Graduate School of Science and Technology, Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences

Degree Program in Agricultural Sciences

Subprogram in Advanced Agricultural Technology and Science cooperated with NARO

Overview

Students that are affiliated with this doctoral degree program will acquire a broad knowledge in agricultural sciences comprehensively, and also acquire issue-pursuing and problem-solving abilities. Consequently, they will have the capability to independently conduct research, providing grounds for solving problems related to agriculture, food, and environment on a global scale; thus, become highly specialized professionals and researchers. Through this program, students will grow to become human resources who can propose and implement solutions, which are internationally consistent, to global issues and that guarantee the sustainability of local communities. These human resources, who have completed this program and obtained a doctoral degree in Agricultural Science, are encouraged to be actively involved: in policy proposals and research administration in governmental organizations as well as in fundamental research, technology development, and product development in domestic and oversea research and educational institutes, private companies, and industries.

Our program has five divisions: Division of Biosphere Resource Science and Technology, Division of Ecoregion Development Engineering, Division of Food and Biomass Sciences, Division of Rural Development Economics, and Division (Subprogram) of Advanced Agricultural Technology and Science.

Message from the Chair

Japanese agricultural products possess the appeal of “Safety, security, and deliciousness” and are currently being supported by Japanese agricultural science. Agricultural science is a comprehensive science with wide range of discipline, related to necessities of life and represented by food. The Agricultural Sciences research areas of the Doctoral Program include: physiology and ecology of bioresources, used for food and their sustainable use technologies; management and creation of the biosphere environment surrounding these bioresources; development engineering to preserve regional ecoregion; food processing and biomass applications in materials and fuels; and rural development economics to evaluate development potential and socialization. In addition, the subprogram in Advanced Agricultural Technology and Science cooperated with National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) deals with advanced agricultural technologies that support agriculture as an industry and ensure sustainable food supply. Our program in all research fields challenges researchers to solve global issues related to agriculture, food, and environment and to propose and implement solutions that guarantee international consistency and local community sustainability. Finally, the program will expand your network by interacting with students from around the world in the internationally oriented campus and with industrialists who enrolled for the professional programs.

Chair  Chiaki, MATSUKURA

Degree Awarded and Academic Competences

Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Sciences

The degree is awarded to those who are committed to learning about the diverse biological functions of animals, plants, and microorganisms around us and the molecular roles of chemical compounds related to those organisms. They will actively utilize the knowledge obtained to solve emerging challenges in the fields of food, health, and the environment, and also contribute to global social development.

Academic Competences

Our Curriculum is systematically designed to enable students to gain the following specific competences:

  • Ability to execute research
  • Expertise and ethics
  • Ability to publish research results
  • Adaptability to various research task

 

Divisions

Biosphere Resource Science and Technology

The Division of Biosphere Resource Science and Technology consists of a total number of 20 disciplines (or research fields), including collaborative research fields participating from national research institutes. This division covers following two major fields, Biological Resource Science and Biosphere Environment Science.

Biological Resource Science field focuses on Plant genetics and breeding, Crop science, Olericulture and floriculture, Pomology and postharvest physiology of fruits, Animal science, Crop production system, Plant molecular biology, Metabolic network biology, Disease vector control, Epigenetics, Plant stress biology and International food production and development sciences. The educational goals of the field are to become knowledgeable and acquire research skills of the respective fields on molecular biology, genetics, physiology, and ecology in plants, animals, and insects for practical use, sustainable agriculture production, and environmental conservation in natural ecosystems and agro-ecosystems.

Biosphere Environment Science field focuses on Plant parasitic mycology, Applied entomology and zoology, Environmental soil chemistry, Environmental plant biochemistry, Forest ecotopology, Conservation of regional resources, Climate change impact assessment on vegetation and Forest genetics and ecology for sustainable tropical forest management. The educational goals of the field are to become knowledgeable and acquire research skills of comprehensive analysis of biosphere factors, and development of sustainable control and management systems for those factors.

Ecoregion Development Engineering

We conduct education and research guidance related to appropriate engineering technology to create and conserve ecoregion on regional groundwork.

Food and Biomass Sciences

We conduct education and research guidance related to appropriate technology for food resources and processing, and biomass utilization for materials and energy to create and conserve ecoregions on regional groundwork.

Rural Development Economics

We conduct education and research guidance related to the evaluation of the feasibility of developing appropriate technologies and their socialization in creating and conserving ecoregion on regional groundwork.

Subprogram in Advanced Agricultural Technology and Science cooperated with NARO

Advanced Agricultural Technology and Science Field, which constitutes “Subprogram in Advanced Agricultural Technology and Science cooperated with NARO”, is operated by scientists of NARO who are also instructors of the Cooperate Graduate School. It covers research fields of advanced agricultural technology and science such as innovative crop production and quality control system, innovative animal production system, and innovative crop breeding and cultivation system. The subprogram is intended for students who have studied a Master program for two years (or first two years of doctoral program) in related field. By providing guidance on research, this subprogram also aims to develop professionals who will learn and ensure stable food supply, food safety, and reduction in negative environmental impacts while strengthening agricultural platforms and increasing its productivity in Japan and worldwide.