Classes
Foundational class
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Global and Science Studies | In this class, 14 professors will tell the students what they will learn in the faculty over the coming four years in an omnibus format. This is designed to let the students form their own holistic mental picture of the curriculum, thus enabling them to study in a self-motivated manner. |
| History of Science and Technology | While learning about the connection between science / technology and society, as well as the historical processes by which its modalities have been constituted, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of scientific thinking (science) and humanities-based thinking (social sciences, particularly history). |
| Philosophy of Science and Technology | In this class students will learn what science and technology are through the use of a philosophical approach. It will deepen their understanding of science and technology through topics like: “What is science?” “Philosophical issues in physics, biology, and psychology,” and “Science and its critics.” |
| Humans and Environment | In this course students will study specific case examples concerning environmental impacts, with the focus on the relationship between technological progress and the natural environment. In addition, they will also determine the causes and consider what we should do in order to resolve such problems. |
| Food and Life | This class introduces students to everything from the basics of life phenomena to the basics of biotechnology from a variety of perspectives that include cells, genes, food chemistry, health and longevity, and more. It also provides a general outline of recent developments in life science and biotechnology. |
| Society and Medical Service | In this class students will learn the sorts of meaning medicine and health have as sciences, as well as what sorts of meaning health, medical, and welfare services have in actual practice in society. They will also learn how challenges for health are perceived in a comprehensive manner. The class will furnish them with capabilities and attitudes for dealing with health problems, and foster in them the ability to consider their ideal vision for the future. |
| Exercise and Health Science | This class will offer a general overview of the significance of health and exercise in contemporary life, particularly the relationship between lifestyle-related diseases and exercise, as well as the relationship between mental health and exercise. By explaining human growth and development along with changes in form and function, the class will get students to consider approaches for maintaining and improving their health over their lifetime. |
| Philosophy | A philosophical way of thinking lies at the foundation of scholarly pursuits. In this class students will learn the basics for this sort of philosophical way of thinking. |
| Historical Studies | This class mainly focuses on offering a bird’s-eye view of contemporary Japanese history within the framework of contemporary history in the international community, particularly Asia. Students will read carefully into contemporary Asian history and contemporary Japanese history from a perspective of their mutual interaction based on specific documents and evidence. |
| Japanese Cultural Studies | In this class students will undertake a careful reading of literature related to critiques of Japanese culture, including everything from traditional arts to contemporary phenomena that are collectively referred to as “Cool Japan.” The course will also include extensive considerations of Japanese culture. |
| Human Development 1 (Religious Studies) | This class will clearly lay out issues of “life and death,” which constitute fundamental issues in religion, by considering specific case examples of religion at the community level in countries around the world, with a primary focus on Japan. It will also give consideration to the foundational question of “What is religion?” |
| Culture and Creation 1 (Cultural Anthropology) | Cultural anthropology is an academic discipline that takes clues from “culture” in an attempt to cultivate a deeper understanding of humanity. More specifically, in this class students will learn about cultural anthropological perspectives by dealing with societal building blocks seen everywhere throughout the world, such as parents and children and the family. |
| Human Development 2 (Linguistics) | This class will objectively scrutinize the languages that we use every day. Specifically, the class will scrutinize linguistic phenomena seen with contemporary dialects and common languages, and students will also learn the basic concepts of linguistics that express these. |
| Culture and Creation 2 (Culture and Representation Studies) | This class will introduce students to traditional artistic genres such as fine arts, music, literature, and architecture, along with specific examples of expressions that are characteristic of contemporary Japan in particular, including films, television shows, photos, and comics. These will serve as opportunities for the students to come into contact with a variety of different artistic and cultural representations, thereby encouraging a budding interest towards these in the students taking the class. |
| Political Science | This class expands upon the subjects learned in Contemporary Society and Politics and Economics courses in high school, while also giving students a deeper understanding of social issues for getting by in modern times from a political standpoint. This is designed to form a foundation for the capacity to be able to consider social problems and act as responsible citizens by gaining fundamental knowledge related to politics and economics. |
| Modern Asian Studies | Stability in East Asia is a necessary condition for creating a stable international community both now and in the future. This class will expand upon ways of achieving this stability based on the experiences and research addressing long-standing problems in East Asia, through which it will consider the connection between East Asian societies and Asia as a whole, as well as the international community. |
| Economics and Law 1 (Economics) | This class will show students actual economic movements and developments that occurred in the past or are currently occurring in Japan and around the world. Through this, the students will learn why things turned out the way they did and how such matters can be explained in a scholarly manner. |
| Economics and Law 2 (Business Administration) | This class will teach students about the basics of management studies. By incorporating numerous cases of actual conditions at companies and their case examples, it will explain how the basic concepts of management studies, which are frequently used throughout society, relate to everyday life in an easy to understand manner. |
