guidance to master’s program students who are under the guidance of their doctoral researchadvisors, thus giving them experience in providing instruction to others in their specialty area.
(l) Mentoring and Support System for Students: Mentoring Care Unit
A mentoring care unit (MCU), comprising a world-class senior researcher (mentor: program
leader), a junior researcher (tutor: program assistant), an overseas mentor (advisor on theInternational Internship) and a technical mentor (supervisor in the Practice School), guides andsupports each student consistently. The technical and overseas mentors join the MCU in picking atheme for Practice School and guiding the student’s progress through the doctoral course of study,
respectively. The mentor submits bimonthly and end-of-the-semester reports on the development of
his or her student’s capabilities to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Green Asia Education
Center. A professor cannot act as both a mentor and a chief referee of one student. With such support
individual areas of specialization, students can acquire a breadth of knowledge that leads to thedevelopment of system landscape ability.
Master’s students attend a serious internship, Practice School, in domestic companies or
institutes (domestic partner organizations), to gain experiences in research developments under theguidance of the technical mentors. As the students may have heavy workload in Practice School,
mentors conduct interviews with their students and the technical mentors, and provide the necessary
support. In their International Internship, the students are supported through partnerships between
mentors and overseas mentors, and between the Green Asia Education Center and the administrative
office of the Program for Leading Graduate Schools.

Figure 2-4. Mentoring Care Unit

2. Admission Policy and Results
2.1. Admission Policy
In this program, which aims to develop doctoral degree holders with a global perspective thattranscends national borders and is based on the fields of resource engineering, material science,system engineering, and environmentology, the goal of course entrance examinations is to select16

students who possess not only a fundamental grounding in specialized research fields but also
excellent language and communication skills. As such, in the half year between university
enrollment and course entrance examinations, all students at the university are made entirely awareof this program’s goals and what the program entails. In this way it is possible not only to recruit
outstanding and motivated students but also to generate awareness among all students regarding the
program’s aim of developing an elite group who will go on to make future contributions to society.
Furthermore, the course entrance examination should instill a strong sense of responsibility andawareness in the candidates through a series of experiences, such as interviews in examinations.
2.2. Domestic Admission: Recruitment of Graduate Students at Kyushu University(a) FY 2012
Because this program was adopted in October 2012, we informed students about this programas shown in Table 2-2, and we conducted the entrance examination on November 17 (Appendix 1).
The entrance examination consisted of tests on specialized subjects, a short essay in English, and aninterview. Comprehensive evaluations of the candidates were conducted on the basis of their TOEIC
scores and grade point averages (GPA) as well as their performance in the examination (Table 2-3).
Six of the eight applicants passed (Table 2-4).
Table 2-2. Schedule of Entrance Examination in FY 2012
Date
October 23
October 31

Contents
Information session for M1 students
Due date for submission of Application Form for Admission (three
departments, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science)Due date for submission of Application Form for Admission (Earth
Resources Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering)
Information session for the applicants and their supervisors
Due date for submission of the application documents
Entrance examination
Appraisal meeting
Announcement of successful applicants

November 5
November 7
November 12
November 17
November 20
November 21

Table 2-3. Evaluation Items on the 2012 Entrance Examination
Items
Specialized subject
Short essay in
EnglishInterview
TOEIC score

Contents
Two specialized subjects
Expressing his or her opinion (ca. 500 words) about one theme selectedfrom four choices
Group interview in English

GPA score17

Table 2-4. Results of Domestic Admission in 2012
Department
Molecular and Materials Sciences1
Applied Science for Electronics and Materials1
Energy and Environmental Engineering1
Earth Resources Engineering2
Total
1

Applicant
1
3
1
3
8

Candidate
1
3
1
2
7

Matriculate
0
3
1
2
6

Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science; 2 Graduate School of Engineering(b) FY 2013
In 2013, we started to provide information about the Green Asia Program as part of guidance
for the new M1 ones in April, and then we held an information session on July 3 (Table 2-5). The
entrance examination and the appraisal meeting were conducted in August, and six applicants passed(Table 2-6). However, the total number of the domestic and international students who joined theprogram in October 2013 did not initially attained number of 20; therefore, we continued ourrecruitment during the second semester, and one more student passed (Table 2-6).
Table 2-5. Schedule of Entrance Examination in 2013
Date
July 3
July 16
August 6
August 20
August 21
December 27
January 14
January 16

