The Institute for Studies of the Global Environment grew out of the Earth Environment Law Research Center that was established in the Faculty of Law in 1994. In 1999, the Institute was launched to undertake academic research into global environmental issues related to the humanities, society, and natural science fields. In 1999, the Institute was launched to undertake academic research in global environmental issues, including humanities and social science fields. Teaching personnel of faculties of economics, science and technology, and other fields are members of the staff, which also includes staff from the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, established in 2005.

1. Academic research on global environmental issues
2. Educational activity conducted in collaboration with domestic and overseas institutions (collaborative lectures)
3. Joint research with companies
4. Enlightenment activity related to environmental issues (To co-organize various kinds of open research seminars and symposiums on global environment issues)

• The institute collaborates with local governments and others and conducts research on Sado Island and Amami-Oshima Island on the conservation of the natural environment, energy policy, promotion of the SDGs, and balancing environmental conservation and tourism promotion.
• Research on population dynamics and sustainable urban development. Challenge toward solving world water problems through trans-disciplinary studies.
• The institute conducts joint research with companies and other organizations to solve real-world problems and implement our research findings in society.
• The institute started a research project “Trans-disciplinary and Trans-national Research Program for Achieving Regional Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through River Basin Environment Conservation and Management” in 2016, which was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a “Private University Research Branding Project”. The institute is currently implementing a successor project.