| Economics and Law 3 (Law) | In this class, students will learn about engagement with the law and fundamental characteristics of the law, after which they will learn necessary basic knowledge, such as general overviews of each legal area that falls under the scope of public law. This is designed to instill in them the legal knowledge and the capacity to think legally that they will need as members of society. |
| Sociology | Students in this class will study how Japanese families and local communities have been changing from a historical trajectory. The class will also examine specific examples of contemporary family issues from the perspectives of a society with falling birthrates and an aging population, as well as a stratified society. It will also examine how families should be structured in the future and how family assistance should be provided. |
Scientific and technical literacy classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences 1 | In this class students will learn basic knowledge and ways of thinking primarily for the three areas of mathematics, physics, and earth sciences from out of the natural sciences in an easy to understand manner so that they can reach their own decisions on various issues related to nature. |
| Natural Sciences 2 | In this class students learn basic knowledge and ways of thinking primarily for the two areas of biology and chemistry from out of the natural sciences in an easy to understand manner in order to reach their own decisions on various issues related to nature. |
| Introduction to Logical Thinking | Logical thinking consists of techniques (skills) for thinking about and expressing matters scientifically and logically. The students will gain the knowledge needed to understand and practice logical thinking techniques that include analytical methods using logic trees, means of expression via pyramid structures, and ways of making estimates. |
| Logical Thinking Seminar | This course aims to have students learn the basics of not only logical thinking, but also critical thinking at the same time by taking up problems involving controversial science and technologies as topics. This is a seminar course that is taken concurrently with Introduction to Logical Thinking (lectures). |
| Introduction to Statistics I | In this class students will learn basic information on how to summarize data and the probability distributions used in statistics to foster in them a statistical way of thinking so that they can engage in scientific decision making that is grounded in data. |
| Introduction to Statistics II | In this class students will learn a statistical inference process for making decisions based on gathering and summarizing data, which is rooted in the basic information learned in Introduction to Statistics I. They will also gain the ability to apply statistics to areas in the natural sciences and social sciences. |
| Practice of Statistics I | In this class students will acquire knowledge related to summarizing and visualizing data, as well as summary statistics, and also gain the ability to analyze actual data with the goal of cultivating in them the ability to accurately analyze data. |
| Practice of Statistics II | In this class students will gain the ability to get a grasp of analysis objects from analytical results, and to extract and aggregate information from data in accordance with analytical goals in order to cultivate in them the ability to accurately analyze data. |
| Introduction to Design Theory I | Students learn about the history of design, the history of innovation, and the connection between design science and design thinking, which are prerequisites for understanding the design process, through classroom lectures and reports. |
| Introduction to Design Theory II | Students will gain an understanding of the basic thinking behind and the design processes for user-centered design, thus fostering in them basic practical abilities. |
| Applied Design I | This seminar will have students practice performing “research” in the design process. Specifically, the students will learn research techniques using the internet and various types of statistical data that serve as macro research techniques, as well as ethnographic techniques like observation and interviews that serve as qualitative research techniques. |
| Applied Design II | This seminar will have students practice performing “analysis” and “conceptualization” in the design process. Specifically, the students will learn ways of analyzing and conceptualizing data in order to draft design plans using the data collected in Seminar I. They will also learn story design methods in order to deepen their proposals. |
| Applied Design III | This seminar will have students practice “creating” in the design process. Specifically, the students will learn “dirty prototyping” by using materials like styrene boards, as well as digital prototyping (creating and editing images and videos) to introduce design planning and user experiences, with these based on the concepts created in Seminar II. |
| Applied Design IV | This seminar will have students practice “evaluating” in the design process. Specifically, the students will learn about everything from selecting the users needed to evaluate the prototypes through to designing the inspection items and inspection methods via user studies focused on hypothetical users based on the prototypes created in Seminar III. |
| Introduction to Intellectual Property I | Students that attend the class will gain an understanding of the overall concept of intellectual property. The aim is to give the students an understanding of general concepts by using recent case examples as themes to foster in them a rudimentary ability to deal with intellectual property, with this including the knowledge of intellectual property they will need when preparing reports and papers. |
| Introduction to Intellectual Property II | In this class students will gain an understanding of the Patent Act, Design Act, Trademark Act, Unfair Competition Prevention Act, and Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act, which are intellectual property laws that are primarily concerned with manufacturing. At the same time, the class aims to foster in students the ability to organize and analyze rights objects by using this knowledge, IPDL, and the Yamaguchi University Patent Search System (YUPASS). |
| Intellectual Property Seminar I | In this seminar students will practice solving simple problems related to scientific/technical and cultural assets based on the rudimentary ability to deal with intellectual property in the researcher’s etiquette field related to the Copyright Act they gained in Introduction to Intellectual Property I. This is not limited to merely applying their knowledge of mental assets, but aims to have the students gain the ability to deal with intellectual property with emphasis placed on maximizing the economic value or social contribution value of the mental assets. |
