History and Chronological Outline

In Oct. 2005, we have moved to the leading-ege campus from Hakozaki Campus–a heritage of Kyushu University.

The Function Class of Applied Chemistry Course is currently in Kyushu University Faculty of Engineering Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The origin of the Function Class dates back tothe Department of Applied Chemistry which was established in 1911 and it has the longest history and tradition as an engineering chemistry department next to the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.

With the surge of the petrochemical industry in the period of high economic growth,in 1957, the Department of Synthetic Chemistry (now Molecules Class) focusing on organic chemistry was established based on the Department of Applied Chemistry as its matrix. Subsequently with the emphasis on the graduate school in the 1990’s, the departments of Applied Chemistry and Synthetic Chemistry were unified to establish the Department of Applied Material Chemistry in 1991 and the two departments were renamed as the Functional Materials Science Course and Molecular System Engineering Course within the department.

Furthermore, in 1997, the Department of Applied Material Chemistry and two other departments were put together as one to establish the Department of Materials Science and Engineering consisting of three courses. At that time, the traditional name of applied chemistry was revived for the Functional Materials Course and Molecular System Engineering Course to organize the Applied Chemistry Course and Function and Molecules have been taught in two classes within the same course (Functional Materials Course and Molecular System Engineering Course) to today. In 2005, the department moved location from the historical Hakozaki Campus to Ito Campus equipped with the latest facilities which serves as the center of materials science studies that leads academia and industry in the 21st century where the activities of research and education are actively pursued.

The Applied Chemistry Course has been turning out many brilliant human resources as well as achieving remarkable results in education and research as the leader of applied chemistry research in each era throughout its 100 years of history. The graduates of the Function Class are active in top positions in the scenes of research and development in industries, academia and government as well as in various quarters as leading figures of the business community and as presidents of top universities.

The academic research of the Function Class has been continuing to lead the world since before World War II to today. Many of the results produced in the research laboratories of the Class have published in the texts used in the lectures for undergraduate schools and graduate schools as important academic foundations and are have often become the basic knowledge of students, researchers and engineers worldwide today. At present, the Function Class and Molecules Class are conducting top level of research in their respective disciplines while maintaining a relationship of “friendly competition”. In the aspect of education, the instructors form the nucleus of both classes under close liaison who are striving to establish a center of research and education which would lead the world centered on the 21st Century COE and Global COE programs. Furthermore, they are continuing to have tremendous impact on the industrial world through collaborative research and venture creation.