Contents
Information session for M1 students
Due date for submission of Application Form for Admission
Entrance examination
Assessment meeting
Announcement of successful applicantsDue date for submission of Application Form for Admission (recruiting inthe second semester)
Entrance examination (recruiting in the second semester)
Appraisal meeting (recruiting in the second semester)
Announcement of successful applicants (recruiting in the second semester)
Table 2-6. Results of Domestic Admission in 2013

Department
Molecular and Materials Sciences1
Applied Science for Electronics and Materials1
Energy and Environmental Engineering1
Earth Resources Engineering2
Total
1

Applicant
0+13
5
0
1
7

Candidate
0+13
5
0
1
7

Matriculate
0+13
5
0
1
7

Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science; 2 Graduate School of Engineering; 3

recruiting in the 2nd semester18

2.3. International Admission in FY 2013
(1) Recruitment of Overseas Student
Needless to say, the success or failure of this program rests on whether we can recruit excellent
course students. After enrolling in the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences
and Graduate School of Engineering, Japanese course students (10 places available each academicyear) have a grace period of six months before the program begins. This means that they can apply
after having given careful consideration to the various information relating to the program, and, fromour side as program organizers, it means that we can recruit suitable students through transfer course
examinations following a sufficient period of generating awareness and canvassing. In other words,
this period enables us to judge from students’ conduct whether they have grasped the gist of the
program in terms of all skills required, including research. Meanwhile, 10 places are available tointernational students each academic year. These are allocated on the assumption of Octoberenrollment and these students are to begin the program as soon as they are enrolled in the master’s
program; thereby, making the academic calendar for the international students irregular compared tothat of Japanese students. Securing excellent international students should not be limited to coreoverseas collaborating institutes; rather, the recruitment of such students must entail the use of
program contributors’ existing research networks.
The 2013–2014 academic year was the first for the program; as such, in addition to our coreoverseas collaborating institutes, we also visited other associated universities throughout Asia on a
recruitment drive to encourage those graduating from undergraduate programs to sit for theexamination for this program.
Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) [Prof. Nakashima and Prof. Nishida]
From January 13 to 15, 2013, Prof. Nakashima and Prof. Nishida visited to
Chulalongkorn University and the offices of the Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal(Thailand) Co., Ltd., and the Thai Steel Pipe Industry Co., Ltd. in Bangkok, Thailand. In
Chulalongkorn University, they explained to Visiting Prof. Umeda (Emeritus Professor of the
University of Tokyo), Assoc. Prof. Gobboon, and Dr. Wangayao about the Program for
Leading Graduate Schools as well as the Green Asia Program. Prof. Nakashima and Prof.
Nishida consulted with them about acceptance of students and asked them to inform theirundergraduate students about the Green Asia Program. At the Bangkok office of Nippon Steeland Sumitomo Metal (Thailand) Co., Ltd., they consulted with Mr. Takeda, Associate Director,
and Mr. Itomi, Manager, about the current situations of Japanese corporations in Thailand.
Then, Prof. Nakashima and Prof. Nishida visited the Thai Steel Pipe Industry Co., Ltd. with
Mr. Takeda and Mr. Itomi to meet with Mr. Hara, President. After touring the factory, they
discussed the Overseas Internship with him.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) (India) [Prof. Nakashima and Prof.
Nishida]From February 21 to 24, 2013, Prof. Nakashima and Prof. Nishida visited IIT Madras.
They gave explanations to some faculty members including Prof. R. Nagarajan,