| Intellectual Property Seminar II | In this seminar students will practice solving simple problems related to science and technology based on the rudimentary ability to deal with intellectual property in the areas of the Patent Act, Design Act, Trademark Act, Unfair Competition Prevention Act, and Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act they gained in Introduction to Intellectual Property II. This is not limited to merely applying their knowledge of mental assets, but aims to have the students gain the ability to deal with intellectual property with emphasis placed on maximizing the economic value of the mental assets. |
| Information Security and Morals | In this class students will learn about subjects like the true nature of information, encryption and authentication, information security, information morals, intellectual property (Copyright Act), compliance, risk assessments, and more. |
| Information Literacy | In this seminar students will practice things like sending and receiving emails, searching for information over the internet, information ethics, preparing papers, and working with spread sheets and presentations, all on a Windows OS. |
| Information and Communication Technology I | In this class students will gain an understanding of the internet and information system structures in order for them to acquire information skills such as information analysis and processing, like visualization, as well as formulating new knowledge based on collected information. They will also gain first-hand experience with programming in order to process and deal with information. |
| Information and Communication Technology II | In this class students will gain an understanding of the features of interpersonal communication tools that make use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), communication technologies that utilize them, security technologies, and more. The class will also confirm the features and effects of these various tools through exercises. |
| Materials, Energy, and the Environment I | Using basic subjects in mechanics as its jumping off point, this class will consider the question of “What is energy?” by focusing primarily on mechanical energy, which is the most basic type of energy there is. It will also consider issues like what sorts of features energy has together with common phenomena all around the students. |
| Materials, Energy, and the Environment II | This class will introduce students to phenomena related to energy and give them an understanding of what entropy is before teaching them about their properties on the basis of specific phenomena. In addition, the students will also learn about quantum phenomena, which is closely related to the concept of entropy. |
| Exercise and Health Science, Health Care and Welfare I | In this class students will learn what constitutes health, which is a fundamental shared challenge across the areas of exercise and health science, health care, and welfare. It will also deepen their understanding of human psychology and behavior as they relate to health and diseases in particular. They will also consider the necessity of and challenges for this field of scholarship in the areas of exercise and health science, health care, and welfare. |
| Exercise and Health Science, Health Care and Welfare II | This class will foster in students the ability to consider ways of selecting and resolving challenges for this field of scholarship in the areas of exercise and health science, health care, and welfare. They will also consider what is important for maintaining and promoting health and improving quality of life (QOL), as well as what sorts of behavior and encouragement are necessary. |
| Biodiversity I | This class will give students an understanding of what constitutes the diversity possessed by living creatures by referring to the mechanisms that form the diversity that arises in individual organisms. Students will also learn about case examples of diversity, such as specific habitats inhabited by living creatures on the earth, as well as characteristics they have adapted. |
| Biodiversity II | In this class students will learn about the interactions between living creatures and the interactions between living creatures and the global environment that are the source of biodiversity. They will also gain an understanding of the three elements of biodiversity, which are genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. |
| Biotechnology I | This class will provide students with an understanding of the structure of cells, which are the fundamental unit forming living creatures, as well as principles for basic biological activity, such as cellular division, energy metabolism, and reproduction. Based on this, the students will learn about the sophisticated life-support systems that living creatures are furnished with as a result of the highly functionalized systems that multicellular creatures possess. |
| Biotechnology II | In this class students will gain an understanding of various experimental genetic engineering procedures in modern biology, while also learning about the DNA testing techniques and genetic modification techniques being applied. Problems such as the disruption of ecosystems by genetically modified organisms will also be considered, as will issues like gene therapy, regenerative medicine, and the bioethical problems these raise. |
Core classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Science and Technology Communication | Through discussions that intermix case studies, students will analyze various challenges facing contemporary society from a scientific communication perspective to seek out problematic points and their solutions. They will also gain a basic approach to work that goes beyond the boundaries between specialty fields and between experts and non-experts. |
| Management of Intellectual Property and Technology | Students will engage in learning based on specific examples like “An Overview of Intellectual Property Laws in the United States, EU, and Asian Region” and “The Reality about the Acquisition and Application of Intellectual Property Rights Globally.” The objective in this is to give them an understanding of intellectual property strategies that are needed in international business, while also giving shape to basic business abilities in them. |
| Understanding Japanese Company Culture: A Course for International Students | This class will consider the roles expected of coordinators furnished with a global perspective, such as business negotiation in multicultural societies and mediation between different cultures. This will be done by deepening their understanding of the distinctive corporate culture possessed by Japanese companies, and also by engaging in inquiry and discussion with international students. |
| Big Data and Management Strategy | This class aims to have students grasp the overall picture showing the relationship between big data, which has been receiving a great deal of attention lately, and management strategy from both theoretical and practical dimensions. To accomplish this, it will consider the current state and future direction of these areas by looking at practical examples out in the field. |
