Sub-Major Program
The sub-major program is an educational program where, in addition to the field of the main major (course/department), individuals systematically study in areas of personal interest. This allows them to acquire a broad range of shared and specialized knowledge and skills. At our university, we are implementing the following programs.
○Challenge 21
“Challenge 21” is an elective course aimed at fostering students’ interdisciplinary or international perspectives through a common educational curriculum at the undergraduate level. The goal is to encourage students’ self-directed and independent study, cultivating specialists who approach their studies from a new perspective based on their expertise. Two courses, the “Interdisciplinary Course” and the “International Course”, have been established within the program.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/ja/faculty/program/challenge21
○Humanities and Social Sciences Sub-Major Program
The Humanities and Social Sciences Sub-Major Program involves the participation of the four humanities faculties (School of Letters, School of Education, School of Law and School of Economics), as well as the Department of Architecture in the School of Engineering. This program systematically provides access to the accumulated intellectual assets of each faculty, allowing students not only to delve deeply into the specialized knowledge within their own faculty but also to gain intellectual breadth in the fields of the humanities and social sciences beyond the boundaries of their respective faculties. The program starts from the second year when specialized education in each faculty’s major begins. It is divided into “cross-disciplinary” and “specialized field” categories, offering a total of 19 programs.
https://commons.kyushu-u.ac.jp/sub-major/
○Graduate Program of Interdisciplinary Policy Analysis and Design
The “Graduate Program of Interdisciplinary Policy Analysis and Design” is a sub-major program aimed at constructing models for research and training that address real-world challenges beyond the confines of specific disciplines. Based on the philosophy of “scientific support for the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of strategies for problem-solving”, the program envisions researchers and highly specialized professionals with a broad range of expertise who can contribute directly to society. The goal is to cultivate individuals capable of envisioning the future society, engaging in collaborative problem-solving and decision-making across various domains, and participating in the formulation and design of policies. Especially, we aim to cultivate individuals who can serve as intermediaries, bridging the gap between academic disciplines and societal challenges, and facilitating on-the-ground problem-solving. These individuals, often referred to as “middle persons”, play a crucial role in connecting academia with real-world problem-solving.
https://gipad.kyushu-u.ac.jp/english/
○EU Research Diploma Program (EU-DPs)
This EU Research Diploma Program (EU-DPs) offered by the EU center is an interdisciplinary and unique educational program for EU studies. Through this program, one can gain a broad and in-depth understanding of the European Union, which has pursued the development of economic and social progress through regional integration. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including the history, philosophy, and science and technology underlying this integration.