19Vice-President in charge of international exchange, and Prof. N. J. Vasa (Department ofEngineering Design, and overseas mentor in our program) about the Program for Leading
Graduate Schools as well as the Green Asia Program. Prof. Nakashima and Prof. Nishida also
consulted with them about acceptance of students and asked them to inform undergraduate
students about the Green Asia Program. Then, they visited the laboratories of Dr. I. M. Nambi(Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division), Prof. R. Sarathi (Department ofElectrical Engineering), Assoc. Prof. J. M. Mallikarjuna (Department of MechanicalEngineering), Assoc. Prof. S. M. Shiva Nagendra (Department of Civil Engineering), and Prof.
M. Kamaraj (Department Chairman of Metallurgical and Material Engineering) with Prof.
Vasa, explaining the Green Asia Program and asking them to inform students about the
program. Prof. Kamaraj said that the Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering
was conducting a student exchange program with Nagaoka University of Technology, and that
he also wanted to consider the program with Kyushu University.
Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) (Malaysia) [Prof. Tanimoto]
From February 24 to 27, 2013, Prof. Tanimoto visited to MJIIT, the Kuala Lumpur
Office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the University of Malaya.
At MJIIT and the University of Malaya, he had opportunities to inform undergraduate
students about the Green Asia Program, and to answer their questions. At MJIIT, about 200
students attended the information session thanks to the efforts of Prof. Megat, Dean of MJIIT.
Prof. Tanimoto further discussed the detailed screening process for overseas students with
Prof. Megat and Assoc. Prof. Sabariahm, Deputy Academic Dean. As a result, they came tothe conclusion that the screening corresponding to the virtual entrance examination would be
conducted prior to the entrance examination for the Global 30 Project of Kyushu University,and that it might be good to conduct the examination in two stages: the first screening would
involve evaluating documents such as the applicant’s academic transcript, and the second
stage would include tests and interviews for those applicants who passed the first stage. On
the last day, Prof. Tanimoto made a courtesy visit to Prof. Zaini, Vice-President of Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) (a position corresponding to President of a Japanese university),
and consulted with him about possible collaboration between UTM and Kyushu University
with the Green Asia Program as a core.
Yonsei University (South Korea) [Prof. Teraoka]
On March 9, 2013, Prof. Teraoka visited Yonsei University in Seoul to meet with several
faculty members of its College of Engineering: Prof. Yong-gun Shul, Assoc. Prof. Hyunjoo
Lee, Assoc. Prof. Hansung Kim (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering),
and Prof Hong-Goo Kang (Vice-Dean, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering).
Prof. Teraoka also met with a faculty member of the College of Science, Prof. Kyunghwan
Oh (Department of Physics). As Research Prof. Takarabe (Advanced Graduate Course on
Molecular Systems for Devices, Kyushu University) had visited there previously, Prof.
Teraoka did not have to repeat a general explanation of the Program for Leading Graduate

20

Schools, and instead focused on the explaining the Green Asia Program. Then, he consulted
with them about acceptance of students, and asked them to inform undergraduate students
about the Green Asia Program. While there is an inter-university exchange agreement forundergraduate students between Yonsei University and Kyushu University, the exchange
agreement with the Program for Leading Graduate Schools has not been completed. Therefore,
the two parties agreed to seek the completion of this agreement.
National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan) [Assoc. Prof. Tsutsui]
From March 13 to 16, 2013, Assoc. Prof. Tsutsui visited National Chiao Tung University
in Hsinchu. He informed undergraduate students about the Green Asia Program, and he met
with Prof. Chongsin Gou (Department of Mechanical Engineering) and other faculty members.
Assoc. Prof. Tsutsui asked them to recommend applying to the Green Asia Program to theirstudents. Prof. Gou said that the Department of Mechanical Engineering had not conductedany active personal exchanges with a university in Japan, but he wanted to advanceconsideration of this exchange possibility after making a more detailed inquiry regarding the
program.
Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) (Indonesia) [Prof. Sasaki and Assoc. Prof. Shimada]From March 17 to 20, 2013, Prof. Sasaki and Assoc. Prof. Shimada visited to ITB in
Bandung. They held two information sessions on the Green Asia Program for the faculty
members and undergraduate students (respectively) of the Department of Mining andPetroleum, and they also consulted with two faculty members: Prof. Rudy Sayoga and Dean.
Prof. Sasaki and Assoc. Prof. Shimada explained the admission examination in detail anddescribed the application documents. Then, they met with Prof. Sayoga to determine theschedule and location for the entrance examination in Indonesia. They interviewed theapplicants, pre-selected by the university based on the students’ grade reports and English
scores. Furthermore, they answered questions about the Green Asia Program and inquired
about students’ motivations for considering the program.
Vietnam National University–Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) [Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki]
On March 18, 2013, Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki visited Vietnam National University–Ho Chi
Minh City University of Natural Sciences (VNU-HCM-UNS), where he had an opportunity toprovide information about the Green Asia Program and answer questions. About 40 students
and faculty members including Prof. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai (Dean of Faculty of Chemistry),
Prof. Nguyen Kim Phung, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Tuyet Phuong, and Assoc. Prof. Chi Nhan Ha
Thuc joined the information session, which lasted for more than an hour and a half. In
particular, he was asked many questions about admission and financial assistance. He
encouraged students to apply to the Green Asia Program.
Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (Vietnam) [Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki]
On March 20, 2013, Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki visited to the Institute for Material Science, at21

