II. Diploma and Curriculum Policies

1. Diploma Policy
Any student who completes this program can take one of the following degrees: Doctor ofEngineering, Doctor of Science, or Doctor of Philosophy. In any of these cases, the term “Completed
Advanced Graduate Program in Global Strategy for Green Asia” is added.
Diploma policies of this program are shown as follows.
(1) The degree is granted to students not only who have received education and research guidance
based on the coursework of the program for the stipulated period, but also who have fulfilled
the following requirements within the stipulated length of time.
Requirement 1: Have passed doctoral defense
Requirement 2: Have taken courses on developing the necessary abilities for research, practice,global perspective and board perspective, and earned the requisite number of credits for eachcourse.
(2) The criterion for the students’ course completion is that he/she has enough ability not only toresearch based on highly specialized knowledge but also for practice, global perspective andboard perspective to contribute to industrial, economic, and social growth and development ofJapan and other Asian countries as an international leader in industry, academia, or government.
(3) In order for the students to complete the course, it is also considered that his or her doctoral
research has been conducted with sophisticated sense of morality and firm sense of
responsibility in accordance with the principles of Green Asia, and he/she can logically explainthem.
(4) Any student who is deemed to have enough skills and highly remarkable results for researchduring the course of their studies is eligible to complete the course as much as half a year early.

2. Curriculum PolicyThe coursework and research activities to acquire the abilities for research, practice, global
perspective, objective appraisal, and leadership are shown in Table 2-1, which the students should
acquire to complete the course of the Green Asia Program (Figure 2-1) as will hereinafter bedescribed in detail.
This degree program is a combined master’s–doctoral course with a duration of 5 years, andwas designed for the students to develop the abilities for research, objective appraisal (or broadperspective), global perspective, practice, and leadership in a balanced manner, which are necessaryfor a leader to drive the Green Asia strategy. The process can be checked not only by the student
him- or herself but also by others.

10Ability(1)(2)
Research(3)(1)
Practicalunderstanding

(2)
(1)

Globalperspective

(2)
(1)

Objective
appraisal

(2)
(1)
(2)

Leadership(3)

Table 2-1. Ways and Classes to Acquire Five Abilities
Way to acquireClassResearch activity in three(1) Fundamental Research (laboratorylaboratories in different areas
rotation)
Acquisition of high levels of(2) Doctoral Researches under thespecialized knowledge throughstage gate systemadvanced researches(3) Special Classes
Taking Special Classes from morethan one department
Practical activities in research and(1) Practice School, and Domestic anddevelopment workplaces in Japan
International Internships
and overseas(2) Industrial Systems
Classes by invited individuals
associated with a company
Practice in expression, discussion,(1) Two types of Internationaland description in English
Exercises (A and B)
Acquisition of economics and(2) Social, Environmental, andsociological knowledge
Economic Systems
Learning economics, sociology, and (1) Social, Environmental, andenvironmentology
Economic Systems
Consilience of arts and sciences(2) International Exercise A (GreenAsia Forum) and a free article
Acting as a leader in International(1) Two types of International
Exercises
Exercises (A and B)
Practice with lead researchers(2) Practice School, and Domestic andand/or developers in Japan andInternational Internships
overseas(3) Research Guidance Exercises
Exercise for research guidance toyounger students

This program operates on the basis of fall enrollment system in line with the international
standard. When students who enroll in a regular master’s course at Kyushu University in April hopes
to enter the Green Asia Program, he or she can take the 6-months pre-program in the regular course
and then the 4.5-years Green Asia Course (6 months × 9 semesters, 1.5-years previous and 3-years
latter terms), totaling to 5 years (Figure 2-2). The 6th batch domestic students who enrolled in themaster’s course in April, 2017 were exceptionally provided a chance of direct entry to the Green
Asia Program without the pre-program, in order to secure high-performing Japanese students. On theother hand, students who enroll from overseas in October become the Green Asia Program studentwith a total program duration of 5 years (6 months × 10 semesters, 2-years previous and 3-years
latter terms), without the pre-program. This system, therefore, enables international students
unfamiliar with research environment in Japan to have sufficient period to prepare and conduct theirdoctoral research, on the premise that their basic academic skills are checked through the entrance
examination. Points and devisal of this program are described below for each stage gate (Figure2-2).

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Figure 2-1. Green Asia Program education model.

