The Purpose of Education in ISI

 Today, we face various challenges: global warming, biodiversity loss, extreme weather events like sudden torrential rain, natural disasters such as earthquakes or typhoons, pandemics with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, food problems, various conflicts, disparities, discrimination, and so on. These problems threaten the stability and safety of our society.

 Solutions to these challenges are being sought by utilizing advanced science and technology, such as information technology or artificial intelligence (AI), which shows some practical effectiveness of technological development for problem solutions. However, we should also consider that advanced science and technology sometimes have the potential to cause further problems and even threaten our survival (e.g., the invention of nuclear weapons and the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima in 2011). This suggests that solving the challenges we currently face requires not only short-term technological solutions but also long-term efforts utilizing the wisdom and ingenuity of people from diverse backgrounds.

 ISI awards the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Science to those with a strong will to challenge the issues we now face and have acquired the “Interdisciplinary Innovative Skills” essential for solving these issues in the future.

Learning Objectives

• A-1. (Basic Active Learning Skills) Students can actively consider and analyze problems constructively and critically with various knowledge from the liberal arts and sciences.
• A-2. (Basic Collaborative Skills) Students can tackle problems by collaborating and communicating with people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
• B-1. (Knowledge and Understanding)Students have adequate knowledge of academic disciplines and the skills necessary for analyzing and solving issues. Students can clearly explain the relations between disciplines and issues.
• B-2. (Information Literacy) Students acquire the knowledge and literacy of mathematical and data sciences and can properly analyze, integrate, and utilize various types of data and information for considering and solving problems.
• C-1-1. (International Communication Skills) Students can communicate and cooperate with people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
• C-1-2. (Practical Active Learning Skills) Students can explore and acquire the knowledge and abilities necessary for considering and solving issues by themselves.
• C-2-1. (DeepAnalytical Skills) Students can analyze the root causes and solutions of issues by utilizing different disciplines and perspectives.
•  C-2-2. (Backcast Thinking Skills for the Future) Students can make effective road maps for solving issues through backcast thinking from an ideal future, creating social value and innovation.
•  C-2-3. (Practical Collaborative Skills) Students can establish effective and feasible ways of solving issues and modifying them through collaboration and discussion with people from diverse backgrounds.
• D. (Interdisciplinary Innovative Skills) Students can effectively challenge and solve issues by utilizing International Communication Skills, Active Learning Skills, Deep Analytical Skills, Backcast Thinking Skills for the Future, and Practical Collaborative Skills.

 We have organized the curriculum to achieve the diploma policy.(Curriculum Map)

 Basic Active Learning (A-1) and Basic Collaborative Skills (A-2) are cultivated through taking the following KIKAN Education Subjects: Kikan Education Seminar; Interdisciplinary Collaborative Learning of Social Issues; Theory of Cyber Security; Academic English; Second Foreign Language; English for Departmental Education; Subjects in Humanities and Social Sciences; Subjects in Sciences; Health and Sports; General Subjects; and Kikan Education Subjects for Students in the 2^nd year and above. Each subject provides basic knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for studying at ISI and Kyushu University.

 Based on knowledge, skills, and abilities learned through Kikan Education Subjects, ISI organizes the following curriculum to acquire “International Communication Skills,” “Practical Active Learning Skills,” “Deep Analytical Skills,” “Backcast Thinking Skills for the Future,” and “Interdisciplinary Innovative Skills.”

Course Categories

 ISI classifies courses into five categories: ISI Basic Courses; Framing and Analytical Courses (Approach Subjects; ISI Basic Seminar; and Lecture Series); Interdisciplinary Innovative Courses (Issue-based Subjects; ISI Advanced Seminar; and Degree Project); Collaborative Courses; and International Learning Courses. Students can gradually deepen their knowledge, skills, and abilities for considering and solving issues by taking these subjects from fundamental to advanced and practical levels.

 Approach Subjects in the Framing and Analytical Courses are designed to acquire academic knowledge and skills necessary for analyzing and considering issues. They are classified into three categories; Humanities and Social Sciences; Natural Sciences; and Interdisciplinary Sciences. Issue-based Subjects in the Interdisciplinary Innovative Courses aim to consider issues for maintaining the sustainability of the Earth, Eco-systems, and Human Societies. They are classified into the following five areas based on the scales of the issues and perspectives: Human and Life; People and Society; States and Regions; Earth and Environment; and Area Integrated.

The Structure of the Curriculum

 The following are the relations between the curriculum and the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected to be acquired in ISI.

  “International Communication Skills (C-1-1),” “Knowledge and Understanding (B-1),” and “Information Literacy (B-2)” are the basis for learning in ISI. Students acquire these skills by taking Kikan Education Subjects and “ISI Fundamental Courses” in the first and second years and taking “Approach Subjects” in the second year and above.

“Practical Active Learning Skills (C-1-2)” is mastered by acquiring a broad perspective and basic thinking processes through taking “ISI Fundamental Courses” and “Approach Subjects” from the first to the third years.