the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (IMS-VAST) in Hanoi. He met with
Prof. Nguyen Quang Liem (Director) and Dr. Vu Dinh Lam (Associate Director), informing
them about the Green Asia Program and answering questions. About 40 students and faculty
members attended a one-hour information session. While IMS is a graduate school, Assoc.
Prof. Ohtaki asked participants to encourage undergraduate students whom they mentor toapply to the Green Asia Program.
Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Vietnam) [Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki]
On March 21, 2013, Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki visited to the International Training Institute forMaterials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (ITIMS-HUST). He met withacademic staff members including Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Phuc Duong (Vice-Dean), informing
them about the Green Asia Program and answering questions. About 20 students and faculty
members attended a one-hour information session. On March 22, Assoc. Prof. Ohtaki also
spoke with Prof. Nguyen Van Hieu and the students about admission issues and encouraged
undergraduate students to apply.
Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica (Taiwan) [Prof. Teraoka andAssoc. Prof. Nishibori]On the afternoon of March 19, 2013, Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori met with
Dr. Shang-Bin Liu at the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica. As
this institute has been established within the National Taiwan University in Taipei and isengaged in education, they explained about the Green Asia Program and asked Dr. Liu toinform undergraduate students about the program.
National Science Council, Executive Yuan (Taiwan) [Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof.
Nishibori]On the evening of March 19, 2013, Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori met with
Prof. Chung-Yuan Mou (Vice-Minister of the National Science Council and Professor at
National Taiwan University) to inform him about the Green Asia Program and receive
broader comments about educational cooperation between Japan and Taiwan. The National
Science Council in Taiwan is equivalent to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (Taiwan) [Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof.
Nishibori]On the morning of March 20, 2013, Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori visited the
National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This center is engaged
in education in conjunction with National Tsinghua University and National Chiao Tung
University as well as in promoting research. They met with Prof. Shin-Lin Chang (Director),Dr. Hwo-Shuenn Sheu, and Dr. Mau-Tsu Tang to explain about the Green Asia Program andto ask them to inform students about it. Furthermore, they discussed educational cooperation22

in the field of synchrotron light, because there is a good chance that Green Asia Program
students may become involved in this area of research. The center’s representative agreed toconsider this possibility.
National Central University (Taiwan) [Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori]On the afternoon of March 20, 2013, Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori visited
National Central University. They met with five faculty members of the Department ofChemical and Materials Engineering, including Prof. Kang-Hwa Lii (Vice-President), Prof.
Anthony S. T. Chiang, and Prof. Yu-Wen Chen, to explain about the Green Asia Program andto ask them to inform students about the program. They also had opportunities to informstudents about Green Asia Program, give a presentation about related research activities, andexchange opinions. They felt that the students were sincerely interested in studying in Japan.
National Taiwan University (Taiwan) [Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori]On the morning of March 21, 2013, Prof. Teraoka and Assoc. Prof. Nishibori met with
Prof. Soofin Cheng at the National Taiwan University to explain about the Green Asia
Program. Furthermore, they informed students about the program, gave presentations about
the research activities related to Green Asia at Kyushu University, and exchanged opinions.
They obtained assurances that their information would be shared with other faculty members
and students, because there were many students at the National Taiwan University, who
hoped to study in Japan. Additionally, they proposed other ways of advertising the programand providing briefings to students, as they felt that the chances of recruiting students from
Taiwan were good.
National Chin-Yi University of Technology (Taiwan) [Prof. Tanimoto]
From March 20 to 22, 2013, Prof. Tanimoto visited to National Chin-Yi University ofTechnology in Taichung, which has devoted special efforts to developing academic-industrial
alliances. He informed undergraduate students about the Green Asia Program, and he met
with Prof. Mei-Jane Teng (Director of the Office of International Affairs, in charge ofinternational partnerships) and other faculty members to ask them to recommend applying to
the program to their students. As this university had a track record of exchange only with
Kitami Institute of Technology among Japanese universities, they hoped that a memorandumof understanding (MoU) for the exchange of researchers and students with Kyushu University
could be completed. However, this issue was postponed to a future discussion.
National University of Mongolia and Mongolian University of Science and Technology(Mongolia) [Prof. Hayashi]
From March 27 to 31, 2013, Prof. Hayashi visited to the School of Chemistry andChemical Engineering and its affiliated institutes at the National University of Mongolia, andthe School of Materials Science, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, in Ulan
Bator (Photos 2-1 and 2-2). On March 28, a briefing session was held to provide information23

