Under its founding principle of “a single unified university, free and pursuing peace,” Hiroshima University advocates the five guiding principles: (1) the Pursuit of Peace, (2) the Creation of New Forms of Knowledge, (3) the Nurturing of Well-Rounded Human Beings, (4) Collaboration with the Local, Regional, and International Community, and (5) Continuous Self-Development.

In line with the five guiding principles, graduate school education at Hiroshima University is designed to:

1.     Promote and deepen fundamental academic research;

2.     Lay a path to new areas of study by facilitating general and advanced research activities in various academic disciplines;

3.     Through these active efforts, develop human resources as researchers and experts equipped with high research and application capabilities; and

4.     Consequently, contribute to developing the academic world on a global scale and enhancing the welfare of humanity.

The principles of the Graduate School of Science at Hiroshima University is to create and develop new knowledge that will shape our future by pursuing the truth of nature, the purpose of science, and to thereby contribute to the harmonious progress of humanity. The Graduate School of Science seeks to play a leading role in international academic research activities by promoting specialized research in various areas of science and facilitating cutting-edge research, in line with the tradition of its predecessor, Hiroshima University of Literature and Science, which was founded in 1929.

We have also devoted every effort to developing outstanding human resources who can play active roles in academia, industry and society, by offering an education that places prime importance on the development of creativity and respect for nature and life. In particular, we accept students who have broad-based knowledge and skills with undergraduate education as their basis and provide an education involving specialized research activities, under the following two concrete objectives:

(1) Produce researchers who can lead in the field of basic science, which serves as the foundation of modern science, and with the ability to shape the frontiers of basic science for the next generation.

(2) Develop human resources equipped with advanced technical skills and knowledge that will enable them to respond to various social needs and play an active part in various spheres in our present globalized society.

The common objectives and policy shared by all the departments of the Graduate School of Science are as follows.

• Acceptance of students with diverse backgrounds

To accept students with diverse backgrounds, we have introduced a wide variety of screening methods, ranging from a general entrance examination to a recommendation-based examination, and special screening systems for working people, middle to older aged people, students enrolled in the third year of university, and international students.

• Curriculums covering a wide range of fields in the natural sciences

The curriculum of each department of the Graduate School of Science consists of compulsory courses to develop basic academic skills and elective courses covering a wide range of areas. Moreover, we will provide students with opportunities to acquire a broader knowledge and understanding of the natural sciences, by jointly holding seminars with other graduate schools related to the natural sciences.

• Step-by-step education and research activities

In the Master’s Program, students begin with the acquisition of a broad range of basic knowledge and proceed to more specialized and advanced research in their areas of specialization, and then to learning about research results obtained in other related areas, in a step-by-step manner. The Doctoral Program provides students with a higher level of education and research in their major field of study, eventually enabling them to carry out their own creative research.

  Developing research capabilities:

Students will develop the ability to have insightful discussions and enhance thinking skills by participating in small group-based seminars. Tutorial training, in addition to seminars, will also be provided to enhance students’ ability to present their research results.

• Development of an international perspective

To develop an international perspective, seminars and classes will be held in English. Students are also encouraged to participate in research and educational programs held in other universities overseas.

• Introduction to interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research

Priority area-related lectures and seminars will be proactively conducted with lecturers who are researchers from inside and outside the University to increase the number of opportunities for students to be exposed to interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research activities.

• Progressive effort toward new fields of study

We are making active efforts to establish a new field of interdisciplinary study that can respond to the diversification of fundamental science, with the aim of giving students the incentive to tackle frontier sciences. Support will also be provided to students working on interdisciplinary research by introducing a tutoring system using a number of instructors.

• Student Support System

Supervising instructors will provide advice and counseling to students of diverse backgrounds. Tutors and career services office staff will also provide assistance across a broad spectrum in order to improve the quality of campus life, including studying, future careers and everyday life.

• Efforts to improve the quality of education

We are working to improve the quality of education by keeping track of the current status of graduate education and the educational achievements of our graduate students.