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.

30

1. Practical English: 3 credits
2. Industrial Systems: 3 credits
3. Internship: 2 credits
4. Research: 6 credits
5. Social Systems, Environmental Systems, and Economic Systems: 10 credits
6. Special Subjects: 16 credits
The subjects are classified in the following seven groups (Table 2-9).
1. Practical English: 4 subjects and 1 credit per subject
2. Industrial Systems: 4 subjects and 1 credit per subject
3. Internship: 3 subjects and 1 or 2 credits per subject
4. International Exercise: 9 subjects and 1 or 2 credits per subject
5. Research: 6 subjects and 2, 4, or 6 credits per subject
6. Social, Environmental, and Economic Systems: 10 subjects and 2 credits per subject
7. Special Subjects: 96 subjects and 1 or 2 credits per subject
Table 2-9. Classes, Years, and Credits of Subjects
Class

Practical English

Industrial
Systems

Internship

International
Exercise

Research

Social,Environmental,

Subject

Year

Practical English （I）
Practical English （II）
Practical English （III）
Practical English （IV）
Industrial Systems （I）
Industrial Systems （II）
Industrial Systems （III）
Industrial Systems （IV）
Practical School
International Internship
Domestic Internship
International Exercise A1
International Exercise A2
International Exercise A3
International Exercise A4
International Exercise B1
International Exercise B2
International Exercise B3
Research Guidance Exercises （I）
Research Guidance Exercises （II）
Fundamental Research （I)Fundamental Research （II)Fundamental Research （III)Doctoral Research （I）
Doctoral Research （II）
Doctoral Research （III）
Social Systems （I）
Social Systems （II）

31

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1,2
3,4
3,4
3
4
4
5
3,4
4,5
5
4
5
1
2
2
3
3+4
4+5
1~3
1~3

CreditCompulsory

Selective

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
4
6
2
2

and Economic
Systems

SpecialSpecialSocial Systems （III）
Environmental Systems （I）
Environmental Systems （II）
Environmental Systems （III）
Environmental Systems （IV）
Economic Systems （I）
Economic Systems （II）
Economic Systems （III）
Fundamentals of Ionized Gas Dynamics
Tutorial on Ionized Gas Dynamics
Fundamentals of Opto-Electronics
Tutorial on Opto-Electronics
Fundamentals of Crystal Physics andEngineering
Advanced Topics of Crystal Physics andEngineering
Fundamentals of Nonlinear Physics
Advanced Topics of Nonlinear Physics
Fundamentals of Nanomaterials Chemistry
Advanced Topics of Nanomaterials Chemistry
Fundamentals of Functional MolecularEngineering
Advanced Topics of Functional MolecularEngineering
Advanced Topics of Electrochemistry for
Materials
FundamentalsofChemical
Reaction
Engineering
Advanced Topics of Chemical Reaction
Engineering
Advanced Topics of Organic Materials
Chemistry
Fundamentals of Device Materials
Fundamentals of Applied Science forElectronics and Materials I*
Fundamentals of Applied Science forElectronics and Materials II*
Fundamentals of Applied Science forElectronics and Materials III*
Physical Chemistry I
Physical Chemistry II
Physical Chemistry III
Materials Science I
Materials Science II
Materials Science III
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Organic Chemistry III
Organic Analytical Chemistry
Industrial Analysis for Materials
Surface Crystallography
Theoretical Materials Science
Surface Chemistry of Solids
Polymer Materials Science
Molecular Spectroscopy

32

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

Advanced Materials Science
Functional Materials Science
Structural Materials Science
Solid State Ionics
Advanced Organic Chemistry I
Advanced Organic Chemistry II
Advanced Organic Chemistry III
Advanced Organic Chemistry IV
Advanced Lecture on Molecular and Material
Science I
Advanced Lecture on Molecular and Material
Science II
Advanced Molecular and Material Science I
Advanced Molecular and Material Science II
International Lecture on Molecular andMaterial Sciences I
International Lecture on Molecular andMaterial Sciences II
Fundamentals of Molecular and Material
Science I*
Fundamentals of Molecular and Material
Science II*
Fundamentals of Molecular and Material
Science III*
Fundamentals of Energy and Environmental
Engineering I*
Fundamentals of Energy and Environmental
Engineering II*
Fundamentals of Energy and Environmental
Engineering III*
Advanced Topics of Energy andEnvironmental Engineering
Thermal-Relating Engine Technology
Compressible Fluid Dynamics
Mathematical Analysis of Environmental
SystemMicro-Climatology
Ecoenergy Engineering
Turbulent Flows in Engineering
Thermal Energy Utilization Systems
Resource Geology I
Resource Geology II
Mineral Engineering
Engineering Geophysics I
Engineering Geophysics II
Engineering Geophysics III
Geothermics (Advanced)
Geothermal Engineering (Advanced)
Geothermal System Modeling
Resource Development and Environment
Study
Mineral Resources Production Engineering
Safety Engineering (Advanced)
Rock Engineering (Advanced) I
Rock Engineering (Advanced) II
Mining Machinery System (Advanced)

33

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3
1~3

1
1

1~3

1

1~3

1

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3
1~3

2
2

1~3

2

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

1~3

2

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2
2

Resources Processing (Advanced) I
Resources Processing (Advanced) II
Resources Processing (Advanced) III
Advanced Energy Resources Engineering
Petroleum Reservoir Engineering
Subsurface Mass Transport Engineering(Advanced)
Special Lecture on Earth Resources
Engineering I
Special Lecture on Earth Resources
Engineering II
Special Lecture on Earth Resources
Engineering III
International Cooperative Study on Earth
System Engineering (Advanced)
International Cooperative Study on Mining
Engineering (Advanced)
International Cooperative Study on Energy
Resources Engineering (Advanced)
International Academic and Industrial Liaison
Research
International Cooperative Study on Earth
Resources Engineering
International Field Practice
Fundamentals of Earth Resources Engineering
I*
Fundamentals of Earth Resources Engineering
II*

1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3
1~3

2
2
2
2
2

1~3

2

1~3

1

1~3

1

1~3

1

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

1~3

2

Most of the subjects in the category of special classes are the modified English-language
version of the Japanese ones that have been conducted in the Department of Molecular and Materials
Sciences, Department of Applied Science for Electronics and Materials, Department of Energy andEnvironmental Engineering, or Department of Earth Resources Engineering. However, the 11
subjects marked with an asterisk (*) in Table 2-9 are newly developed, as are all subjects other than
the special classes (Table 2-10).
Table 2-10. Subjects Other Than Special Class
Subject
Practical English (I)Practical English(II)
Practical English(III)
Practical English(IV)

Contents and Objectives(1) Rhythm and beat training to understand the rules of pronunciation and word
order in English; (2) Fundamental trainings in writing to improve descriptions inscientific papers and reports; (3) Fundamental practices for reading to improve
comprehension of scientific papers(1) Practical training to develop and improve command of English and ability to
speak the language; (2) A higher level of practice than Practical English (I) to
move up to the intermediate level of writing and reading skills(1) Practical training to improve the conversational abilities; (2) A higher levelof practice than Practical English (II) to improve writing and reading skills(1) Practical training to acquire interpersonal representation methods in English
and to improve presentation skills; (2) A higher level of practices than PracticalEnglish (III) and learning speed reading to improve writing and reading skills
further34

Industrial Systems(I)
Industrial Systems(II)
Industrial Systems(III)

Industrial Systems(IV)

Practice School
International
Internship
Domestic Internship
International
Exercise A1