| Psychology of Design | In this class students will learn about the basic characteristics of sensory perception and attention. They will also come to understand how these give rise to human error, and consider plans for reducing error through organization that gives consideration to unique human characteristics and environmental design such as affordances. |
Developmental classes Science, technology, and design theory classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Social Studies in Science and Technology | Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the fact that science, technology, and society are connected with one another in extremely multifaceted and robust ways, and the advantages and problems that this engenders. This is aimed at discovering optimal solutions for the modern challenges involving science and technology for which there is no single solution. |
| Social History of Science and Technology | This class will give students a deeper understanding of the historical processes that have shaped the relationship between modern-day science, technology, and society with an emphasis on asking “Why?” This is aimed at discovering optimal solutions for the modern challenges involving science and technology for which there is no single solution. |
| Ethics of Science and Technology | In this class students will acquire the social and ethical viewpoints and value systems that are a necessary quality for people involved in science and technology, as well as powers of judgement based on this, by conducting discussions on a variety of themes. |
| Scientific and Technical Thinking | In this class students will learn about the philosophical and ideological foundations found in the background to various scientific and technical fields, as well as the true nature of science and technology (for example, what is the nature of the knowledge gained from science and technology? etc.). They will also study the impact that scientific and technological advances have on philosophy, ideology, and also on culture. |
| Science, Technology, and Risk Communication | Students will study “risk communication,” which deals with sharing information and social consensus between various related parties when it comes to social risk related to science and technology. |
| Science, Technology, and Public Philosophy | In this class students will learn about the public philosophy line of reasoning from perspectives at the policy, science and technology, and civic levels through various specific examples from human evolution up through robotics. |
| Science and Technology Policy | In this class students will learn about the basics of Japan’s science and technology policies (historical developments and current situation), such as the Science and Technology Basic Plan and the Science and Technology Basic Act, as well as international trends. |
| Information Society Studies | In this class students will learn about the history of the concept of the information society. They will also consider how the information society has changed people’s lives, as well as the advantages and challenges that computerization has brought about for modern society through discussions. |
| International Intellectual Property Studies | In this class students will gain an understanding of the philosophy of international intellectual property strategy when it comes to the management strategies and business strategies of companies and others. Through lectures and exercises that use specific examples, they will acquire the in-depth knowledge and rudimentary practical skills necessary for international intellectual property business. |
| The Global Environment and Sustainability | In this class students will gain an understanding of the interactions between the global environment and biological communities (environmental action and environment-forming action) and the processes that preserve the global environment based on the history of the environmental changes that have occurred from the creation of the earth down to the present. |
| Ecological Theory | This class deals with several problems that arise between humans and nature in which matters like the protection of nature and biodiversity, the adoption of new technologies, improving the lives of local residents, and the preservation and development of local culture are complexly intertwined. The students will form teams to devise solutions or projects for these, which they will present. |
| Data Analysis and Statistics | Based on the introductory information on statistics the students learned in Introduction to Statistics I and Introduction to Statistics II, here the students will learn basic information on analyzing statistical data, such as variance analysis, correlation analysis, and statistical tests. They will also learn data analysis techniques that they can apply to actual problems. |
| Inclusive Design | In this class students will learn about the philosophy of and techniques for inclusive design, in which solutions to social exclusion are designed via an approach of user participation. They will also gain a foundational ability to discover and resolve challenges in society. |
| Media Design | In this class students will come to understand users through interviews and observation, then they will design media that solves the user’s problems on the basis of this. They will also make improvements to media that has been designed through user evaluations. |
| Visual Communication Design | In this class students will gain the ability to carry out visual communication design activities by constantly being aware of society and culture (feedback from both), and focusing their attention on social developments and the surrounding environment. |
| Community Design | Japanese society is facing a major turning point. Students in this class will seek ways to reconstruct and give rise to communities (community design) that surmount the various problems caused by factors like declining birthrates and the aging of society, as well as the breakdown of regional bonds and blood ties, and in which the residents retain a certain degree of satisfaction. |
| Science and Technology Studies Seminar I | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of science and technology communication (including risk communication). |
| Science and Technology Studies Seminar II | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of science and technology ethics and policy. |
| Science and Technology Studies Seminar III | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of design science. |
| Science and Technology Studies Seminar IV | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of intellectual property. |
