Faculty of
Science Division I

Science is the most basic study which seeks the fundamental truths and laws undergirding the natural world. Each department within the Faculty of Science Division I emphasizes basic science and research and ensures that enough time is devoted to each for equipping students with advanced expertise. At the same time, however, the departments also emphasize the development of a broader, well-rounded education that goes beyond science. The aim of this is to facilitate the university’s goal of producing graduates who will go on to success in a wide variety of fields, which includes the humanities.

Science is fundamental not only to the engineering that produces the technologies we use throughout our world, but the elemental questions which it encompasses are, themselves, increasingly being applied to and driving innovation within our industrial society, as exemplified by quantum computing. In addition, there is a need for more interdisciplinary efforts, such as we see with the mathematics underlying machine learning-driven AI technology and the atmospheric physics and geophysics which hold the key to solving climate change. Even as science shifts towards more universal human concerns and societal issues, it continues to make important contributions. In the Faculty of Science Division I, our emphasis is not limited to certain specialized fields and research areas but freely explores neighboring fields and research areas as well. Within the university, we have also established interdisciplinary research organizations which serve to bridge the divide between separate departments. In recent years, we have instituted a variety of new initiatives, including developing programs and policies based on student survey feedback and instituting “inverted learning,” as part of our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of students’ daily classroom and lecture experience.