International
Exercise A2

International
Exercise A3

International
Exercise A4
International
Exercise B1
International
Exercise B2

International
Exercise B3
Research Guidance
Exercises (I)Research Guidance
Exercises (II)A tour of points of production and technological development, including
academic research and development, in Japan or Asian countries accompanied
by questions, answers, and discussions with the technicians and researchers to
obtain basic knowledge about Asian industries
Classes with individuals who are active in the areas of production, development,
and service in companies to learn the systems approach
Lectures by persons who are active in the fields of production, development,
and service in companies to learn development of ideas for new technologies,
how to maximize additional value of a product, and how to reduce
environmental load
Acquisition of fundamental knowledge to engage in international
standardization as a convener or expert by learning an outline ofstandardization: activities of the International Organization for Standardization(ISO), institution and development of Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) andthe Vienna Agreement, the need for JIS to be matched to the international
standard, and experience in preparing and proposing NP and conducting avirtual international meeting, taking standardization in the field of ISO/TC146(Air Quality) as an example
Practical works in research and development, production, or service in acompany or a research institute in Japan (normally 1-2 months)
Practical works in research and development, production, or service in acompany or a research institute overseas (normally 1-2 months)
Practical works in research and development, production, or service in acompany or a research institute in Japan (normally about 2 weeks)(1) Learning the Green Asia Industry Argument and related issues about
technology, society, economy, and environment by attending a Green Asia
Forum; (2) Reporting on the knowledge and ideas acquired throughparticipating in a session of the forum(1) Learning the Green Asia Industry Argument and the related issues about
technology, society, economy, environment, and politics by attending Green
Asia Forum; (2) Reporting on the knowledge and ideas acquired through theparticipating in a session of the forum; (3) Researching an issue related to theGreen Asia Industry Argument(1) Learning the Green Asia Industry Argument and related issues about
technology, society, economy, environment, and politics by attending Green
Asia Forum; (2) Reporting on the research on an issue related to the Green Asia
Industry Argument(1) Learning the Green Asia Industry Argument and related issues about
technology, society, economy, environment, and politics by attending Green
Asia Forum; (2) Writing an article or reporting on the research on an issue
related to the Green Asia Industry Argument(1) Research presentation on doctoral research at the International Strategy
Conference for Green Asia; (2) Discussion in the conference(1) Research presentation on doctoral research at the International Strategy
Conference for Green Asia; (2) Planning a discussion in the conference,
deciding the theme for it, and participating as a moderator; (3) Participating inplanning and conducting the conference under the guidance of one’s mentor,
and playing a role assigned by the mentor(1) Research presentation on doctoral research and the article for Green Asia at
International Strategy Conference for Green Asia; (2) Discussion on an issue
assigned by the mentor at the conference
Assisting the research work or the coursework of a master’s course student
under same mentor to learn methods of teaching researches
Assisting the research work or the coursework of a master’s course student
under a professor other than student’s own mentor to learn methods of teachingresearches

35Fundamental
Research (I)Fundamental
Research (II)Fundamental
Research (III)Doctoral Research(I)
Doctoral Research(II)
Doctoral Research(III)

Social Systems (I)Social Systems (II)Social Systems (III)

Environmental
Systems (I)Environmental
Systems (II)Environmental
Systems (III)

Environmental
Systems (IV)

Economic Systems(I)

Research work under the supervision of a professor; the contents are planned by
the student, his or her mentor and tutor, and the professor, and the results arereported
Research work under the supervision of an professor other than the professor for
Fundamental Research (I); the contents are planned by the student, his or her
mentor and tutor, and the professor, and the results are reported
Research work under the supervision of a professor other than the professors for
Fundamental Researches (I) and (II); the contents are planned by the student, hisor her mentor and tutor, and the professor, and the results are reported; then, theresults of Fundamental Researches (I)-(III) are presented as a whole(1) Determination of a research theme for the doctoral course, and writing a
critical review about the researches and the related literatures; (2) Constructing a
research proposal including objectives, methods, and expected results of theresearch work in the doctoral course; (3) Oral presentation on the critical review
and the research proposal(1) Research work to obtain the doctoral degree; (2) Interim report about theresult; (3) Oral presentation of the results(1) Research work to obtain the doctor degree; (2) Doctoral theses presenting
the results including those from Doctoral Researches (I) and (II); (3) Oralpresentation about the theses
Developing basic skills (1) to comprehensively analyze the current global
society characterized by competition for natural resources and food among
countries and companies, world-scale environmental problems, food issues,
population problems, economic imbalances, and so on, and simultaneously (2)to create pictures of a Green Asia suggesting compatibility among economic
growth, resource conservation, and environmentally friendly societies in Asian
countries living together, along with pictures of leadership in such a global
community
Learning the foundations of Asian society through comprehensive
commentaries on societies, economics, industries, cultures, and economic andindustrial relationships in Asia
Understanding features of economic globalization such as the noticeable
increase in international capital migration and its influences on industries,
societies, and cultures, including the history of the first stage of globalizationfrom the early 20th century to World War I, the Bretton Woods System afterWorld War II, and then the second globalization from the late 20th century to
the present
Global environmental issues of concern such as global warming, explanations ofmajor causes of the issues, international undertaking to solve the problems,
politics and technologies related to preserving environments, influences of green
technologies and systems on industries and economies
Learning international responses to water-resource issues and the closely related
food issues, and learning about concrete actions and related technologies
through explanations of them
(1) Understanding current usage and consumption of carbon and other mineral
resources, and the development of and issues related to resource globalization;(2) Learning environmental issues resulting from consumption of natural
resources and technologies, industrial and social systems, and political means todeal with the issues
Learning foundations of engineering of urban traffic, urban and environmental
systems, risk (social analysis), lifelines, urban infrastructure (urban
management), urban system management, and energy system management
Understanding the dynamics and features of Asian economics, and learning
foundations to understand them by economic statistics; keywords: income,production/distribution/spending, consumption, investment, saving, debt,
additional value, gross domestic product (GDP) nominal GDP, real GDP,potential GDP, gross national income (GNI), principle of there equivalence of36

Economic Systems(II)

Economic Systems(III)

national income, growth rate, GDP deflator, national wealth (active assets),
income transfer, national bond and debt, net export
Learning foundations of economics to quantitatively understand economic
dynamics in Asia based on Economic System (I); keywords: money supply,
monetary base, money stock, money flow, money-related index,
employment-related index, price index, consumer price index (CPI), core-core
CPI, supply and demand, currency, inflation, deflation, stagflation,
inflation-deflation gap, domestic demand and foreign demand, economic
growth, international economy, trade, exchange, fixed exchange rate andflexible exchange rate, free trade, tariff, non-tariff barrier (NTB)
Understanding basic theories in macroeconomics, and examples used therein asa policy for dealing with recessions such as inflation and deflation based on theknowledge from Economic System (I) and (II)3.2. Social Science
In order to educate students who could become leaders in addressing environmental issues in
the academic or business sector, the Green Asia Program provides several subjects in the categories
of social, economic and environmental systems through which students can obtain knowledge about
the social and economic systems of Asian countries and enhance their critical thinking ability insolving environmental problems from the viewpoint of social science as well as engineering science(Table 2-11).