Developmental classes Cultural and social theory classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Contemporary Japanese Thought | In this class the students will acquire knowledge on Japanese thought as a form of international education in the aim of becoming truly global human resources who are not devoted exclusively to the West. This will be done by providing the students with an overview of Japanese thought from antiquity to modernity, as they explore the potential to apply this to various problems found in modern society. |
| Modern Japanese Cultural Theory | Modern Japanese culture consists of a multitiered and composite “image.” This class will examine its “existential nature” and this “image.” The goal is to have the students attending the class constantly remain subjective when it comes to the difficulties and pleasures of considering this together with this “image” through this process. |
| Modern Japanese Studies | In this class students will closely read and appreciate various literary works (Japanese literary works, films, and comics from the modern period onward) in the aim of acquiring the skill to be able to examine Japanese society and culture in a multifaceted manner. They will also learn how this is proportional to social change by focusing on changes in how “otherness” is perceived. |
| Modern Japanese History | This class will validate ways of approaching the study of history based on documents around the theme of: “What are internationalization and modernization?” This is to be done through lectures and discussions, with the goal of cultivating in students the ability to understand and analyze historical facts. |
| Modern and Contemporary Japanese Art | The first half of the class will offer an overview of the course of the history of painting from the Muromachi Period up to the Edo Period, in the aim of providing the students with an understanding of the characteristics and development of Japanese art. The second half of the class will examine the relationship between language and art in modern and contemporary Japanese art history, and will deepen considerations of how the concept of “Japanese painting” came about and the characteristics of this field. |
| Modern Japanese Language Theory | This class will give students a general overview of basic problems found in lower-level fields of sociolinguistics so that they will acquire basic knowledge and research methodologies. Through exercises, problems and challenges will be established for each of the fields taken up in the lectures, and consideration will be given to methodologies for resolving these in concrete terms. |
| Modern Asian Culture Studies | The single most important thing for the modern-day Japanese economy is economic and technical exchanges with Asian countries. In this class students will learn about the current situations in China, South Korea, and the countries of Southeast Asia in order to get a grasp of the cultures in Asian countries. |
| Comparative Literature and Culture Studies | This class will consider Lafcadio Hearn himself and his works using comparative cultural and comparative literary research methods. It will deepen the students’ understanding of world perspectives of Japan and Japanese perspectives of the world as they study multicultural mutualism and cross-cultural understanding. |
| International Philosophy | This class redefines philosophy as an international discipline for confronting globalism that the students will study as a new form of literacy for global human resources. |
| International Art and Culture | Class-wide discussions will be held on the youth culture of the 1960s and how this differs from the present day in order to cultivate in the students the capacity for multicultural and cross-cultural understanding, as well as fundamental knowledge for when assertively taking action on the basis of this. |
| International Media Studies | This class will explain the development of the mass media from a historical standpoint, based on which it analyzes the current media- and market-like characteristics of major mass media outlets. It will also raise the level of media literacy of the students that take the class. |
| Advertising Theory | This class will analyze the various dimensions of the advertising market and advertising media historically, organizationally, and functionally, primarily from the perspective of social information communication, then have students create their own advertisements at the end to give them an understanding of this. |
| Modern Japanese Political Theory | Modern Japan has risen to its rank among the advanced nations owing to its manufacturing, but as things currently stand it has not yet fully attained the trust and potential that would put it on par with international democracies. In this class, students will pursue the challenges facing modern Japanese politics, and will discover ways of overcoming these challenges through thorough and meticulous debate. |
| Environmental Economic Theory | Students will engage in discussions that primarily focus on contemporary challenges with environmental issues from an economic dimension. They will also learn about the actual conditions when it comes to issues like the conservation of Satoyama areas, energy, and cross-border pollution and discuss solutions to these. |
| International Political Theory | This class will actively take up challenges for building a “Peaceful Asia” in relation to having Asia build peaceful communities for achieving peace among the international community based on the setting of problems and problem awareness for things like fleshing out this mentality and establishing structures. Through this, the class will deepen their understanding of ways of achieving peace. |
| International Economic Theory | Students will first gain an understanding of basic economic ways of thinking about issues like trade and capital liberalization. Then, based on this, they will come to understand why domestic and foreign problems that arise as the global economy progresses (food problems, global environmental problems, resource and energy problems, labor problems, etc.) are problematic. |
| Intellectual Property Laws | This class deals with legal knowledge and interpretations for laws like the Patent Act, Trademark Act, and Copyright Act, while also holding exercises on the practical inner workings of legal actions or strategies for them. This is designed to have the students acquire knowledge and applied skills when it comes to intellectual property law as a whole. |
| Organization Theory | This class will deepen students’ understanding of the characteristics and other aspects of each type of organizational structure and organizational configuration for public organizations such as companies, as well as naturally occurring, informal organizations between members, like those joining a company at the same time. The objective is to have the students learn a fundamental theoretical framework for management organizations to enable them to arrange and systematize actual corporate management. |
