Supplementary curriculum in addition to 13 specialist courses

Keywords

creation of a sustainable society, action research, creation of new values, human rights/peace/environment/development/ethics, human changeability, responsibility for the future

The ESD sub-course is an interdisciplinary course comprising the faculties of literature, economics, agriculture, intercultural studies, engineering, and human developmental science. It is called a sub-course because students in the Faculty of Human Developmental Science may study it in addition to their major.

Some of the important challenges for us are how to create a society that brings a better quality of life to all people, as well as to the next generation, while maintaining our current living standard and tackling problems about environmental destruction on a global scale and conservation of resources like energy and water. ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) is a worldwide attempt to develop solutions for these issues, and UNDESD(United Nations Decade of ESD:2005-2014) was resolved by the United Nations in 2002, following the proposal by Japan.

The three main features of the ESD sub-course are as follows. First, by giving full play to the individual character of each faculty, we provide diverse subjects that make students to consider various issues on ESD; peace, justice, human rights, ethics and health issues. Second, students may examine unsustainable societies and systems and propose solutions by going out into local communities and participating in activities beyond the academic sphere, i.e. action research. Finally, by earning 14 credits including the related main subjects, upon completion of the four-year course, students also receive the certificate of ESD practitioner. As a result of this unique structure, graduates of this course would be able to achieve a comprehensive perspective, not a one-sided viewpoint from each expertise, and develop the ability to coordinate with organizations and the volition and the management skills to solve problems in society.