Subject
FY 2012SocialSystems (I)Economic
Systems （I）

Table 2-11. Classes in the Social Sciences offered in FY 2012 and 2013
Instructor
Contents
Hidetaka Yoshimatsu
Professor
College of Asia Pacific Studies,
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific
University
Wataru Shito
Associate Professor
Department of Economics,
Seinan Gakuin University•

Fundamentals of international
relations•
Developing economies•
Environmental politics•
Global cooperation
Fundamentals of macroeconomics•
Macroeconomics as a science•
Data of macroeconomics andfundamental knowledge aboutmacroeconomic analysis•
Economic model closed for the longterm•
Circulation and inflation•
Long-term analysis of open economy

Shunsou Tsukada
Professor
College of Asia Pacific Studies,
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific
University
Tomoaki Watanabe
Assistant Professor
Green Asia Education Center
Kyushu University
Advanced Topics of Environment I
Harata, Fujita, Matsui, Ito,
Teraoka, and Sasaki
Kyushu University

Development of Economics and International
Cooperation

FY 2013
SocialSystems （I）

SocialSystems （II）

Environmental
Systems （I）

37

Political systems, economic systems andenvironmental problems

Introduction to novel carbon resource
environment

Environmental
Systems （II）

Economic
Systems （II）

Industrial
Systems （IV）

Advanced Topics of Environment
III
Hayashi, Okada, Hirashima,
Nagashima, Yoon, and Fukai
Kyushu University
Advanced Topics of EnvironmentII
Spring, Tomoaki Watanabe, andArada
Kyushu University
Kunji Doi
Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Law
Kyushu University
Tomoaki Watanabe
Assistant Professor
Green Asia Education Center
Kyushu University
Shinji Miyake
Associate Professor
Department of Economics,
Seinan Gakuin University
Akira Izumi
Industrial Science and Technology
Policy and Environment Bureau,
Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry
Kazuhide Ito
Associate Professor
Interdisciplinary Graduate Schoolof Engineering Science,
Kyushu University

Introduction to novel carbon resource
utilization

English-language discussion about
environmental problems
Environmental policymaking in water
management

Macroeconomics

Introduction to and background of ISO
Importance of international standardizationand certification

3.3. Practical English
The purpose of Practical English is to attain a sufficient practical ability to converse andnegotiate in English by enhancing expressive and communication skills in English (Table 2-12). In
Practical English (I), training to improve English rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation and lectures
to develop fundamental skills for reading and writing were conducted for the first- andsecond-generation Japanese students. In Practical English (II) and (III), the students undertook moreadvanced and practical work in speaking and communication, including debate training. On the other
hand, for the second-generation overseas students at Chikushi Campus, a higher-level version of
Practical English (I) was conducted because these students had already acquired a higher-level ofEnglish communication skill. Unfortunately, at Ito Campus, there were not enough program students
to be separated into two levels of Practical English (I), and therefore the overseas students also took
the class appropriate for the Japanese students.

38

Table 2-12. Practical English
Instructor and Contents

Subject
Autumn Semester, FY 2012
Practical
M. Yamamoto
English (I)• Rhythm and beat (1.5h, 10 times)• Reading (1.5h, 1 time)• Writing (1.5h, 4 times)
Practical
R. EtoEnglish (I)• Rhythm and beat (1.5h, 10 times)• Reading (1.5h, 1 time)• Writing (1.5h, 4 times)
Spring Semester, FY 2013
Practical
R. Eto and A. Bellington
English (II)• Creative speaking (1.5h, 5 times)• Speaking and communication (1.5h, 10 times)

Practical
English (II)R. Aoto and A. Bellington• Creative speaking (1.5h, 5 times)• Speaking and communication (1.5h, 10 times)

Practical
English (II)R. Aoto and J. Williams• Creative speaking (1.5h, 5 times)• Speaking and communication (1.5h, 10 times)

Autumn Semester, FY 2013
Practical
K. Maeda and Y. Nakata
English (I)• Rhythm and beat (1.5h, 10 times)• Reading (1.5h, 1 time)• Writing (1.5h, 4 times)
Practical
P. Dudley and M. Yamane
English (I)• Speaking and communication (1.5h, 15 times)
Practical
English (I)Practical
English (III)M. Aoto• Rhythm and beat (1.5h, 10 times)• Reading (1.5h, 1 time)• Writing (1.5h, 4 times)
A. Bellington and J. Williams• Speaking and communication (1.5h, 15 times)

Practical
English (III)T. Alderman, J. Williams, and M. Asser• Speaking and communication (1.5h, 15 times)

39

Venue and Student
Chikushi Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M1)
Ito Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M1)

Chikushi Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M2) and Green
Asia research assistant(GA-RA) students
Chikushi Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M2) and GA-RA
students
Ito Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M2) and GA-RA
students
Chikushi Campus
Second-generation domestic
students (M1)
Chikushi Campus
Second-generation overseas
students (M1)
Ito Campus
Second-generation domestic
and overseas students (M1)
Chikushi Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M2)
Ito Campus
First-generation domestic
students (M2)

3.4. Short Overseas Visit
We conducted short visits overseas, which double as Industrial Systems (I) or (II).
(1) Short Visit to Singapore
Between January 29 and February 3, 2013, we visited Singapore as our first overseas short-term
training session following the inauguration of the GA Program (Table 2-13). This trip consisted of
26 participants, with 6 first-stage-gate students and 10 members of the teaching staff joined by 6
first-course students and 4 members of the teaching staff from the Global COE (G-COE) educational
program, the forerunner to GA. One of the goals of this visit was to draw upon the rich experience of
G-COE course students and staff in learning administrative skills.
Table 2-13. Schedule of Short Visit to Singapore
January 29
January 30

January 31

February 1
February 2
February 3

Travel day (Fukuoka ~ Taiwan ~ Hong Kong ~ Singapore)
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Introduction of Kyushu University and NUS
Kyushu University - NUS Joint Seminar
Lab tour
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Tour of Campus and U-Town (organized by NUS graduate students)
Lab tour in Faculty of Science and Graphene Research Centre (organized by Assoc.
Prof. Eda (NUS))
Mitsui Phenols Singapore (MPS)
Mitsui Chemical Singapore R&D Centre
Sightseeing
Travel day (Singapore ~ Hong Kong ~ Taiwan ~ Fukuoka)a) Visit to National University of Singapore (NUS)
On January 30, we visited the National University of Singapore (NUS), an affiliate of the
program. The NUS is one of the two top universities in Singapore, the other being Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), and has an extensive campus with a student population of over
37,000 undergraduate and graduate students. On this day, following an explanation of the GA
Program by Kyushu University’s Professor Harada and an introduction to NUS courtesy of NUS
Professor Kim Choon NG, 3 keynote speeches (by Prof. Hua Chun Zeng of NUS, Assoc. Prof.
Ohtaki of KU, and Assoc. Prof. Ito of KU) and 8 student presentations (4 from NUS and 4 from
Kyushu University’s G-COE students) were delivered as part of a joint seminar between NUS,
G-COE, and GA (Photo 2-4). The NUS and G-COE students were doctoral course students, andtheir high-quality presentations provided an excellent stimulus to the GA course students, who werethen in the first year of their master’s courses. Leading graduate schools aim for students to develop
both broad learning and deep expertise; as a result of these talks, students seemed to understand theimportance of the latter. Following the seminar, we were treated to a tour of the Air Conditioning
Laboratory and the Centre for Offshore Research and Engineering.

40

Photo 2-4. Kyushu University - NUS Joint Seminar

On January 31, we paid another visit to NUS. During the morning, NUS students showed us
around U-Town, which is annexed with the campus (Photo 2-5). The expansive U-Town complex ishome to various facilities including student dormitories, self-study facilities, a sports center, stores,
and restaurants. Of particular note are the many rooms set aside for students to study and engage indiscussions. The Kyushu University students, and some of the teachers, were left feeling somewhat
envious of the NUS students, who had the good fortune to live and study in such an environment. In
the afternoon, we were shown around the Faculty of Science and Graphene Research Centre by local
NUS associate professor Eda. This center, which receives funding from the Singaporean government,
is a major research hub capable of dealing with all aspects of graphene, a cutting-edge carbon
material, from deposition and processing to various types of assessments. Experiencing suchlarge-scale facilities as U-Town and the Graphene Research Centre, the participants felt a sense of
surprise and awe at Singapore’s policy of generous investment in education and research anddevelopment.

