Graduate School of Environment and Energy EngineeringWaseda University

Objectives of WEEE

Massive consumption of energy and resources, despite their function as a source of our social economic activities, has contributed to deterioration of the environment, an end-result of such activities. Given the correlation and based on various perspectives of technology, policy, and legislation, WEEE provides education and research opportunities in the fields of energy, resources, and environment.

Concepts of WEEE

WEEE welcomes students in all walks of life, ranging from new college graduates, people with experiences in the government and business sectors, to the general public with an interest in these fields. WEEE values the perspective of each student, encourages students to discuss their opinions with each other, and provides education and research opportunities where students can exercise issues analyzing and solving in cooperation, availing themselves of the autonomy and neutrality of the University.

Five basic concepts of education and research at WEEE are as follows:

Academic-field Integrated approach: Implementation of education and research integrated with methods and systems from various academic fields.

The co-creation work of five-citizens: Establishing education and research based on the collaborative work of the public (citizen consumers), industry (corporate citizens), government (administrative citizens), academia (academic citizens), and overseas partners (overseas citizens).

Thorough practice of three actuals, “The Sangen Shugi (site/actual items/reality)” —utilizing society as an experimental field— : Providing opportunities for students to ascertain and analyze issues in the real world and turn to experimental and empirical methods for resolutions of the issues, and developing advanced OJT (on the job training) education and research that complies with and surpasses the needs of the times.

Co-production with society, based on firmly maintained independence and autonomy of the University: With an axis on the University’s independence and autonomy, practicing education and research in cooperation with society to live up to the public trust.

Technology and methods practical to society: Use of academic achievements and incorporating the technology, methods, and policy, which are expected to be materialized as a socioeconomic system, in education and research.

Objective of Talent Cultivation

WEEE adopts an Academic-field integrated approach and analysis and synthesis techniques based on the concept, “The three actuals, Sangen Shugi (site/actual items/reality).” WEEE aims to cultivate students with design and insights into environmental and energy issues who will be able to play practical and strategic roles.

Students of WEEE will be expected to possess:

・From the perspective of comprehensive ability:

1. the ability to draw upon penetrating insight to integrate and utilize specialized knowledge and wisdom
2. the ability to establish logic for strategic problem-solving

・From the perspective of comprehensive humanity:

1. high ethical standards that are rooted in life
2. the ability to generate ideas from the viewpoint of ‘global citizen’

・From the perspective of specialized knowledge and wisdom:

1. the ability to use scientific methods to solve problems
2. the ability to fully utilize analysis and synthesis techniques in problem-solving process

WEEE aims to produce graduates with these abilities and qualities who are capable of acting as local and global leaders in the fields toward resolution of issues concerning the environment, energy, and resources. Their roles as leaders may include devising objectives and plans to help guide countries, regions, and the world in the arena of the environment and energy etc., and developing advanced administration in the central and local governments. They are also expected to supervise the applicable field in businesses, lead research and studies on the environment and energy etc., and take initiatives as a citizen and act globally at international institutions in the field.

Diploma Policy

Waseda University is committed to producing graduates who can use both the university’s broad scope and their own individuality to make a pivotal contribution to global society. For this, they will benefit from the university’s systematic educational framework, its university-wide academic environment, and its student-to-student relationships to develop an intimate relationship with multifaceted areas of academic, culture, language, and values.

WEEE adopts a degree conferment system in which master’s and doctoral students will have their engineering or social sciences degrees conferred upon them. WEEE has established an International Environmental Leaders Program, through which certification as an International Environmental Leader is certificated upon completion of the recommended courses or through research and studies conducted at domestic and overseas.

WEEE aims to cultivate students’ abilities to tackle worsening energy and environmental problems in a practical and strategic manner based on academic-field integrated approach and the use of the analysis and design methodology which derives from the disciplines of science and engineering or social sciences and humanities. Students will also be nurtured with the ability to act with a global perspective based on deep insight in the applicable field as well as an understanding of the sense of ordinary citizens.

Learning Outcome 1. [Master’s programs (in Engineering/Arts)]

Students develop basic knowledge and applied skills in the field of environment and energy in engineering or social sciences and humanities through lecture courses.

