Our Goal is to Enhance Integrated Environmental Science to Achieve SDGs

In the 21 st century, as global concerns grow ever more complex, environmental issues are being highlighted as critical to all humankind. As the influence of the Earth’s changing ecosystem begins to impact our lifestyles and work, the very fabric of the society surrounding us is confronted with an unparalleled call for change. Surely now is the occasion to show the real power and virtue of Sophia University’s philosophy “For Others, with Others”. The time has come for all of humanity to come together and act as stewards of planet Earth, working towards the common goal of building a sustainable global civilization. In a rapidly globalizing world, acting as an incubator for the fostering of talented individuals to come up with concrete solutions to achieve SDGs is the mission that has been bestowed upon the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies at Sophia University.

Program Features

International Graduate Course (English-Taught Program)

Once a step is taken outside of the cultural framework of Japan, environmental issues may be understood from the greater context of other international cultures and languages. Therefore, in order to be able to contribute to the solving of environmental problems, it is crucial to develop the ability to see and respond to environmental challenges from this wider perspective. The International Graduate Course (English-taught program) was launched in September 2011 to develop students with a greater capacity to address environmental challenges from a broad perspective. Classes in this international course are also open to all students (of the Japanese-taught program).

Learning to Determine One’s Standpoint

The nature of environmental problems changes depending on your perspective. Consider, for example, the often conflicting concepts of economic growth and environmental protection, human rights and the environment, developing countries and developed countries, those who cause environmental degradation versus those who suffer from it, and regulation versus freedom of choice . Of the countless possible viewpoints, the one chosen by you is crucial. You can broaden the lens through which you approach environmental issues by taking a holistic approach to both the natural and social sciences.

Learn from Professors at the Frontiers of Environmental Studies

There is an overwhelming number of books and information available online about environment. However, in order to grasp the fundamental nature of environmental challenges, it is necessary to learn directly from professors who’s professional and research activities are at the forefront of various fields related to environmental issues. All the faculty members in our Graduate School are distinguished in their respective fields. Their expertise and close attention in small classes will be an invaluable asset for your studies.

Integrating specialist knowledge with theory and practical problem-solving skills

Today’s environmental issues are not only physical and chemical phenomena, but also rooted in social and economic factors. It is therefore not possible to solve with the narrow perspective of a single, specialized discipline. By integrating the insights of both the natural and social sciences, as well as theory and practice, our Graduate Schooloffers a balanced curriculum that will enable you to develop the interdisciplinary research skills required for tasks such as the Master’s thesis.

An academic journal in which grad students are publishable

All graduate students in Global Environmental Studies can join all symposiums, seminars, and study meetings, together with professors, graduates, and other researchers, organized by the Society for Global Environmental Studies of Sophia University. In addition, they can publish their Master’s thesis in “Journal of Global Environmental Studies”, which is a companion publication of “Global Environmental Studies,” if the thesis is highly evaluated.

Policy of Education

Master’s Program in Global Environmental Studies

The Master’s Program in Global Environmental Studies aims to foster human resources who have acquired a broad range of expertise and various theories and practical experience, and who are deemed to be capable of contributing to the achievement of a sustainable society. In view of such aims the program sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below. Those who have fulfilled the requirements and have passed the thesis defense will be awarded a diploma.

 

  1. Broad expert knowledge in global environmental issues and environmental studies.
  2. Broad practical knowledge in global environmental issues and environmental studies.
  3. The ability to propose appropriate research and analysis methods developed by integrating both social science and natural sciencebased knowledge as well as combining theory and practice. Also, the ability to communicate information to society through logical writing and oral presentation of one’s arguments.
  4. The competency to precisely structure one’s own papers and clearly roll out the logical arguments in writing papers in order to make the above item 3 possible.
  5. Global perspectives and responsiveness

Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Studies

The Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Studies aims to foster human resources whose research capabilities have been acknowledged to be world-class and who can independently engage in research and development and are deemed to be capable of contributing to the achievement of a sustainable society. With a view to such aims, the program sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below. Those who have fulfilled the requirements and have passed the thesis defense will be awarded a diploma.

 

  1. Broad expert knowledge in global environmental issues and environmental studies, including indepth expertise in specific fields and issues
  2. Broad practical knowledge in global environmental issues and environmental studies, including indepth practical knowledge in specific fields and issues
  3. The ability to independently conduct research and development based on research abilities characterized by originality developed by integrating both social science and natural sciencebased knowledge as well as combining theory and practice. Also, the ability to communicate information to society through logical writing and oral presentation of one’s arguments.
  4. The competency to write academic papers with originality and externally present the papers in order to make the above item 3 possible.
  5. Global perspectives and responsiveness.

Master’s Program in Global Environmental Studies

In light of our aim to have students effectively acquire expertise in a broad range of disciplines and a combination of various theories and practice in accordance with the diploma policy, the Master’s Program in Global Environmental Studies constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:

 

  1. Offer a well-balanced range of coursework by including courses from all three subject groups, namely Environmental Law, Policy and Social Studies; Environmental Economics and Development Studies; and Environmental Science and Engineering Studies in order to develop a broad but compact curriculum combining humanities and science with a clear vision based on the understanding that global environmental issues and environmental studies always bear aspects of both the natural sciences and the social sciences and humanities.
  2. Proactively incorporate into coursework and seminars, opportunities where students can become familiar with cuttingedge measures and acquire handson knowledge in order to develop a curriculum that enables the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge for appropriate problem identification as well as a good balance of practical knowledge or skills for problemsolving.
  3. Proactively incorporate into lecture courses and seminars, opportunities where students can learn research and analysis methods and engage in presentations or opinion exchange in order to establish a curriculum that delivers finelytuned education enabling good diversified communication between faculty and students supported by small-group classes unique to Sophia. Furthermore, schedule a workshop to present thesis outlines at the beginning of the fourth quarter in order to let students acquire thesis writing and oral presentation skills.
  4. In light of the increasing need for international cooperation in solving global environmental issues, proactively admit international students, develop an Englishtaught program with a curriculum consisting of lectures and consultations provided solely in English for the purpose of fostering global leaders, and make courses under the Japanese and English programs interchangeably available to students, thus actively providing opportunities for both mutual learning and communication among students of various nationalities. Furthermore, offer night and Saturday lectures to give adequate consideration to facilitate degree completion for working students.

Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Studies

In light of our aim to have our students effectively acquire expertise in a broad range of disciplines and a combination of various theories and practice in accordance with the diploma policy, the Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Studies constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:

 

  1. Offer a wellbalanced range of coursework by including courses from all three subject groups, namely Environmental Law, Policy and Social Studies; Environmental Economics and Development Studies; and Environmental Science and Engineering Studies in order to develop a broad but compact curriculum combining humanities and science with a clear vision based on the understanding that global environmental issues and environmental studies always bear aspects of both the natural sciences and the social sciences and humanities.
  2. Proactively incorporate into coursework and research guidance, opportunities where students can become familiar with cuttingedge measures and acquire handson knowledge in order to develop a curriculum that enables the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge for appropriate problem identification as well as a good balance of practical knowledge or skills for problemsolving.
  3. Proactively incorporate into coursework and research guidance, opportunities where students can learn research and analysis methods and present their research at academic meetings in order to develop a curriculum that delivers finelytuned education enabling good diversified communication between faculty and students supported by smallgroup classes unique to Sophia. Furthermore, through the presentation of dissertation outlines and dissertation reviews, enable students to acquire dissertation writing and oral presentation skills and appropriately measure their qualifications to submit a dissertation
  4. In light of the increasing need for international cooperation in solving global environmental issues, proactively admit international students, develop an Englishtaught program with a curriculum consisting of lectures and consultations provided solely in English for the purpose of fostering global leaders, and make courses under the Japanese and English programs interchangeably available to students, thus actively providing opportunities for both mutual learning and communication among students of various nationalities. Furthermore, give adequate consideration to facilitate degree completion for working students.

Master’s Program in Global Environmental Studies

The Master’s Program in Global Environmental Studies aims to foster human resources with a strong sense of mission toward efficiently and effectively solving various environmental issues, including pressing global warming issues, and those with the intellectual and academic skills to integrate knowledge from the social and natural sciences and connect theory and practice. The Program seeks students with the following qualities:

 

  1. Students with a strong interest in environmental issues, which have become increasingly serious and globalized
  2. Students with basic academic skills in social science, natural science and humanities
  3. Students who have acquired interdisciplinary academic knowledge and are eager to build on it
  4. Students who are determined to make a concrete contribution to solving environmental issues through collaboration with others in local, corporate and government contexts

Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Studies

The Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Studies seeks human resources with a high sense of ethics toward efficiently and effectively solving environmental issues in accordance with approaches developed in the Master’s program, who will further expand their knowledge of social science and natural science.

 

  1. Students with interest in the broad ranges of environmental issues, which have become increasing serious and globalized
  2. Students with basic academic skills in social science, natural science and humanities, who embrace the ability to apply them
  3. Students who seek to perform unique research of high standards, present their research at academic meetings, submit papers to academic journals, write an excellent dissertation and acquire a doctoral degree
  4. Students who are determined to make a concrete contribution to environmentrelated research and education activities or to actions to solve environmental issues through collaboration with others at domestic and overseas research institutions or in local communities, private companies, government, NPOs and international organizations, after graduation

Faculty Members

Sumiko ANNO Professor

Research Areas Environmental health,Spatial Information Science: Applied research on environment and health environment using machine learning
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Guangwei HUANG Professor

Research Areas Watershed Science and Management: Integration of flood risk reduction and environmental conservation,long-term policy impact study
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Yoshinori NAKAGAWA Professor

Research Areas Social research,Qualitative Research,The study of life stories,Future Design
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Anne MCDONALD Professor

Research Areas Environmental Policy,Environmental History: Rural Communities and Sustainability Policy,Socio-Environmental Analysis during the Era of European Imperialism

Akemi ORI Professor

Research Areas Environmental law/ Environmental policy: Considering the nature of laws and regulations and other policy approaches towards the reduction of our environmental impact based on international trends
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John Joseph PUTHENKALAM Professor

Research Areas Environment and Development: Economic Development and Environmental Protection in Developing Countries

Xuepeng QIAN Professor

Research Areas Urban Environmental Planning: urban and regional planning,industrial ecology,social system analysis,sustainability science

Masachika SUZUKI Professor

Research Areas Environmental Business Management: Corporate Environmental Strategy and Management,Environmental and Energy Technology Policies,Clean Energy Innovation and Transfer,Sustainable Consumption and Production,Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Indicators
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Yoshinari TANAKA Professor

Research Areas Ecology/Environmental Toxicology: Conservation of Biodiversity,Ecological Risk Assessment of Pollutant Chemicals
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Takahiro TSUGE Professor

Research Areas Environmental Economics: Development of methods for assessing the economic value of the environment and empirical research using those methods.
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Haemi PARK Assistant Professor

Research Areas Natural Resource management: Terrestrial ecosystem monitoring by satellite imagery

Nkweauseh LONGFOR Assistant Professor by Special Appointment

Research Areas International Environmental Governance,Resource Management,Global Environmental Policy

Sophia University

For Others, With Others