Philosophy

The philosophy of Department of Chemical Science and Engineering adheres to the tradition of Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, which emphasize creative, interdisciplinary research based on fundamental chemistry. While upholding this tradition, this department aims to cultivate outstanding researchers and engineers who possess advanced specialized and interdisciplinary knowledge. This enables them to respond quickly to the diversifying and changing demands placed on chemistry by society, as well as address global challenges such as environmental and energy problems and various urgent societal issues.

This philosophy is rooted in the words of Professor Gen-itsu Kita, mentor of Nobel laureate Dr. Kenichi Fukui: "If you want to do applied research, you must first do fundamental research." The six former chemistry departments have emphasized fundamental research, resulting in four Nobel laureates (Dr. Kenichi Fukui, Dr. Ryoji Noyori, Dr. Akira Yoshino, and Dr. Susumu Kitagawa). However, the social demands placed on chemistry have expanded significantly in recent years, and changes in this field are accelerating. Therefore, the Department of Chemical Science and Engineering was established to transform the traditional, fragmented educational and research system into one that can respond flexibly and adaptably to societal demands.

The ideal graduate of this department is a highly specialized professional with deep expertise, interdisciplinary knowledge, and an international perspective. The "Diploma Policy" emphasizes the ability to respond to expanding and rapidly changing social demands in chemistry and contribute to creating intellectual value to address urgent issues.

Furthermore, the "Curriculum Policy" stipulates that the education aims to deepen specialized knowledge through systematic instruction of academic disciplines (Tracks) and cultivate interdisciplinary knowledge through collaborative work with researchers from different fields (Research Fields (RF) /Research Modules (RM)). Through this curriculum, students will develop research capabilities and ethical values, cultivate the ability to explore new fields with a broad perspective, and develop the capacity to lead internationally. We promote education that cultivates "academic bridging ability," the ability to connect different academic fields and create innovation. This enables graduates to thrive in diverse fields and career paths, including universities, research institutes, the chemical industry, the energy industry, the steel and metal industry, the automotive industry, and the electrical industry.