Department of Applied Chemistry focuses on technology-conscious chemistry, in other words, chemistry which helps the prosperity of mankind, protects the environment and learns from and is applied to life. As well as conducting basic research of chemistry supporting the chemical industry, which forms the foundation of industry, research which link to developing application is also conducted. The Department of Applied Chemistry considers research from domestic as well as international perspective and is also actively conducting collaboration research with foreign countries.

The research level of the Department of Applied Chemistry is at the top in the world and is well-known internationally as one of the research centers for advanced chemistry. The instructors of the Course have also been winning the most prestigious awards in the chemistry world of Japan in the last few years. The research facilities and environment are also of the highest standard internationally.

In 2002, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) founded the 21st Century COE (Center of Excellence) to nurture for research and education institutions that possess the world’s highest competiveness in Japan. With the generous assistance from the administrative agencies, the faculty at colleges and universities can improve the standards of research. Moreover, they can cultivate creative human resources who would lead the world in the future. Therefore, for any educational institutions COE has become one of the important projects that are eager for. The faculty of the Department of Applied Chemistry tried and succeeded to be chosen as the only chemistry/materials science COE in the western Japan including the Kansai area. Fortunately the program was successfully completed in 2006 with a lot of research achievements and educational fulfillments.

With the great success of the 21st Century COE Program, the Global COE Program was subsequently launched by MEXT in 2007. The G-COE aims to create world-leading centers of education and research by further improving and reinforcing the education and research functions of graduate schools at universities. Working in closer cooperation with the Material Science and Engineering Group, the faculty at the Department of Applied Chemistry opened up a G-COE program entitled as “Future Molecular Systems” by further improving the graduate education standard. We introduced, for the first time, various research exchange scholarships for the gradate students to visit research/education institutions overseas. With the occasion our students and young researchers have succeeded to cultivate mutual understanding and close relationships with foreign researchers.
In 2012 initiated was the third generation of the COE program planned by MEXT. Fortunately, the faculty again received the honor of selection in the only two COEs in chemistry/materials science in Japan: The Kyushu University Leading Graduate Schools “Advanced Graduate Course on Molecular Systems for Devices”. This education program aims to train super leaders who will be able to work internationally with a pioneering spirit. We hope you will study with us in the particular COE program.

In the Department of Applied Chemistry, chemistry from the basics to specialized areas is studied as the years advance. At the same time, the actual skills for research and experiments are improved through of experiment and practical training subjects. In the fourth year, work for the final year’s research begins. The students join a research laboratory of their choice for the final year’s research and receive one-to-one instructions. On graduation, in recent examples, about ten percent of the students find employment and about ninety percent advance to a graduate school.

Moreover, the graduate school is becoming more internationalized with an increase in the number of foreign students. Exchange of visits by postgraduate students and study groups are actively held with universities overseas. It is not rare for a postgraduate student to present research in an international conference in the USA or Europe.

It started by being interested in the contents of research that are being offered. I also found out it provides a wealth of equipment and contents of research, which was one of the factors that made me decide (A, Master’s Course).

I think there is nowhere like Ito Campus where you can conduct research surrounded by nature. It is surrounded by trees and there is a place nearby called Sunset Road where you can see the sun set on the horizon. For these reasons it has an environment in which you can refresh the body worn out by research (B, Master’s Course).

When I first enrolled, I had a hard time for a while for not knowing from right and left, but due to the kind support by the senior students and classmates in the research laboratory, I was able to forge ahead with the research very smoothly. Since each individual had high level of aims and went forward with their research without taking advantage of the conditions they were in, the environment that was created gave me the stimulation to devote myself to research for two years (C, Master’s Course).

My area of research is mainly organic synthesis but the graduate school is fully equipped with the facilities that it requires. Since the equipment necessary for measuring chemical compounds can be shared among the researchers, the extent of research is widened (D, Master’s Course).

As the research laboratories of Applied Chemistry Function extend to a wide range of research fields, I think you are able to acquire extensive knowledge by communicating with the instructors and fellow postgraduate students. Once you join a research laboratory, your attention tends to go only towards the direction of obtaining deep knowledge in a small field, but when you think about going out into society, extensive knowledge will certainly be useful. Thanks to having had many opportunities of giving presentations in various interview sessions, I have gained confidence towards presentations. The experience of giving an introduction to a document in English at an international academic conference has become very useful (A, Master’s Course).

The fact that you can freely use expensive research equipment is an advantage. Many academic conferences are held, which is giving me a lot of stimulation. I cannot say that living here is convenient but it will probably improve. The Postgraduate Student Projects and RA Expense have helped research and life significantly (E, Master’s Course).

I am satisfied with my life in the research laboratory. There is so much more to learn than I imagined and there are tons more beneficial things outside of research. I am sure you are nervous that you are sitting the exams as an outsider or are studying just as hard as the students here, but if you believe this is where you should be going, I hope that keep that in mind and keep up the good work (A, Master’s Course).

I am sure most of you are feeling that sitting the exams for another university is hard. But I recommend to anyone who has even a little bit of ambition to take the challenge or learn various things to go for it. You will be able to learn a lot more than you are imaging now. Keep up the good work! (B, Master’s Course)

A survey was conducted on postgraduate students who enrolled from other universities between 2004 and 2006. Part of the responses has been published with permission.