Kyoto University Leading Graduate School Programs Joint Workshop 2015 (18 June 2015)

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The Kyoto University Leading Graduate School Programs Joint Workshop 2015 was held at the International Conference Hall in the Clock Tower Centennial Hall on 18 June 2015.

The aims of the workshop are: to provide an opportunity for students and teaching staff involved in the five Leading Graduate School Programs underway at Kyoto University to come together; to provide a training ground for participating students where they can make presentations on their research activities; to help participating students establish connections with students or staff beyond the boundaries of their respective programs; and to promote greater interest in the programs among university-wide and society-wide audiences. More than 150 people took part in the workshop, including not only directly involved staff members and students but also people from on and off the campus who are interested in the programs.

Following opening remarks by Professor Masao Kitano, Executive Vice-President for Education, Information Infrastructure, and Evaluation, and a keynote speech entitled "A message from a graduate of Kyoto University" delivered by Mr Masatsugu Shimono, General Manager, Global Technology Services, IBM Japan Ltd., the five Leading Graduate School Programs were introduced to the audience: Graduate School of Advanced Leadership Studies, Inter-Graduate School Program for Sustainable Development and Survival Societies, Training Program of Leaders for Integrated Medical System for Fruitful Health-Longevity Society, Collaborative Graduate Program in Design, and Leading Graduate Program in Primatology and Wildlife Science.

Poster Sessions were also held in three categories: Student Booth, Program Booth, and Company Booth. In the Student Booth section, in which students took key roles, there were lively exchanges among students and teaching staff across the programs. Participants' comments included: "The workshop gave undergraduates a meaningful opportunity for exchanges with graduates participating in the program", "This was the first workshop of its kind and I hope that it will be held on an ongoing basis, next year and beyond".

Professor Michinori Suginome, Assistant to the Executive Vice-President for Education, made closing remarks to bring the workshop to a successful conclusion.

Vice-President Kitano delivering the opening remarks

General Manager Shimono delivering the keynote speech

Assistant to the Executive Vice-President Suginome delivering the closing remarks

Professors introducing the respective programs: From left, Professor Yuichi Ikeda (Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability), Professor Tetsuro Matsuzawa (Primate Research Institute), Professor Kaoru Takara (Director of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute), Program-Specific Professor Kayoko Ishii (Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research), and Professor Toru Ishida (Graduate School of Informatics)

The packed venue

Poster session

Kyoto University Leading Graduate School Programs

Sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Program for Leading Graduate Schools is aimed at advancing the establishment of university graduate schools of the highest caliber by creating continuity between master's and doctoral programs and implementing curricula that transcend fields of specialization, in order to foster the development of excellent students who will play leading roles in the academic, industrial, and governmental sectors, worldwide, through their high creativity and future-oriented perception. To date, 62 programs at 30 universities have been selected. Among those, Kyoto University offers five Leading Graduate School Programs within its graduate schools, with the aim of fostering the development of excellent students through provision of high-level educational programs designed to enhance their leadership skills and thereby equip them to make the world their stage in coming years.

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