2.1. The Zeroth Stage Gate: Admission
Students who enrolled in a regular master’s course in April can spend the term prior to theentrance examination to the Green Asia Course (in August) (the pre-program) to develop academic
skills to pass the examination and to consider their own abilities for a doctoral candidate. While theentrance examination is based on traditional entrance examinations to regular master’s courses, thefollowing 6 items are introduced to ensure the quality of the course students. Any applicant isrequired to submit (1) his or her academic transcript in undergraduate course, (2) a score of aglobally accredited English proficiency test such as TOEIC and TOEFL, and (3) written
recommendations from academic staffs who have taught the applicant. He or she takes written
examinations for (4) his or her specialties, level of which is higher than that conducted in entrance
examinations to usual master’s courses, and (5) short essay to check his or her abilities for logicalthinking and description. Both of the written examinations are conducted in English. (6) He or she
also interviews with academic staffs, including his or her supervisor, in English. Passed students cancount credits of the regular master’s courses in the pre-program as those of the Green Asia Course.

12Figure 2-2. Stage gates.

The screening of applicants from overseas is also conducted based on the procedure describedabove. However, the examinations for the specialties center on confirmation that they have acquired
basic knowledge and thinking needed to start the program because curriculums vary with eachcountry and university.
2.2. Master’s Course: Cultivation of Fundamentals of Five Abilities in Organized
Course Works
The program students not only specialize one of three areas: system engineering, materialscience, and resources engineering as the major but also are requested to take other two as thesub-major, in order to develop their abilities for research and objective appraisal (or broadperspective). The students must take the original subjects “Environmental Systems”, “SocialSystems”, “Economic Systems”, “Industrial Systems” and “Practical English” to cultivate
fundamentals of the abilities of objective appraisal, lobal perspective, and practice.
The long-term domestic internship “Practice School” centers cultivation of the abilities ofpractice and leadership. The students spend a month to set agendas under the instruction of the“Mentoring Care Unit” (MCU) (described in II. 2.12) and the following 1 or 2 months to participate
in a company internship program or industry–academia joint research project with the goal ofresolving the challenge in association with a leader (technical mentor) through research anddevelopment.
The “Laboratory Rotation” system is adopted for research in master’s course. Each student
conducts approximately 3 months of “Fundamental Research” at two laboratories different from hisor her laboratory. The students are encouraged to choose laboratories at different faculties. In13

contrast to traditional master’s thesis research, this provides research guidance focusing onacquirement of research methodologies from different fields.
2.3. First Stage Gate: Qualifying Examination (QE)
The students who have fulfilled the requirements relating to the subjects (the number of credits
and grade point average (GPA)) are provided a chance to take the qualifying examination (QE) at theend of the master’s course. Their oral presentations for the results of Fundamental Research(Laboratory Rotation) and Practical School in English are examined. They also take a written
examination for their specialty and a short essay examination asking about science and technology,
both of which are conducted in English. The QE is graded using reports from the student’s MCU inaddition to evaluations of the above presentation and examinations. Any student who passes the QE
earns a master’s degree and can advance to doctoral course. Students who fail the QE can get achance to face a master’s defense and earn a master’s degree in a regular course (not the Green Asiacourse) after passing it.
2.4. Second Stage Gate: Research Review and Proposal
In the first semester of the 1st year of the doctoral course, the students prepare a comprehensive
and exhaustive review paper, and also write a research proposal based on the review paper. Thenthey undergo evaluation of their papers and oral presentation, which are based on whether or nottheir quality and creativity are enough for a frontier research. The passed students acquire credits for“Doctoral Research (I)”, and are permitted to move the next stage.
2.5. Third Stage Gate: Midterm Evaluation
In the 2nd year of the doctoral course, the students face a midterm evaluation (oralpresentation) for their doctoral research. The passed students acquire credits for “Doctoral Research(II)”, and are permitted to move the next stage.
2.6. Forth Stage Gate: Green Asia Report Evaluation
The students undertake “International Exercise A” from the second semester of the 1st year ofthe doctoral course. In the subject, they first discuss issues to realize the idea of Green Asia, such as
science technology, industrial structure, industry collaboration in Asia, and relationship between
society and economics. Then each student sets an own theme based on the knowledge resulting fromthe discussion and his or her specialty, and makes short progress reports. Three semesters are spentfor them (International Exercises A1 to A3). Finally, in the first semester of the 3rd year of thedoctoral course, he or she writes the “Green Asia Report” for it (International Exercise A4). The
report is evaluated by Green Asia academic staffs, some of which specialize in social sciences, andthe passed students are permitted to move the next stage.
2.7. Fifth Stage Gate: Thesis Defense for Doctoral Degree and Final Qualifying
Examination
At the end of the final year, a thesis defense for a doctoral degree is conducted. Each student