Photo 2-5. NUS U-Townb) Visit to Mitsui Phenols Singapore and Mitsui Chemical Singapore R&D Centre
On February 1, we visited two Japanese facilities, Mitsui Phenol Singapore (MPS) and the
Mitsui Chemicals Singapore R&D Centre. MPS is a production center for phenolic resin created on
Jurong Island, a manmade island located in Singapore’s industrial zone. Singapore is situated in an
ideal location for procuring raw materials, given that it faces the Straits of Malacca, a strategic
location for shipping. Furthermore, it is in close proximity to major consuming regions in East Asia,
such as China. Many chemical manufacturers have taken advantage of Singapore’s location and41

operate factories here, forming a major industrial zone. MPS produces close to half of all of Mitsui
Chemicals’ phenolic resin. At the R&D Centre, we heard from plant manager Mr. Fujita on thenature of Singaporean society from a Japanese perspective and about the developmental stages andchallenges facing Japanese companies as they establish ventures overseas. The course students, whowitnessed both production and R&D activities themselves, were apprehensive about the increasing
deindustrialization of Japan.
In addition to the main itinerary described above, a small amount of free time was set aside toallow students to experience Singaporean culture (Photo 2-6). Downtown Singapore is lined withmodern high-rise buildings, and the students saw many foreign tourists. From their visit the students
got a sense of just how reliant this country is on industry and tourism. For some of the students thiswas their first time abroad, but they actively sought to communicate with the NUS students andmade many good friends.

Photo 2-6. Marina Bay Sands and Merlion(2) Short Visit to Thailand (FY 2012)
Monitor students (6 members) and Green Asia Education Center staff went to Thailand foroverseas short-term training (February 26 to March 1, 2013) as a model project to ascertain the
educational impact of overseas short-term training sessions (Industrial Systems II) in Asia and toestablish the content for such sessions (Table 2-14). During this trip we visited Mahidol University,
one of the program’s collaborating universities, and UBE GROUP (THAILAND), a collaborating
business, where we held seminars, site visits, and discussions.
a) Student Intercommunion in Faculty of Science, Mahidol University (on Phayathai Campus)
On the first day (February 26), we visited the Faculty of Science in Phayathai Campus, Mahidol
University, located in central Bangkok. The Japanese representatives gave an explanation of the GA
Program, while the Thai representatives introduced Mahidol University and the Faculty of Scienceand provided an explanation of this department’s educational programs. Following this, teaching
staff from both universities separated into groups based on their fields of expertise and engaged ingroup discussions on research collaborations. Some members were working in the same fields, andthe deep discussions that occurred gave a sense of great potential for future collaborations. While
this was continuing, the students received a tour of the campus and laboratories, and learned about
daily life as a student in Thailand. At the end of the day, a model seminar was held where 4 pairs (8members) from both universities, with each pair consisting of a faculty advisor and his/her student,
42

gave presentations on their research, which generated lively question-and-answer sessions anddiscussions (Photo 2-7). Having a series of presentations given by a combination of instructors andthose receiving instruction was an extremely interesting trial in the sense that it gave people an
overview of research from several perspectives, such as identifying research questions, the aims ofresearch, and practical difficulties.
Table 2-14. Schedule of Short Visit to Thailand
February 26
9:00
9:30
10:30
12:00
13:30
February 27
9:30

12:00
13:00
14:00
15:30

February 28
10:00

12:00
13:00
15:00

Phayathai Campus, Mahidol University
Courtesy call on Dean of Faculty of Science
Presentation about Mahidol University and Faculty of Science
Lecture by Vice Dean of Department of Education, and representative forFaculty of Graduate Studies
Discussion about the research partnership between Kyushu University and
Mahidol University (for the staffs) and lab tour (for the students)
Lunch
Model seminar
Salaya Campus, Mahidol University
Courtesy call on Vice Dean
Introduction of Salaya Campus and Kyushu University
Research presentation by the faculty members of the both universities
Lunch
Lab tour
Visit to Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia
Tour of the facilities such as Library and Knowledge Center and Institute forInnovative Learning
UBE Group (Thailand)
Explanation of the visitation purpose and Ube Technical Centre (ASIA)(UTCA)
Tour of i-Plaza
Lunch
Tour of Ube Chemical (Asia) (UChA)
Skull session in UTCAb) Visit to Salaya Campus, Mahidol University
On February 27, we visited the Salaya Campus of Mahidol University, which is located a little
further away from central Bangkok. Salaya Campus is newer than Phayathai Campus; it has many
facilities, including dormitories and club facilities, and students move around the campus in buses
following a circular route (Photo 2-8).

43

Photo 2-7. Model Seminar

Photo 2-8. Visit to Salaya Campus

During the morning, Mahidol University students (mainly from the fields of organic chemistry
and polymer chemistry) met and exchanged views with Kyushu University members throughpresentations and other means. The Mahidol University representatives gave an explanation of
Salaya Campus and its international exchange projects, while those from Kyushu University
provided an explanation of the GA Project. Following this, Mahidol University introduced theDepartment of Engineering, Polymer Chemistry and its research. Kyushu University gave an
introduction to the research of assistant professors from the GA Education Center, following which
the monitor students introduced their research. After lunch, we were given a tour of the laboratoriesof the Department of Engineering, Polymer Chemistry. We were impressed with the department’s
sophisticated research on natural and synthetic rubber, one of Thailand’s key industries.
c) Visit to Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia
In the afternoon, we visited the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA),
located on the same campus (Photo 2-9). We were given a tour of the center’s museum and library,
44during which we received an overview of the center and detailed explanations of Thai culture. Above
all, the center stresses the importance of language abilities, putting particular emphasis on thedevelopment of communication skills in English. We were told that the first skill needed for
language study is listening, and that a person’s skills in speaking and writing should develop as hisor her listening ability improves. The Thailand Culture Center has a museum at which visitors canlearn about Thailand’s history and culture through displays of artifacts and models. Some students
got the impression that Thailand’s past culture and ways of life resemble those of Japan. A visit to a
traditional Thai residence that had been reconstructed on the premises proved to be a particularly
memorable part of the trip.

Photo 2-9. Visit to Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asiad) Visit to UBE GROUP (THAILAND)On February 28, we visited UBE GROUP (THAILAND), a local Thai company of Ube
Industries, Ltd. located in Rayong, which is about two hours from Bangkok by car.
Ube Industries first moved into Thailand in 1990, making this its 24th year there. Initially its
operations consisted solely of a production center, but since 2004 it has also been conducting
research and development in Thailand. Its major products are nylon, resinous materials such as
polyurethane (caprolactum, hexanediol etc.), and butadiene rubber. The company has been split up
by product and research division; including the general managing department, there at present 6
divisions.
Dr. Charunya Phichitkul of Thailand is the president of UBE GROUP (THAILAND)’s generalmanaging department. Many of the managerial and engineering positions are occupied by Japanese
staff, while many of the technicians are local Thai. The reason for this arrangement is that a technicalcollege for training local technicians is located in the Rayong industrial zone. We were told thatplans are in place to establish an engineering university in the future, for the purpose of training
engineers with more advanced skills.
45

Ube Industries’ history in Thailand goes back more than 20 years, but the development ofenormous and vast petrochemical complexes during this period reminds one of Japan during the
1960s and 1970s, giving one the sense that Thailand is in the middle of a period of high economic
growth. This is also the case with Singapore. We gained the impression that Southeast Asian
countries have determined clear road maps for the future and are actively implementing thenecessary policies in line with these plans.
Following a factory tour, we held a meeting with local staff members, giving students the
chance to openly ask them many questions, such as why they decided to join a Japanese company orwhether they experience any problems with Japanese staff, thus generating much meaningful
discussions (Photo 2-10).