Learning Outcome 2. [Master’s programs (in Engineering/Arts)]

Students develop the ability to carry out practical and strategic activities based on a cross-disciplinary approach toward resolving environmental/energy-related problems by making effective use of engineering or social sciences and humanities methods of analysis and design through group exercises, research guidance and personal exercises.

Learning Outcome 3. [Master’s programs (in Engineering/Arts)]

Students develop communication skills, international mind-set and expertise in the field of environment and energy. And put themselves in the shoes of ordinary citizens and make responses from an international point of view through the International Environmental Leader Program.

Learning Outcome 4. [Master’s programs (in Engineering/Arts)]

Students promote the spirit of autonomy and tolerance, by working with society while sticking to the principle of maintaining the university’s independence and autonomy, and developing, proposing and implementing technologies and methods for society, through master’s theses.

Learning Outcome 5. [Doctoral programs (in Engineering/Arts)]

Students develop the ability to carry out creative research in accordance with research guidance, publish several peer-reviewed papers, give presentations at academic conferences held in Japan and abroad, and consolidate their research results into doctoral dissertations.

Curriculum Policy

In addition to the research instructions and seminars that are provided by each faculty to allow students to acquire basic knowledge and applied skills in the disciplines of engineering or social sciences and humanities (Arts), WEEE offers an array of courses that are co-instructed by faculty from different specialist fields. These include cross-disciplinary practical programs developed based on the Project Based Learning (PBL) approach. First-year master’s students will receive hands-on education on research thesis development skills and opportunities to develop their own multi-faceted research themes. As an extension of our PBL-based practical programs, the curriculum also includes community-based exercises conducted by groups. The lecture courses consist of core courses provided by WEEE faculty and recommended courses, including joint courses that are co-organized with other graduate schools. These courses are structured to allow students to acquire a broad spectrum of specialist knowledge in the field of environment and energy in a systematic manner. Students may select courses according to their areas of specialty in engineering or social sciences and humanities (Arts) (Learning Outcome 1), but the Research Ethics course is mandatory. To help second-year master’s students produce more sophisticated research content for their master’s theses, a joint instruction system is adopted with the aim of providing seminar courses that are co-instructed by more than one faculty member (Learning Outcome 2) to help students develop their theses (Learning Outcome 4). Furthermore, WEEE provides a program for both master’s and doctoral students that grants them certification as an International Environmental Leader upon completion of certain courses, such as international environmental laws and regulations and environmental business, or through research and studies conducted in Japan or overseas (Learning Outcome 3). Although doctoral students are not required to enroll in any courses, they may enroll in master’s courses as necessary. In doctoral programs, students proactively publish their academic papers at academic conferences as well as in Japanese or overseas journals and then consolidate the results into doctoral dissertations under research guidance (Learning Outcome 5).

Admission Policy

Under its educational philosophy of Academic Independence, Waseda University welcomes many domestic and international students who have strong basic academic skills, intellectual curiosity, and an Enterprising Spirit, which is one of the University’s educational principles, and are highly motivated for learning.

Aiming to promote research and education based on a cross-disciplinary approach and international mindedness, WEEE accepts human resources from a wide variety of backgrounds, such as both arts and sciences, as well as adult and international students.

Master’s students are admitted through recommendation from among Waseda University students and via the following examinations: the General Entrance Examination (in which applicants are screened through specialized subject examinations and interviews), the Admission Office Entrance Examination (in which applicants are screened through oral examinations and presentations) and the Special Entrance Examination for International Students, which is held for partner institutions. In the General Entrance Examination, applicants are screened based on their levels of mastery of specialized subject knowledge and research plans. In the Admission Office Entrance Examination, applicants are screened through comprehensive evaluation of their undergraduate study results (irrespective of disciplines), such as their graduation theses, motivation for research in WEEE, research planning skills and other relevant aspects. One requirement for international applicants is that they must be able to communicate smoothly in Japanese. To be admitted to doctoral courses, applicants are required to pass the same types of entrance examinations as for master’s courses, to have the abilities required to earn a doctoral degree, and to have a broad spectrum of advanced expertise, experience, theory and motivation in the field of environment and energy. In particular, examiners place special emphasis on their past research results, such as presentations at academic conferences and articles published in academic journals.