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must comply with requirements for subjects as well as for the quantity and quality of the thesis fromthe viewpoints of his or her specialty. While the procedure of the defense follows the rule in eachdepartment, any student must have published at least two papers in peer-reviewed journals, write thethesis in English, and make an oral presentation including questions and answers in English. Inaddition, at least one of the referees is recommended to be an overseas researcher. The student is also
required to earn the credits of 77 or more and the GPA of 3.0 or higher for the subjects. Suchstudents are certified to acquire enough abilities for research, objective appraisal, global perspective,practice, and leadership, and also their total ability, and qualified to be a doctoral candidate in theGreen Asia Program. Finally, they earn a degree according to the admission policy in the program.
The practice subjects characterizing this program are summarized as follows.
2.8. International Exercise A
Students monthly take a class by a (guest) lecture or have a discussion under the leadership ofacademic staffs who specialize social sciences, and seek their own topics for science technology,society or industry. They pursue their studies with the support of the staffs and MCU. In
International Exercise A4 in the first semester of the 3rd year of the doctoral course, each student
makes oral a presentation, leads discussions, and write a paper for the study (Figure 2-3). He or she
try to publish the paper in a peer-reviewed international journal such as Evergreen issued by theGreen Asia Program.
2.9. International Exercise B
Doctoral course students present progress reports for their researches in annual international
forum organized by the Green Asia Program, International Forum for Green Asia. In addition, thestudents in the 2nd year of the doctoral course participate in the forum as staffs who plan, design,prepare, chair or coordinate it (International Exercise B2) (Figure 2-3).
2.10. International and Domestic Internship Programs
By participations in the internship programs, students will gain valuable work experience inindustrial and/or research institutes in Japan and in an overseas location, thus developing the abilities
for practice and global perspective. The various activities will be organized as a sequence of“Practice School” (1 to 2 months), “International Internship” (1 to 3 months), and finally “DomesticInternship” (2 to 3 weeks) (Figure 2-3).
In the International Internship, each student spends a couple of months to undertake theresearch or development under the guidance of a researcher or an engineer, who join his or her MCU
as an overseas mentor. In the Domestic Internship, the students conduct activities in companies orinstitutes where they were accepted in the Practice School, in order to check their growth bythemselves and the technical mentors. Or they can get an information for making a career decision
after conducting the internship in a company or a institute in their interesting area because of thetiming close to complete the doctoral course.

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Figure 2-3. Internship programs and international exercises.

2.11. Cultivation of LeadershipThis program is designed to enable students to cultivate an ability for leadership in many
subjects. In the Practice School and the International Internship, each student addresses the challenge
under the guidance of top researchers, and they participate in the student’s MCU as a technicalmentor and an overseas mentor, respectively. In the Industrial Systems, the students learn logics forleadership from leaders of industry. The students experience roles such as a staff who plan, prepare
or coordinate the annual International Forum for Green Asia in the International Exercise B2. As‘Research Guidance Exercise’ held during the doctoral course, each student assumes partial
responsibility for providing research guidance to junior students, thus gaining in experience inteaching someone in the specialty area.
2.12. Mentoring and Support System for Students: Mentoring Care Unit (MCU)
The “Mentoring Care Unit” (MCU) of each student, which guides and supports him or her
consistently through the program, consists of his or her mentor (senior researcher who contribute to
the Green Asia Program), tutor (junior researcher, program assistant), technical mentor (supervisor inthe Practice School), and overseas mentor (advisor in the International Internship) (Figure 2-4). The
technical and overseas mentors join the MCU after starting his or her Practice School and entering
the doctoral course, respectively. A supervisor of a student’s main research cannot be a chief refereeof his or her doctoral thesis. Under such support of researchers in various areas, students can acquire
broad knowledge to develop the ability for objective appraisal.
Master’s students spend a month to set their own agendas and one to two months to experience
activities for research and development in domestic companies or research institutes under the16

guidance of their technical mentors (Practice School). In the International Internship, the students
are supported by partnerships between their mentors and overseas mentors in cooperation with theGreen Asia Education Center.

Figure 2-4. Mentoring Care Unit (MCU).

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