on the purpose of the Green Asia Program and the admission examination at the National
University of Mongolia. About 50 students and 10 academic staff menbers including Prof. B.
Ochirkhuyag (Dean) and Prof. D. Monkhoobor (Chair of the Department of Organic
Chemistry) joined the session. At the National University of Mongolia, effective utilization ofdomestic coal has been actively studied, so Prof. Hayashi gave a lecture on technologicaldevelopments related to high-degree applications of coal at Kyushu University. Furthermore,
he visited various laboratories for organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analysis chemistry,electrochemistry, and process engineering, and he interacted with staff members and students(see Photo 2-1).

Photo 2-1. Prof. Enkhsaruul Byambajav and staff members and students of the Coal ResearchCenter (National University of Mongolia)

Photo 2-2. Prof. B. Byambagar and staff members of the Department of Chemical Technology(Mongolian University of Science and Technology)

24

On March 29, Prof. Hayashi visited the Mongolian University of Science andTechnology to inform 20 students and 5 staff members including Prof. B. Byambagar (Chairof Department of Chemical Technology) about the Green Asia Program and to deliver anotherlecture on technological developments related to high-degree applications of coal at Kyushu
University.
On March 30, Prof. Hayashi visited the JICA Mongolia Office in Ulan Bator to meetwith Mr. Junichi Arai (Executive Planner). He provided information about the Green Asia
Program, asked for assistance with student recruitment, and also discussed energy andenvironmental situations in Ulan Bator. Mr. Arai acknowledged that there was a great need fora project and for the development of human resources to implement green technologies incollaboration between Japanese and Mongolian universities and companies.
After returning to Japan, Prof. Hayashi received twelve types of brown coal found in
Mongolia from Prof. Enkhsaruul Byambajav, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,
National University of Mongolia; all 12 types can be used effectively (Photo 2-3). Kyushu
University has scholarship systems, such as the Kyushu University Friendship Scholarships,
by which it can accept a short visit by an overseas undergraduate student. Therefore, theutilization of such systems could enable the university to accept high-performing students
from the National University of Mongolia and the Mongolian University of Science andTechnology, and they can conduct researches related to the effective utilization of natural
resources in Mongolia. Motivation and interest in the Green Asia Program can be enhanced byproviding such educational support to undergraduate students. Additionally, these coalsamples can be used as educational tools for students not only from Mongolia but also fromsoutheast Asia, where effective utilization of low-grade coal has been a key issue facing theirindustries.

Photo 2-3. Samples of Mongol Brown Coal25

(2) Entrance Examination
During screening for fall 2013 enrollment, the first round was based mainly on the GPA scoresand English abilities of students, using documents submitted by applicants through our website(Appendixes 10 and 11) and grade transcripts. Those who passed the first round received a visit
from a member of the program’s teaching staff, who administered a written examination, short essay,
and interview as the second round of screening. Those who received an informal offer of a place inthe program passed the final stage by submitting a separate application for the Global 30, theuniversity’s regular fall entrance examination (Table 2-7). At this stage, students were required to
pay an examination fee.
Table 2-7. Results of International Admission in 2013
Department
Molecular and Materials Sciences1
Applied Science for Electronics and Materials1
Energy and Environmental Engineering1
Earth Resources Engineering2
Total
1

Applicant

2nd Screening

Matriculate

19

10

8

5
24

5
15

1
9

Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science; 2 Graduate School of Engineering