Photo 2-10. Skull Session in UTCA

This training session in Thailand, in which we visited a partner university and company, wasmuch more fruitful than anticipated and led to a much lively discussion and student exchange.
(3) Short Visit to Singapore and Pre-tour at Hishikari Mine
The Advanced Graduate Program in Global Strategy for Green Asia addresses the future
requirements for highly trained scientists and engineers who are capable of balancing sustainable
development and economic growth in the Greater Asia region. The program offers a variety ofcourses and internship opportunities designed to train students to solve multifaceted, complex
problems and to take on leadership challenges in a dynamic, industrialized Asia. To achieve this goal,
the Green Asia Program includes an overseas excursion in the Asian region as a part of its
curriculum. The Malaysia excursion which was held between February 10th and 14th, 2014 was asequel to the trip to Singapore that took place during the last week of January 2013.
During the Malaysia excursion, 31 delegates including Green Asia course students, faculty
members, and administrative staff from Kyushu University visited the Solar Energy ResearchInstitute (SERI) of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia-Japan International Instituteof Technology (MJIIT) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Malaysian-SH-Electronics Sdn.
46

Bhd. During the visit to SERI, Prof. Dato’ Kamaruzzaman Sopian, currently SERI Director,
presented the research and educational activities of SERI, and Prof. Jun Tanimoto, one of the Vice
Coordinators of the Green Asia Program presented the educational activities and an outline of theGreen Asia Program. SERI was established by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia about adecade ago with the primary mission of conducting world-class research in solar energy andrenewable energy technology, management, and policy in the context of economic andenvironmental sustainability. Currently, SERI faculty members and postgraduate students are
conducting research in the following four major fields: (1) advanced solar cell and PV systems, (2)advanced solar thermal systems, (3) low energy architecture, and (4) instrumentation and monitoring
systems. Green Asia students and faculty visited the well-equipped SERI experimental facilities on(i) combined solar powered autofeeder, lighting, and aeration system, (ii) solar charge controller, (iii)high performance solar cell with advanced texturing, (iv) hybrid photovoltaic thermal solar water
heater, (v) solar powered unitized regenerative fuel cell system, (vi) bifacial solar cell, (vi) solar
assisted heat pump dryer with multifunctional solar collector, (vii) solar assisted desiccant dryer,(viii) solar assisted dehumidification system, (ix) solar assisted chemical heat pump dryer, (x)combined ejector absorption refrigeration system, (xi) solar desiccant cooling system, (xii) solar
powered adsorption cooling cum refrigeration system, (xiii) inverted air-foil wind driven ventilation
tower, (xiv) a system for integrating a low energy architecture terrace house, (xv) advanced wirelessweather and air quality real time monitoring system, (xvi) multistation thermal comfort real time
monitoring system, and (xvii) apparatus for rapid measurement of thermal conductivity. SERI
faculties and postgraduate students explained their respective test rigs and there was a very lively
question-and-answer session shortly after the experimental lab visits. Among the above mentioned
research topics, the solar powered adsorption cooling cum refrigeration system is a collaborative
joint research project between SERI faculty member Prof. Yusof Sulaiman and Green Asia faculty
Prof. Bidyut Baran Saha.
As part of the main event of this overseas excursion, a full day long joint workshop between the
Global Strategy for Green Asia and the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology(MJIIT) was conducted at Dewan Jumaah on the MJIIT campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on
February 12, 2014 with the strong support of the workshop patrons Prof. Dr. Akira Harata of Kyushu
University and Prof. Ir. Megat Johari Megat Noor of MJIIT. MJIIT is one of the six overseas
collaborative institutions in the Green Asia Program, which is a new and vibrant entity at UTM,
Kuala Lumpur. MJIIT draws its strength from the long research history of UTM, combined with aconsortium of 25 Japanese academic institutions including Kyushu University, and it is supported bymany Japanese government agencies.

47

Photo 2-11. Group photo in front of inverted air-foil wind driven ventilation tower of SERI

The technical program of the joint workshop included three invited lectures from senior faculty
members and 10 contributed papers by postgraduate students of both institutions. Prof. Shoichiro
Ikeda, Prof. Mohamed Mahmoud EI-Sayed Nasef of MJIIT, and Prof. Jun Tanimoto of Kyushu
University delivered the keynote lectures during the joint workshop.
Graduate students of both institutions had the opportunity to discuss on the issues related toadvanced science and technology, particularly on energy, environment, materials, and chemistry, inboth formal and informal manners. The organizers of this joint workshop (Prof. Bidyut Baran Sahaof Green Asia Education Center and Prof. Hirofumi Hara of MJIIT) sincerely hope that the students
found the joint workshop intellectually satisfying and that it will become a part of an overall
experience that they will cherish for many years in the future.
On February 13, we visited the Malaysian-SH-Electronics (MSHE) which is one of theoverseas subsidiary companies of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (SMM) of Japan. As a pre-tourin advance of the Malaysian excursion, Green Asia students and dedicated faculty members visitedthe Hishikari Mine in Kagoshima prefecture on January 29, which is a key domestic facility of SMM.
By participating in both Japanese manufacturing establishments in Japan and Malaysia, Green Asia
students gained experience of manufacturing processes in two different Asian countries. Green Asia
students viewed two aspects of manufacturing, a resource mining process of pure gold at Hishikari
Mine Kagoshima and the lead frame manufacturing line at MSHE. Question-and-answer sessions
were organized during the Hishikari Mine trip and MSHE trip. It is anticipated that Green Asia
students might get first-hand knowledge on Japanese and overseas manufacturing process especiallyregarding work environment, hiring of local people, operational risks, safety regulations, ISOstandards, energy conservation procedures, and technical and environmental issues. Several group
photos taken during the Malaysia excursion and Hishikari Mine pre-tour are shown below.

48

Photo 2-12. Global Strategy for Green Asia-MJIIT Joint Workshop participants taken at the venue,
Dewan Jumaah, on the MJIIT campus

Photo 2-13. Kyushu University delegates with MSHE top executives

Photo 2-14. Kyushu University delegates with Hishikari Mine top management executives(4) Short Visit to Thailand (FY 2013) and Pre-tour of Shiga Plant of Daikin Industry, Ltd.
The short visit to Thailand was planned as Industrial Systems (I) for the M1 students or (II) for
the M2 students from February 2 to 6, 2014, and the visit to Shiga Plant of Daikin Industry, Ltd. also
was planned as the pre-tour.
On January 7, we visited to the Shiga Plant of Daikin Industry, Ltd. First we received an
explanation about Daikin Industry, Ltd. and “Production of Daikin System” (PDS) (Photo 2-15).

