Message from the dean of IGSES
Welcome to the website of IGSES
Welcome to the website of IGSES
The acronym; IGSES, represents the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, which is one of the 18 graduate schools of Kyushu University (KU). KU was one of the seven Imperial Universities, which meant KU’s top-notch reputation at the time, which is still true now. KU is one of Japan’s top research universities.
IGSES was founded in 1979 backed by the brilliant concept that a next-generation’s high-quality graduate school for both masters and doctoral programs should be designed with a substantially intensive collaboration crossing the border between science and engineering fields, not distinctly separated such as the ‘graduate school of engineering’ and ‘graduate school of science’ as conventionally adopted in other Japanese universities at the time. Hence, as one of the national pilot projects concerning higher education, IGSES was established at Kyushu University and Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Since then, IGSES has delivered great attainments conveyed by various statistics with regard to the number of alumni and the quality as well as quantity of research output. IGSES has dispatched more than 1600 doctoral degree holders to academia and various industrial sectors.
Highly voracious challenges for research activity at IGSES is strongly supported by two Research Institutes at KU; Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering (IMCE), and Research Institute for Applied Mechanics (RIAM), besides the main body of IGSES professors; Faculty of Engineering Sciences (FES).
Currently, IGSES has three major fields, defined as the main columns to deliver our education and research programs; that is ‘Material’, ‘Energy’, and ‘Environment’. IGSES provides various international degree programs for both masters and doctoral courses including the double-degree programs, MEXT* Scholarship program etc. We are proud that IGSES is recognized as one of the top providers of internationalized higher education programs for graduates.
Unfortunately, Japanese university has fought against heavy odds in terms of so-called World College & University Ranking such as QS, Times and others. Although we are trying to improve those with a maximal effort, we do believe that such a ranking system does not adequately capture the potential of Japanese universities. If one asks our overseas students why Japan, why KU and why IGSES for them, someone may say that Japan is unique from other developed countries. One indicator is that Japan is the third largest delegate to produce Nobel Prize winners in the area of natural science in 21st century, which follows to UK that is after US.
I wish that you will value your greatest time, here, at IGSES, Kyushu University, and embark your great journey to Japan. With the maxim by English theologian in 18th century; John Wesley; IGSES waits for a challenge from an excellent person who is eager to study with us; that might be you.
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
* MEXT; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Jun TANIMOTO
Dean/Professor, Science on Social &
Environmental Complex Systems
Urban Environmental Sciences
Interdisciplinary Graduate School
of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University