2.4. International Admission in 2014
(1) Basic Recruiting Strategy
The recruiting of international students, not only at Kyushu University but also at other mostJapanese universities, has relied on personal networks of professors. The admission process,including the circulation of application forms as well as the matching of applicants and professors,
tends to occur within a limited circle.
In contrast, most universities in Europe and North America have aggressively recruited
excellent students from all over the world based on strategic policy development using various
procedures such as highly attractive website alike tourists information and other promotions
supported by overseas branches of universities and education ministries of governments.
As a message released by Mr. Shimomura, Minister of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT), the competition to recruit excellent young talent from developing
countries among universities in Western nations has become tougher every year, and Japan is lagging
behind such countries because of the lack of strategic policy.
Under these circumstances, the admission of international students to the Green Asia Program
was carefully planned to be a pilot project for the strategic admission of international students inorder to increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of applicants as well as to promote the reputationof Kyushu University.
Meanwhile, the educational foundation of the Green Asia Program spreads across three
departments of the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering and Sciences (IGSES) and one
department of the Graduate School of Engineering (GSE), and the admission schedules of the two
graduate schools are different. Accordingly, the timeline for the admission process including
application submission, screening, and identification of successful applicants was divided into two

26

groups, A and B, as shown in Table 2-8.

Research area

Department andgraduate school
Application form

Closing date forreceipt ofapplications

Screening

Table 2-8. Schedule for Admission of International Students
Resource engineering
Materials science
System engineering
Environmental engineering
Graduate School of Engineering
Interdisciplinary Graduate School of- Department of Earth Resources
Engineering Sciences
Engineering
Distributed application form
Distribution of application form wasindividually from the office between
suspended temporarily.
It was posted again in
September 19 and November 4, 2013
the mid-December 2013.
The Green Asia website stated,
The current deadline (January 10) was“Applicants are required to contact theextended to February 10, 2014.
Green Asia office first until November
4, 2013. Further process andavailability will be informed
individually.”First screening based on submitted
First screening based on submitted
documents took place from November
documents was finalized on February
11 to December 20, 2013.
26, 2014.
Second screening, consisting of wiring
Second screening, consisting oftest and interview, was held in students’ wiring test and interview, was held inhome countries between December 15,
students’ home countries between
2013 and February 2, 2014.
March 17 and March 31, 2014.
The second screening was finalized on
The second screening was finalized on
April 8, 2014.
April 11, 2014.

(2) Methodologya) Carefully designed website for the recruiting purposes
Prior to revising the English website of the Green Asia Program, we reviewed the English
websites of many G-COE programs of Japanese universities. In spite of the widely known fact that
English websites are an essential tool for the effective advertising in this age of globalization, mostof the sites are surprisingly not well tailored to potential international applicants. Some sites are
simple translations of Japanese website for Japanese visitors, and others are full of missing links.
Under these circumstances, the student affair committee of Green Asia program decided toorganize a special task force consists of not only Japanese but also English Native and a Bangladeshi
academic staff. Based on the survey about the websites of the recruitment of international students ofseveral universities of UK and US, the new English website was designed as shown in Figure 2-5.
Not only the key features of Green Asia program, but also various practical issues, such as how tosubmit application submission, financial support and standard living expenses are described in detail.
In addition, the online system for submitting application documents is provided.

27

Figure 2-5. New English Website for the Admission of International Studentsb) Matching system between applicants and potential mentors
Similar to the ordinary admission process for international students at Kyushu University, at thetime of application submission, applicants are requested to submit an invitation letter from a
professor at Kyushu University, who is willing to supervise him or her.
In effect, this request often requires multiple emails from applicants to many professors, but
most Japanese professors do not reply to these inquiries. In order to avoid such miss-communicationand to attract excellent candidates, we have constructed a centralized matching service between
professors and candidates who have no personal connection with professors. Figure 2-6 shows theflow of the matching service.
Before distribution of the application form began, the task force conducted aquestionnaire-based survey of relevant faculty about their research areas and their ability to accept
international students. After the Green Asia Program office received application documents, Green
Asia clerical staff first scrutinizes the documents carefully for completeness. After that, two foreign
Green Asia professors evaluate the documents from various viewpoints such as the reputation of theuniversity from which the applicant graduated, academic scores, fluency of English essay, refereereport written by two academic people on the applicant, and summarize their estimation of all
applicants. The application documents and the estimation report of two Green Asia professors aredelivered to relevant Kyushu University professors according to the research areas which theapplicant selected.