| Health Care and the Modern International Community | This class will deepen the students’ knowledge of health care and health challenges faced by modern society as the aging of the population advances, science and technology grow increasingly complicated, and social information and internationalization move forward. It will also cultivate in them problem solving abilities, such as extracting and analyzing problem points, and seeking out appropriate responses and future directions that should be taken. |
| Cultural and Social Theory Seminar I | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of modern Japanese thought and culture. |
| Cultural and Social Theory Seminar II | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of modern Japanese politics and economics. |
| Cultural and Social Theory Seminar III | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of international culture and thought. |
| Cultural and Social Theory Seminar IV | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning in the field of international politics and economics. |
Communication classes English communication classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Preparation for the TOEIC Test | This class aims to have the students acquire basic English competency, with the main focus on learning tactical approaches for each part of the TOEIC. At the end of the class, the students will take the TOEIC test and the results will form the basis for their grade. |
| TOEIC Basic Study | This class aims to expand upon the students’ basic English competency by having them practice problems from each part of the TOEIC test. They will also learn things like basic grammar, as much vocabulary as possible, pronunciation, and speed reading techniques. At the end of the class, the students will take the TOEIC test and the results will form the basis for their grade. |
| Basic Speaking | When it comes to speaking, it is important for students to express themselves without any hesitation. This class will furnish them with the ability to express familiar concepts in English and give them a certain degree of self-confidence in doing so. |
| Basic Listening | This class will foster in students listening comprehension by listening to what others have to say about themselves. Even if students cannot comprehend everything they hear at first, the class will provide them with tools for broadly getting a grasp of the topic and improving how much they understand of what they hear. |
| Basic Writing | Rather than writing by just translating Japanese text into English, here students will write in English in order to express themselves and convey their thoughts. The aim is to enable them to express themselves by writing in English about themselves. |
| Basic Reading | Reading requires the ability to gather information by reading through something, and to read and comprehend as much as possible within a fixed amount of time. This class aims to furnish students with both the ability to read extensively and the ability to comprehend written texts. |
| TOEFL Study 1 | In this class students will learn the format for the problems that appear on tests and how to answer them in order to prepare them to take primarily the IELTS, but also the TOEFL and Cambridge English Exam. Together with this, it also aims to have the students learn the basics of the four English skills. |
| Speaking 1 | This class aims to get students to organize content to be conveyed with practical expressive ability regarding the culture and society one inhabits, as well as science and technology, and then to convey this to others. |
| Listening 1 | What is the topic (subject) of what is being said? What details support this topic? What is the conclusion? By having the students comprehend what they have heard in conjunction with their listening abilities, the class aims to have them reach the level where they can present the subjects they were able to catch, even if they don’t understand everything that they heard. |
| Writing 1 | In this class students will learn to write paragraphs, which serve as the preliminary step before writing essays. The students will learn what constitutes a paragraph, and then write compositions in a variety of different genres. By doing so, the objective is to have the students gain an understanding of how to write a topic sentence and the structure of a paragraph, and to get them to the point where they can write logically structured compositions. |
| Reading 1 | This class will foster in students basic reading comprehension by having them read compositions in a variety of different genres. By reading to gather information from the supplied materials about issues surround them, the students will discover problems in the subjects that are familiar and near to them, while also gaining practice in reading. |
| Speaking 2 | This class aims to get students to the level where they can convey reliable information without errors when conveying somewhat organized, familiar content, while also enabling them to answer questions about this. |
| Listening 2 | This class further expands upon Listening 1. The students listen to communications of various different types from sources like authentic materials (for example, radio broadcasts, television broadcasts, films, etc.) in the aim of improving their listening skills. |
| Writing 2 | Here the students practice writing about themselves in English in different formats that include email, letters, and reports. They also learn how to write replies to emails and the like. |
| Reading 2 | In this class the students will accurately get a grasp of English texts and acquire the skills to convey their own opinions about them (this can be done in Japanese). It also aims to have them take an interest in and broaden their outlook on the various cultures and phenomena depicted in the texts. |
| TOEIC Study 1 | This class will supplement the parts of the test that are difficult for the students, as well as their grammar, vocabulary, and speed reading, in an intensive manner. The students will also learn more about ways of handling the test. |
| TOEIC Study 2 | In this class students will learn how they should study in order to reach a score of 600. Those students who have scored over 500 points will work on the TOEIC SW Test. |
| TOEFL Study 2 | With universities in the English speaking world that the students want to study abroad at in mind, this class aims to instill in students a subjective studying attitude by first clarifying their objectives. Efforts will be made to strengthen areas that the students personally need help with. |
| TOEFL Study 3 | In this class the students will learn about various stages of expression for academic English, including oral, written, and reading. This not only envisions the skills they will need before studying abroad, but also the skills they will need after graduating from the faculty and while studying abroad when enrolled in graduate school (or when studying abroad at or advancing onto graduate school). |