49

Generally, this system offers the advantageous of increasing productivity and reducing cost as one
product type moves down an assembly line. However, it was also explained that aspects of PDS suchas high-mix manufacturing and high-cycle production (review of the produced model and volume
every three days) enable flexible production operation, avoiding over- and under-production andcontributing further to high productivity and low cost.
Next, we divided the party into two groups and each one took the plant tour, one group received
explanations in Japanese and the other in English. In the plant, while relatively massive innovations
such as redesign of the production line take place, interestingly, low-tech methods such as the
traditional Japanese contraption known as karakuri are also applied throughout the lines. The
advantages gained from any one innovation may be limited, but in combination, there changes cause
a great reduction in production time along with improvements in productivity and working
conditions. Furthermore, the workshop to develop such karakuri is located in the plant, and a uniquesystem under which workers engage in developing them for a certain period of time has been
adopted.
After the tour, we received explanations of Daikin’s production in the showroom, and the event
concluded with a question-and-answer session.

Photo 2-15. Tour of Shiga Plant of Daikin Industry

We had planned to visit Mahidol University and Daikin Industries (Thailand) Ltd. during ourshort visit to Thailand. Unfortunately, we have not conducted this visit yet because of the unstable
political situation in Thailand since January.
3.5. Activity(1) Workshop
After the kickoff meeting for this program, the workshop took place in Dazaifu over two days
and one night (Photo 2-16). A total of 30 peoples attended this workshop including 12 overseas
students from partnership universities of the Green Asia Program, 6 Green Asia course students, 6
monitor students, and 6 academic staff members. This workshop’s main purpose was to develop a
global perspective by exchanging opinions and discussing the situations of each country being50

represented. Developing friendships was also an important purpose.
All members boarded a bus immediately after the kickoff meeting and went to the HotelGrandia Dazaifu. The invited overseas students seemed impressed by the Japanese culture in the
hotel such as the tatami room, no chairs, no shoes in the hotel, and other items. In a meeting room,
Prof. Tanimoto explained the purpose of this workshop, completing the first day’s official activities.
This hotel is famous for its natural spa, but unfortunately, it seemed that no overseas students wanted
to use it.
On the second day, we all gathered in a meeting room for main discussions, which was the main
event of this workshop. Members were divided into four groups, each of which included two
Japanese students. Discussions covered the issues and situations in each country, such asenvironmental problems, mineral and energy resources, and educational and research capacities.
After lunch, all opinions were summarized, and the Green Asia course students then presented eachgroup’s findings in English. Opinions in the groups varied, but major topics included the different
governments’ long-term strategies, the resources exploited by overseas companies, and types ofenvironmental contamination. The summaries were followed by discussion on how research might
be conducted to improve the situation in each country. These discussions showed that basic
information on the educational, industrial, resource, and political situations of one country is notknown to other countries, and that learning this information would expand the opportunities
available to both Japanese and overseas students.

Photo 2-16. Workshop in Dazaifu

After the workshop, there was not much time left; however, we went to the Dazaifu Shrine,
which is one of the most important shrines in Japan. It was built more than 1,000 years ago and is
still believed to fulfill people’s dreams of education. The overseas students seemed to enjoy theshrine’s atmosphere and their visits to various shops. It was very cold and snowy, but for somestudents this was first experience of snow and they enjoyed that as well. Everyone exchanged email
addresses and promised to see each other again. It is important to communicate with partnershipuniversities, but this workshop is one of the most important opportunities to built friendships at thestudent level. We all appreciate those responsible for planning this event: Prof. Tanimoto, Prof.

51

Ohtaki, and many other organizations with cooperation from the Green Asia office.
(2) Green Asia Afternoon Colloquium
Green Asia Afternoon Colloquium, one of the most characteristic courses in the Green Asia
Program, provides students with general and comprehensive knowledge including not only inscientific disciplines but also in a number of liberal arts fields such as economics, sociology,
jurisprudence, and literature. Those various and profound streams of knowledge are presented by
reputed scholars and specialists from around Japan to develop an advanced knowledge andunderstanding of today’s global society and to find common solutions to global problems.
The Afternoon Colloquium has been held since April 2013 in the Green Asia students' room on
the Chikushi campus and in the Green Asia meeting room at the Ito campus, from 4 to 6 p.m.,
generally once a month (Photo 2-17). As shown in Table 2-15, we have held a total of sevenafternoon colloquia in 2013, inviting renowned researchers, specialists, and entrepreneurs as
lecturers from various fields and from around Japan.

Photo 2-17. Afternoon Colloquium (left; at the Chikushi campus, and right; at the Ito campus)

Date
4/5

4/19

6/7

Table 2-15．Afternoon Colloquium in 2013
LectureTitle
Jun Tanimoto
Why We Must Speak English—Lingua
Professor
Franca and Local Language (なぜ英語を学Interdisciplinary Graduate
ばねばならないか―Lingua Franca(リンSchool of Engineering
グア・フランカ)とローカル言語)
Sciences, Kyushu University
Reiko Ogawa
An Aging Society with Fewer Children and
Associate Professor
Acceptance of Immigrants, etc. (「少子高齢Graduate School of Law,
化と移民の受け入れ」「超高齢社会の介護
Kyushu Universityはどうなる？」etc.)
Toshiyuki Fujita
Game Theory and Environmental Problems
Professor(ゲーム理論と環境問題)
Graduate School of
Economics, Kyushu
University

52

Venue

Chikushi

Chikushi

Ito

8/23

Takahiro Tsuneyoshi
General Manager (室長)International StrategicComprehensive Special Zone
Promotion Office, Fukuoka
Prefecture(福岡県商工部国Background, Status Quo and Future of theGreen Asia International StrategicComprehensive Special Zone (グリーンア
ジア国際戦略特区の背景，現況，未来)

Chikushi

What is Nature? The Relation between
Nature and Culture: Natural Science andHuman Science (「自然とは何か。or 自然)と文化の関係。
or 自然科学と人間科学。」

ChikushiLifestyle and Energy Consumption Behavior(ライフスタイルとエネルギー消費行動)

Chikushi

Mining Development: Working in Harmony
with Nature

Ito

際戦略総合特区推進室)
9/13

9/27

12/6

Yuji Tsuburaya
Professor
Graduate School of
Humanities, Kyushu
University
Kayoko Kondo
Associate Professor
Graduate School of Design,
Kyushu University
Toshihito Toyoshima
General Manager
Engineering Dept., Mineral
Resources Div., Sumitomo
Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

(3) 2013 International Forum for Green Asia
On November 29 and 30, we organized the 2013 International Forum for Green Asia at the
Chikushi campus (Photos 2-18 to 2-21, Figure 2-7, and Appendix 12). This forum was a
combination of two seminars, the international seminar of the Green Asia Program and theInterdisciplinary Engineering Science Seminar organized by the Interdisciplinary Graduate School ofEngineering Sciences (IGSES). The students enrolled in the Green Asia course take a class,International Exercise, that involves planning and implementing an international seminar in the latterpart of their doctoral course. This forum had no overarching theme and was planned for the purposeof teaching students broadly about politics, science, technology, economics, and the environment
from a global perspective.
At the opening of the forum on the afternoon of the November 29, Prof. Hideharu Nakashima,dean of the IGSES and Prof. Akira Harata, the Green Asia Program coordinator, introduced theirrespective programs. Subsequently, two invited speakers who are quite active in the forefront of thebusiness realm gave lectures. Dr. Tatsuro Harada (Kyushu Electric Power Co.) explained the current
situation and the future of domestic electric power, addressing electricity system reform, theliberalization of electric power, and renewable energy. Mr. Masayoshi Ota (UBE Industries, Ltd.)
described the advance of the UBE Group (a synthetic chemistry manufacturer) into overseas markets,
using Spain and Thailand as examples. He further discussed the keys to success in such endeavors(Photo 2-18).

