Philosophy and Objectives of the Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering

To contribute to society by solving the variety of challenges we face in relation to chemistry, it is necessary to give our students a comprehensive knowledge of the subject. Such knowledge encompasses information on technologies enabling the flexible manipulation of molecules, molecular assemblies and substance groups (including biomaterials and cells) that are acquired by our departments and divisions as well as know-how in engineering processes for practical techniques that are important in the real world. As things stand today, however, basic theoretical education (e.g., atomic theory and molecular theory) have been mainly taught at the School of Science and the Graduate School of Science, while educational and research programs involving chemical process engineering directly connected to material properties and production have been offered primarily at the Faculty of Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering. That is, we have failed to meet the demands of society because we have fallen short of offering systematic education with consistent curricula covering the courses necessary to foster problem-solving abilities based on basic theory and to develop the skills needed to analyze production processes and material properties (considered essential in the real world). With these key issues in mind, the Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering aims to develop students into engineers and researchers who can flexibly respond to the needs of the times. To this end, our science and engineering faculty members work closely to develop human resources to meet these needs through common educational programs designed to provide an understanding of fundamental chemistry as well as evolutionary educational programs in line with students’ desired career paths, such as progression to positions as corporate engineers/researchers, scientists at public institutions and educators at universities.

The Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering covers a wide range of technical areas in chemistry and science. These can be broadly divided into the three groups below:

a) Control and analysis of reactions at the molecular level, development of catalysts for efficient reactions, and a series of reaction development and process design steps leading to the formulation of chemical processes using these catalysts

b) Invention of organic polymers, inorganic materials, metallic materials, nanomaterials and other materials that provide new functions through hierarchical assembly of molecules and atoms, and related composite materials

c) Artificial control of biological systems based on chemical analysis of the structures and functions of cells and organisms, and design of medical science approaches and medical service materials that express various biological functions

The school offers three categories of student class schedules (1. the Molecular Chemistry and Engineering Course, 2. the Materials Chemistry and Engineering Course, and 3. the Biological Chemistry and Engineering Course) for each of the three disciplines outlined above. Instructors on these courses aim to turn students into engineers and researchers who have the skills to develop and expand related technologies in chemistry as well as in science generally.