| TOEIC Study 3 | Students will learn how to extensively study English in order to reach their target score, with the aim being a score of 730 on the TOEIC. |
| TOEIC Study 4 | This is a class for scoring above 700 on the TOEIC. It requires extensive English study beyond just the test, and involves extensive reading in order for the students to acquire vocabulary and augment their speed reading skills. |
| TOEIC Study 5 | In this class students will learn genuine speed reading skills. For listening as well, they will learn listening skills premised on speed. |
| TOEIC Study 6 | Students study with an awareness of aiming for Rank A (860) on the TOEIC, while also striving to substantially improve when it comes to the SW Tests. |
| TOEIC Study 7 | This class is positioned as advanced TOEIC study. The students use a variety of tools as they aim to go from a TOEIC score of 860 to over 900. |
| TOEIC Study 8 | This class is positioned as advanced TOEIC study. To improve the students’ speed reading skills, the class aims to boost their reading skills from 150WPM to close to 200WPM. |
Communication classes Practical communication classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Language Learning Theories and Praxis I | This class will provide students with an awareness of the social nature of language by focusing primarily on the significance that learning a second language has for the individual and society. It will also instill in the students an attitude of respect for various different languages. |
| Language Learning Theories and Praxis II | In this class the students will gain the ability to continue consciously and autonomously learning languages in regards to specific plans for continuing to successfully learn languages. |
| Introduction to Communication | Through the study of communication basics, as well as verbal / nonverbal communication, interpersonal communication, and more, the students in this class will gain an understanding of thought and culture in relation to communication. They will also study basic knowledge regarding abilities for multicultural understanding, communication, self-reflection, and working together. |
| Chinese Language I | In this class students will study Chinese pronunciation, accents, and vocabulary that is used in everyday life to foster in them a foundational ability to use the Chinese they will need in the introductory stages. Through this, they will acquire the bare minimum Chinese communication skills they will need for when they are living in China. |
| Chinese Language II | In this class the students will further master the pronunciation and accents they learned in Chinese Language I. It will build up the students’ vocabulary and have them study the expressions and sentence patterns they will need in order to learn basic expressions in Chinese, thereby working to improve their ability to use the language. |
| Korean Language I | In this class students will learn basic greeting expressions and rudimentary sentence structure by focusing on Korean written characters and pronunciation. They will also acquire the bare minimum Korean communication skills they will need for when they are living in South Korea. |
| Korean Language II | In this class students will mainly study pronunciation and conversation so as to further master the basic conversational abilities they acquired in Korean Language I. They will also practice holding conversations over a wide range of situations in order to improve their conversational ability and boost their vocabulary. |
| Presentation 1 | Students will uncover problems to present. They will then learn how to give presentations, such as how to respond to these problems in seeking solutions, as they give group presentations in English. |
| Multicultural Communication Seminar | This seminar will mainly instill in students communication skills and the ability to work together internationally by having Japanese students and international students perform group activities. |
| Academic Writing | There is a common etiquette (format) for writing academic papers, and in this class the students will learn both this etiquette and the skills for writing academic English. |
| Translation | Translation does not just simply involve reading a piece, grasping its general gist, and then rendering this in Japanese. It has its own unique theory and practice. Students of this class will learn about translation theory and practice. |
| Interpretation | Interpretation contributes to allowing a great many people to get a grasp of and be aware of situations. There is a theory and techniques (skills) for carrying out interpretation, and students of this class will learn about interpretation theory and practice. |
| Design English | This class adopts a different approach from that of ordinary English classes. Here, students will learn fundamental skills that will allow them to express themselves using known English terminology when interacting with people in the English speaking world in the design field. |
| Comprehensive English of Science and Technology 1 | Students will comprehensively use the four basic English skills to discover points that they consider problematic as part of the connection between the self and the world (science and technology, information technology) and where these lie. The students do not study English itself, but rather use English to study fields that are of great interest to them personally. |
| Comprehensive English of Science and Technology 2 | In order to discover and find problems that exist in the world, the students will form groups to hold discussions in English. Group presenters will then give presentations to the class on behalf of their group. |
| Comprehensive English of Science and Technology 3 | In this class students will discover and find problems related to science and technology, form groups to hold discussions about them, and then summarize these into a single problem. Each group will discuss procedures for resolving these problems, and then give a presentation on their results. |
| Comprehensive English of Culture and Society 1 | Students will comprehensively use the four basic English skills to discover points that they consider problematic as part of the connection between the self and the world (global society, local communities and culture) and where these lie. The students do not study English itself, but rather use English to study fields that are of great interest to them personally. |
| Comprehensive English of Culture and Society 2 | In order to discover and find problems related to culture and society that exist in the world, the students will form groups to hold discussions in English, then give presentations on the results of these. |
| Comprehensive English of Culture and Society 3 | Students will discover and find problems related to culture and society that exist in the world, and then summarize these into a single problem. The focus is not on establishing the problem, but on discussing procedures for what should be done to resolve it. The students will then give presentations on their results. |
