The Experience and Problems of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, Nagasaki University Holding the Idea of “Fusion Between Science and Humanity”

• Published in: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 627 - 631
• Main Author: HAYASE, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, JAPAN 2006; 社団法人 環境科学会
• Subjects: Environment-Related Faculty, Fusion Between Science and Humanity, Systematization of Education and Research; 環境冠学部,文理融合,研究教育の体系化
• ISSN: 0915-0048; 1884-5029
• DOI: 10.11353/sesj1988.19.627

I reviewed the development of the faculty of Environmental Studies, Nagasaki University, which was established in October 1997 under “the idea of fusion between Science and Humanity” to cope with environmental problems, and then considered the residual problems to be challenged by it. The main point to be examined is found out to be whether “the idea” is put into force effectively at the practice in education and research. Continuous efforts to improve its curriculum including the faculty development activities have been carried out with the purpose of putting “the idea” into practice and, as a result, advancement of correlation and systematization of diversified subjects to be studied by students is evaluated to have been gradually promoted. Three problems to be challenged were pointed out. To draw a future design of the faculty shared by the staffs with more structuralized curriculum is one of the pressing problems. It is also important to continue the trial-and-error challenge to systematize education and research activities with the approach which strengthens the relation between constituent staffs. Finally, to expand a regional cooperation is a very important challenge to support and develop regional community which can manage environmental loads and risk responsively.