53

Figure 2-7. Program of 2013 International Forum for Green Asia

54

Photo 2-18. Keynote Address by Mr. Ota

The session on the morning of November 30 was focused on the keyword “environment”. The
only student lecturer at this forum (currently in the latter part of her doctoral course), Ms. Naoko
Mae (Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University), presented her research.
Her study is related to the manner in which the environmental actions of consumers are assessed,using home electronics and cars as an example. Following this presentation, Prof. Toshiyuki Fujita(Faculty of Economics, Kyushu University) gave a lecture on game theory and simulations ofmultilateral agreements on environmental issues. In the afternoon, there were two lectures focusedon the keyword “globalization”. Mr. Hiroyuki Tanabe (Sojitz Corporation) gave a talk based on his
own abundant experience abroad as a special lecturer. He discussed changes in the world,
globalization, and the role of general trading companies throughout the world (Photo 2-19). Prof.
Teruhisa Se (Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University) gave a lecture from thestandpoint of reassessing and questioning globalization in the present. Finally, the five lecturers(excluding Ms. Mae) participated a panel discussion on the theme of politics, the economy, andglobalism (Photo 2-20). Prof. Jun Tanimoto, the Vice-coordinator of the Green Asia Program, served
as moderator.

Photo 2-19. Special Lecture by Mr. Tanabe

55

Figure 2-20. Panel Discussion

Four of the lecturers’ talks and the panel discussion were in Japanese and two lectures were in
English. This forum was also open to the general public, and professors and students from theoverseas universities operating with the Green Asia Program were invited. Therefore, the forum wasconducted using simultaneous interpretation, and participants from overseas could offer theiropinions and questions on the lectures and panel discussion that were conducted in Japanese.
The forum had 132 participants from inside and outside Japan, and was considered a success.
However, many challenges were identified with regard to the preparation and operation of such an
event. We would like to improve in these areas and make next year’s even more successful.

Figure 2-21. Speakers and Some Participants(4) The 10th International Symposium on Novel Carbon Resource Sciences (NCRS)a) Overview
Since the initial kickoff symposium held in 2008, nine international symposiums have since
been held (Appendix 12). The 10th International Symposium on Novel Carbon Resource Sciences(NCRS) involved the invitation of five internationally renowned lecturers to speak on the following
key themes; (1) biomass power generation, (2) wind power generation, (3) thermoelectric conversion
elements, (4) purification of diesel engine gases and (5) the disposal of nuclear waste materials. The
symposium was jointly organized and made possible by cooperation between COE and Green Asia,
whose chiefs are Prof Nagashima and Prof Harata, respectively (Photo 2-22). The Green Asia
program has successfully initiated numerous partnerships between Kyushu University and otherresearch intensive institutions throughout Asia. The major partner organizations are as follows;56

•Mahidol University – Thailand.

•

Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology – Malaysia.

•

National University of Singapore – Singapore.

•

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras – India.

•

Institute of Technology Bandung – Indonesia.

•

Dhaka University – Bangladesh.

Two students from each of the above universities participated in the student session and several
academic staff from the above institutions also attended the symposium. Discussions were later held
between these academic staff and those of Kyushu University, to explore and facilitate avenues ofcollaboration. Figure 1, shows a picture of the opening remarks given by Prof Nagashima, head of
the COE program.

Photo 2-22. Opening Remarks Given by Prof Nagashimab) Speakers
The expertise of the five distinguished invited speakers encompassed a wide range of scientificdisciplines, all connected in some respects to environmental issues (Photo 2-23). The speakers
originated from global research centers of excellence in five different nations within North America,
Europe, Asia and Australasia. The details of the speakers and the title of their lectures are given
below;•Xun Hu - Curtin University, Australia. “Green Fuels and Energy from Biomass.”•

Hong He - Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. “After Treatment System in Heavy Duty
Diesel Vehicle Pollution Control.”•Ngo Van Nong – Technical University of Denmark, Denmark. “High Temperature
Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Waste Heat Recovery.”•Peter Jamison – University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. “The Development of Wind
Energy Technology.”•

Sridhar Komarneni - Pennsylvania State University, United States. “Synthetic and Modified
Clays for Uptake of Nuclear Waste Ions.”

57

Photo 2-23. Student Session Discussion and Presentationc) Poster and Student Session
During the intermission of the main lecture series, there was a poster session given by thegraduate students of the school. The contents included some of their current personal researchachievements. Subsequently a student session was held, where the graduate students had an
opportunity to discuss some of the concepts delivered by the key lecturers. The 88 students who
participated were divided into 10 groups, two groups for each of the five lectures given by theinvited professors at the symposium. Session topics were related to various research fields such as
chemistry, material sciences, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Topics focused on
the global issues for which the NCRS program was created. Figure 2 shows a picture of one of thestudent discussion groups and their corresponding presentation.
Invited professors from partner institutions of the GA program also participated in the group
discussion and served in advisory roles. Students passionately discussed each topic and wereparticularly interested in the work of students from research backgrounds that were beyond their own
areas of specialization. Group leaders, with the help of professors and senior researchers, managed
the discussion and summarized student opinions. At the end of the session, each group made a shortpresentation as a summary to the discussion and answered questions from professors. Attendees
benefited from both the meaningful talks and wide ranging discussions of the topics. This activity
provided students with a broader perspective beyond their own specialized research fields. It allowed
some of the young researchers to take their first important steps toward becoming global leaders bygiving them the opportunity to communicate with other foreign students and professional
researchers.
3.6. Laboratory Rotation
We have adopted a laboratory rotation system for the master’s program research activities ofcourse students (Figure 2-8). Under this system, each student conducts approximately three monthsof research at each of three different laboratories. As opposed to traditional master’s thesis research,
the aim here is to provide research guidance with a main focus on learning specialized knowledge

58and methodologies from different fields. Therefore, as long as it does not affect their studies,
students are encouraged to select laboratories straddling two or more different majors. However, in2012 there was insufficient time to prepare and generate awareness of this system among course
students and laboratory teaching staff, and not all course students undertook the above-described
program of laboratory rotation in two or more majors (Table 2-16). Therefore, as a remedial measure
for actively promoting a laboratory rotation to other majors, we distributed materials to course
students detailing the facilities and research content of participating laboratories, as well as the typesof specialized knowledge and methodologies that they could learn at each one.

Figure 2-8. Laboratory Rotation

Student
HiroshiAkamineHirokiGima
TsuyoshiSatoTakanori
HanadaYusei
MasakiShinjiMatsumoto

Table 2-16. Results of Laboratory Rotation in FY 2012 and 2013
Laboratory Rotation I
Laboratory Rotation II
Laboratory Rotation III(Original speciality)
Computational simulation
Hydrogen energy system
Metallic material(February to April, 2013)(October to December, 2013)engineering
Metallic material
Surface physics
Nanomaterial
engineeringengineering(January to March, 2013)(October to December, 2013)
Thermal environmental
International politics and
Urban and architectural
systemenvironmental
environmental(March to June, 2013)(October to December, 2013)engineering
Surface physics
Quantum device engineering
Nanomaterial(January to March, 2013)(October to December, 2013)engineering
Mineral processing,
Functional inorganic material
Environmental
recycling, andengineering
microbiology
environmental remediation(January to March, 2013)(May to August, 2013)
Mineral processing,Energy resource engineering
Rock engineering
recycling, andenvironmental remediation(January to March, 2013)(May to August, 2013)59

3.7. Practice School
Green Asia course students must participate in some internships to gain valuable work
experience at industrial and/or research institutes throughout Japan and in key overseas locations,thus fostering their practical and leadership abilities. The various activities are organized as asequence of Practice School (about one month), Overseas Internship (two to three months), andfinally, Short Domestic Internship (two to three weeks) (Figure 2-9). During Practice School, each
student is free to choose from a range of organizations and potential technical mentors, and thenmake detailed plans regarding the execution of a project under the guidance of his or her chosen
mentor. After approximately two years, the student will have the opportunity for a second period ofwork experience with the same host organization and technical mentor as chosen previously.