| Comprehensive English of Science and Technology 4 | Group members will submit materials to each group from which problems related to science and technology can be discovered and found. The groups will then debate and discuss as many procedures as possible for everything from discovering problems to resolving them. |
| Comprehensive English of Culture and Society 4 | Group members will submit materials to each group from which problems related to culture and society can be discovered and found. The groups will then debate and discuss as many procedures as possible for everything from discovering problems to resolving them. |
| Presentation 2 | In this class students will give comprehensive presentations in English on everything they have learned from their research related to themes that they personally set or discovered as part of their connection with the world. |
| Global Communication Seminar I | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning with the goal of holding discussions in English based on the knowledge and experiences they gain from communicating with people of different cultural and social backgrounds, and deepening said knowledge and experiences. |
| Global Communication Seminar II | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning with the goal of engaging in fieldwork based on the knowledge and experiences they gain from communicating with people of different cultural and social backgrounds, and deepening said knowledge and experiences. |
| Global Communication Seminar III | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning with the goal of preparing reports in English regarding the knowledge and experiences they gain from communicating with people of different cultural and social backgrounds. |
| Global Communication Seminar IV | In this seminar the students will carry out individual tutorial-style exercises with the main focus being on the students’ active learning with the goal of giving presentations in English on the knowledge and experiences they gain from communicating with people of different cultural and social backgrounds. |
Problem solving classes
| Class Name | Contents of the Lectures, etc. |
|---|---|
| Introductory Seminar | In this seminar the students will learn how to gather information from the library and over the internet, as well as basic methods for writing reports and giving presentations based on this information. The seminar is taught in small groups of five to seven students. |
| Yamaguchi and the World | In this class students will learn the characteristics of the local region all around them, such as Yamaguchi Prefecture’s history, culture, economy, industry, nature, and education, which they will perceive from a global outlook. What is more, in order to encourage active learning among the students taking the class, the focus will be on performing research, discussions, summarizing, and giving presentations in groups. |
| Knowledge Forum (Career Design I) | In this class students will learn about the connection between scholarship at a university and society, approaches to working in a global society, and ways of thinking and methodologies for spending one’s college days in a meaningful way. |
| Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Seminar | In this seminar students will learn debate planning and problem based learning (PBL) in a practical manner. Each professor will add in standpoints from their own areas of expertise as they encourage the students to consider challenges from a point of view that integrates specialty fields together through cooperation. By doing so, it will instill in the students an interdisciplinary point of view. |
| Methods of Social Research I | In Methods of Social Research I, students will learn viewpoints and methods for social research that utilize a qualitative approach comprised mainly of participant observation, listening, ethnographies, and more. |
| Methods of Social Research II | In this class the students will learn how to collect quantitative data through social research and how to analyze this data for a hypothetical questionnaire survey to be carried out on a large number of people. They will also learn about creating questionnaires, setting the people targeted by the questionnaire, analyzing the questionnaire results, and research ethics. |
| Regional Understanding and Partnership Seminar I | In this seminar the students will set up a research plan and prepare an interview flow with the goal of informing people outside of the prefecture and outside of Japan about Yamaguchi. For this they will utilize initiatives that use techniques for fieldwork research, research result analysis, planning, and editing for fieldwork envisioned to be carried out in the international students’ hometowns. |
| Regional Understanding and Partnership Seminar II | The students will organize the results of the fieldwork that they planned and carried out in the international students’ hometowns in Regional Understanding and Partnership Seminar I, then compile this into ethnographies. They will also prepare presentation slides and give presentations. |
| Career Education (Career Design II) | This class aims to give students an understanding of the mentality that says they are to think about their own career themselves, as well as to have them gain basic knowledge for working. Specifically, they will learn about the economy and society, companies, and also theory and facts for self-awareness. Through this, the goal is to have them learn knowledge and methodologies that will be beneficial for choosing a future career and for their job hunt. |
| Global Internship Seminar I | Based on the knowledge and skills they have acquired through other classes thus far, the students will take part in an internship on the international stage based on a specific study plan that they established on their own. |
| Global Internship Seminar II | Students who have taken Global Internship Seminar I will take part in an internship on the international stage based on a specific study plan that they established on their own. |
| Global Internship Seminar III | Students who have taken Global Internship Seminar II will take part in an internship on the international stage based on another specific study plan that they established on their own. |
| Global Internship Seminar IV | Students who have taken Global Internship Seminar III will take part in an internship on the international stage based on another specific study plan that they established on their own. |
| Project-Type Problem Solving Research | In this class students will strive to solve a problem by taking up the theme of a problem that exists in the real world, then planning and executing their own project for it. This serves as a grand culmination of everything the students have learned up through their third year. |