28

Distribution of application form
From Dec-15, 2013

Matching service between applicants & GA professors
GA office receive application packages submitted by applicants
Is an acceptance letter from GA facultyincluded in the package?

Closing of application submission fromapplicants who use matching serviceNo

Jan-20, 2014 2013

Which research area does he/she want to study?
GA office searches potential supervisors
for each applicant

Closing of receipt of all
application

GA office sounds respective GA professors about
the willingness to supervise applicants .

Feb-10, 2014

Success

Document screening of all
applicants

FailureGA office notifies the result of matching to applicants.
To next step (2nd screening)

Figure 2-6. Flowchart of the Matching Service between Applicants and Supervisorsc) Intensive advertising
The advertisement of the Green Asia admission process was conducted in three ways: (1) a web
directory service for students seeking graduate schools (“Find a Ph.D.”), (2) distribution of fliers andposters at associated overseas universities, and (3) presentations aimed at recruiting students fromseveral Asian universities. As for the third method, professors of the Green Asia Education Center aswell as IGSES and GSE visited Singapore and Vietnam.
d) Careful and fair screening
Thanks to the drastic changes in the admission policy, students from universities in various
countries could access admission information. Therefore, the careful inspection of applicants was
essential so as to exclude applicants with forged academic transcripts or those with insufficientacademic ability or English ability. In terms of the evaluation of applicants, the review system
conducted by two foreign Green Asia academic staff works effectively. They have sufficientknowledge and experience of the education of international students, as well as of oversea academic
trends, and their advices and suggestions regarding all the application documents have made ourscreening process more objective. Furthermore, the matching system provides a situation in whichdocuments submitted by one applicant are evaluated by several professors in the research areas
where the applicant wants to study.
(3) Resultsa) Applicants for the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science
Forty-five applicants submitted the application documents, but before the first screening
process, 10 of these were excluded due to incomplete or late submissions. Next, we evaluated theacademic scores, English ability, essay writing, referee reports sent from two academics, andreputations of the home institutes for all 35 applicants. We selected six excellent applicants(categorized as “PASS+”) and a larger number of good applicants (categorized as “PASS”) in thisfirst screening. The “PASS+” group was required to take an online interview with at least three29

professors of IGSES. In contrast, applicants classified as “PASS” took tests of two subjects, essay
writing, and interview in their home countries.
b) Applicants for Graduate School of Engineering
Thirteen applicants from four countries submitted the application documents, but before thefirst screening process, three of these were excluded because of the mismatch of expertise between
them and GSE. Next, we evaluated the academic scores, English ability, essay writing, refereereports sent from two academics, and the reputations of the home institutes for all 10 applicants. As
all 10 applicants showed sufficient ability, we visited their home countries individually to conduct
the examination and interview. Three excellent score applicants from three different countries passed
the second screening.

3. Education Policy and Results
3.1. Education Policy
After starting the Green Asia Program, we applied for the establishment of “Global Strategy forGreen Asia” Course in the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science and the
Graduate School of Engineering, and it was approved on November 1, 2012. While the Green Asia
Program is a five-year program integrating master’s and doctoral courses, a student who passes thequalifying examination (QE) can earn a master’s degree. The requirements for completing the courseand passing the QE are as follows.
(1) Requirements for Doctoral Degree
Course students can obtain a doctoral degree after (1) being affiliated with the doctoral course(including the master’s course) for five years or more, (2) earning at least 77 credits including thoselisted below, (3) being engaged in sufficient research work under proper supervision by his or her
mentor, and (4) passing both the review of his or her doctoral thesis and the final qualifying
examination.
1. Practical English: 4 credits
2. Industrial Systems: 4 credits
3. Internship: 5 credits
4. International Exercise: 16 credits
5. Research: 18 credits
6. Social, Environmental, and Economic Systems: 12 credits
7. Special Subjects: 18 credits(2) Qualifying Examination
In addition to the conditions set forth above, course students must (1) be affiliated with themaster’s course at least two years, (2) earn at least 40 credits including those listed below, and (3)pass the qualifying examination that checks the student’s ability to conduct the research work
included in the doctoral course.

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