Master Course
01Doctoral Course
2

3

4

5

Years
Practice school

Overseas Internship Domestic Internship

Figure 2-9. Internships for the Green Asia Program

In 2013, the six students of the first generation (second grade) participated in Practice School(Table 2-17 and Photo 2-24), which initially comprises the following three steps: (1) planning ofinternship (selection of organization, technical mentor, and type of work or research activity to be
conducted) (Photo 2-25); (2) internship at the site; and (3) presentation about the internship to theprofessors of the Green Asia Program and technical mentors (Photo 2-26). This third step is a part of
the qualifying examination (QE), which students have to pass to go on to the doctoral stage as a
Green Asia course student. The students are evaluated in accordance with the technical mentor’s
impression of the presentation.
Table 2-17. Practice School in 2013
Student

Internship Site

Technical Mentor

PeriodHiroshi Akamine

National Institute for Material Science(NIMS)
National Institute for Material Science(NIMS)
Central Research Institute of ElectricPower Industry (CRIEPI)National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology(AIST)

Koji Morita

2013.8.1~
2013.9.10
2013.7.10~
2013.8.9
2013.7.16~
2013.8.16
2013.7.10~
2013.8.9

Hiroki Gima
Tsuyoshi Sato
Takanori Hanada

60

Satoshi Koizumi
Ayumu Sato
Toshiharu Makino

Yusei Masaki
Shinji MatsumotoCentral Research Institute of ElectricPower Industry (CRIEPI)Waterloo University (Canada)(field school)

Shinichi Hirano
Jiro Oya2013.8.5~
2013.8.30
2013.4.29~
2013.5.17

Photo 2-24. Activity in Practice School.

Photo 2-25. Plan and Report

On October 25, the presentation was held on the Chikushi campus, and was attended by
students (including those of the second generation, professors), professors, staff members, and sometechnical mentors (Photo 2-26). The students delivered presentations detailing the various skills thatthey had acquired. Such experience away from the university environment proved valuable for all
who participated.
This was our first round of Practice School, and it was completed successfully with no serious
difficulties. However, some issues arose that suggested areas for improvement next year. For
example, technical mentors provided us with useful comments such as the following:-A typical term (about one month) is too short for extensive research and too long for just an initial
experience.
-This year, all first-generation students were Japanese; therefore, it was easy for organizations to
accept students. Next year, however, there are many overseas persons among the second generationof course students. For Japanese companies, it is generally not easy to accept overseas students for61internship programs, because of intellectual property issues.
Looking toward the future, we should consider way to make the curriculum more flexible.

Photo 2-26. Presentation of Practice School

3.8. Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination (QE) corresponds to the first stage gate in the Green Asia Program.
The placement of QE in the curriculum and education policies has been already described on pages
12 and 30, respectively. The scheme for the QE is summarized in the flowchart shown in Figures
2-10 (a) and (b). The former is for students in the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering
Science and the latter is for those in the Graduate School of Engineering. These two charts are
essentially the same, although there are some variations in details due to the different internal rulesin the two graduate schools.
The QE is conducted according to strict guidelines as explained in the chart. Only those students
who have met all requirements regarding grades in the subject classes thus far are eligible to appear
for this examination. During the QE, students give an oral presentation and answer questions inEnglish on what they have learned from (1) the subjects they have taken and (2) their research inmultiple majors, along with (3) their practical activities in Practice School. In the written
examination, students are tested on their abilities relating to their specialty area and theirunderstanding of the nature of science and technology through a short essay in English. Grades on
the QE are determined through evaluations of these examinations and reports by the mentor andtechnical mentor in the student’s MCU. Only those who receive a grade of “Pass” on the QE canprogress to the fourth stage gate. Unsuccessful students can obtain a master’s degree and enter thenormal (non-Green Asia) doctoral course depending on their level of achievement; some may change
their career plans at this point.
The QE score impacts decisions on student financial aid and other allowance such as covering
registration and travel expenses for academic conference participation.
On February 24, QE was held at the Chikushi campus, and was taken by six students. The
details and schedule are listed in Table 2-17. Requirement 5, the oral presentation and discussion in
English on what the students had learned from their practical activities in Practice School, hadalready been satisfied by the results of another qualification on October 25, 2013 (Appendix 13)(see Section 3.7).

62Figure 2-10. Flowcharts of QE for Students in (a) Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering
Science and (b) Graduate School of Engineering, Respectively.

Although this was the first QE experience for both students and staffs, it was completed
successfully with no difficulties (Photo 2-27). All students passed with high score, and additional
financial incentives were awarded to the highest-scoring student. However, some issues arose that63

suggested improvements for next year, as follows:-The schedule was very tight for both students and staff, since there were many official events suchas the university entrance examination and the oral examination of the master’s course. The schedule
must be reconsidered.
- This year, all first-generation students were Japanese. Next year, however, there are many overseas
students in the second-generation. The information on the QE should be provided repeatedly.
Table 2-17. Details and Schedule of Qualifying Examination (QE) at First Stage Gate
Date and Time: February 24, 2014; 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Place: Chikushi campus, Kyushu University
Requirement 1
GPA for 40 credits should be over 3.0.
GPA
See details in 3. 1. (2), Qualifying Examination.
(Examination by means of
documents)
Requirement 2
Students give an oral presentation and answer questions in English
Oral presentation of
on what they have learned.
laboratory rotation results
15-minute presentation and 10-minute discussion.
English abstract, with a maximum length of three A4 pages, should
8:30 am to 11:00 am
be submitted by February 20, 2014. The abstract book is attached inAppendix 13.
Requirement 3
Students are tested on their abilities relating to their understanding
Short essayof the nature of science and technology through a short essay in
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
English.
Requirement 4
Students are tested on their abilities relating to their specialty area
Written examination inin English.
specialty area
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Requirement 5
This presentation was completed on October 25, 2014. All students
Oral presentation of Practice passed.
SchoolPhoto 2-27. Oral Presentation of Laboratory Rotation Results in the QE

64

3.9. Conservation of the Students’ Educational Records
The students’ subject grades, reports from their mentors, and deliverables such as a report fromtheir Industrial Systems class have been organized and conserved as individual portfolios on each
student enrolled in the Green Asia Program (Photo 2-28). Students’ deliverables corrected by the
program staffs are also retained for their histories.

Photo 2-28. Portfolio of the Students’ Educational Records

4. Symposium
4.1. Green Asia Lecture Series
The Green Asia Lecture Series is an irregular series of lectures and symposia covering various
subjects broadly relevant to issues of Green Asia, encompassing not only natural science but also
liberal arts.
Material Innovation for Green Asia
(September 9, 2013, Ito Campus)
1. “All Wet or Not: Explorations in Aqueous Processing System”
Prof. K. Osseo-Asare (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
2. “Flotation Chemistry”
Prof. A. Nguyen (University of Queensland, Australia)
3. “Prospects for Energy Minimization in the Electrowinning of Base Metals”
Prof. M. Nicol (Murdoch University, Australia)
Seeds and Needs of Energy Storage Devices in India(November 22, 2013, Chikushi Campus)
1. “Solar Chargeable New Lithium Ion Batteries”
Dr. S. Gopukumar (Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR), India)
2. “Essentials of Electrochemical Capacitors”
Prof. A. Shukla (Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India)* Collaborative symposium with Novel Carbon Resource Science Forum65