Students develop “Deep Analytical Skills (C-2-1)” by mastering various academic disciplines essential for analyzing and considering issues in “Approach Subjects,” “ISI Basic Seminar,” and “Lecture Series,” which mainly start in the second year.  

“Backcast Thinking Skills for the Future (C-2-2)” are cultivated by combining various types of academic knowledge, skills, and abilities and learning by trial and error while exploring potential solutions of issues through taking “Issue-based Subjects” from the third year.

“Practical Collaborative Skills (C-2-3)” are acquired by the practices in “Collaborative Courses” and “International Learning Courses.” “Collaborative Courses” are advanced Team-Based Learning (TBL) and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) subjects to enhance “Collaborative Skills” acquired in Kikan Education. In these courses, students develop collaborative methods and skills for tackling challenging issues by utilizing each student's knowledge and skills and working together to consider issues and find practical and feasible solutions. “International Learning Courses” are required courses for domestic students in which they go abroad to study, perform research, or join an internship abroad; while international students are also eligible for activities abroad, they usually should join an internship in Japan. “Collaborative Courses” and “International Learning Courses” are designed for students to learn about different historical and cultural backgrounds and improve their language and communication skills. Students can develop and enhance “International Communication Skills” by taking these courses.

“Interdisciplinary Innovative Skills (D)” are skills and abilities essential for developing solutions to issues. Students can acquire and develop these by collaborating with people from different backgrounds, studying abroad, and combining and using various academic disciplines, knowledge, domains, skills, and abilities effectively. Students try to analyze their chosen issues by fully utilizing “Interdisciplinary Innovative Skills” in “Advanced ISI Seminar” and “Degree Project.”

[Curriculum Classification and Reviewing Scheme]

 ISI classifies the curriculum into the following four levels.

・Introductory Level: Students establish the foundations of their approach toward learning actively (Practical Active Learning Skills) and practicing efficient international communication (International Communication Skills), mainly in the first year.

・Basic Level: Students acquire the basic skills and abilities to work together to tackle issues (Practical Collaborative Skills) and the basic knowledge and skills of academic disciplines necessary for analyzing issues (Deep Analytical Skills), mainly in the second year.

・Applied Level: Students master advanced knowledge and skills of academic disciplines essential for analyzing issues (Deep Analytical Skills) and the abilities to consider and search for potential solutions to issues by combining various academic knowledge and skills and collaborating with people from different backgrounds (Backcast Thinking Skills for the Future, Practical Collaborative Skills), mainly from the third year onward.

・Interdisciplinary Innovative Level: Students develop and enhance “Interdisciplinary Innovative Skills” by synthesizing “International Communication Skills,” “Practical Active Learning Skills,” “Deep Analytical Skills,” “Backcast Thinking Skills for the Future,” and “Practical Collaborative Skills,” mainly in the last year.

Ideal Candidate Profile

 To achieve the ideals and objectives in its Education Charter, Kyushu University National University Corporation seeks students who will grow into active learners with the desire to learn for themselves and the ability to go further in posing their own questions, scrutinizing and considering the issues creatively and critically, and working with others to solve problems based on a broad outlook. This growth will be stimulated by the comprehensive liberal arts education and specialist primary education provided at the university, building upon the general education in basic disciplines and subjects provided at high school and similar educational institutions.

 The School of Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation welcomes students with the following qualities, abilities, and attitudes.

 Initiative and attitude for active learning: Spontaneously seeking and acquiring various knowledge and skills necessary for considering issues and finding solutions for them in the future.

 Strong will for collaboration: Willingly collaborating with people from different backgrounds and perspectives and working together for searching ways to solve issues.

 Critical thinking: Considering and reviewing not only existing academic knowledge and findings but also your thought and ideas critically, correcting errors and mistakes, and improving knowledge, findings, and ideas.

 International Perspectives: Eagerly collaborating with people worldwide to improve our future and continuously improving language skills to achieve this end.

The Relation between the Ideal Candidate and the Three Academic Abilities

1. Knowledge and skills: Knowledge and skills acquired through education at high school and similar educational institutions. In addition, a strong interest in global and local events, a powerful desire to engage in international activities, and a passion for acquiring the language skills necessary for these activities.
2. Thinking, Judgment, and Expression: Thinking and judging critically with broad perspectives, expressing your ideas by yourselves, constantly reflecting on yourselves, admitting mistakes and errors, and willingly learning lessons from mistakes and errors.
3. Active Attitudes for collaborating with and learning from others: Respecting diversity and different ideas, willingly learning from others, and collaborating with people with diverse backgrounds for future solutions to issues now we face.

Entrance Examinations

　The entrance examinations for ISI are designed to identify candidates’ abilities and skills rather than specific subject knowledge with the following four strategies.

1. Four Different Types of Examinations

   To select ideal candidates, ISI implements four different types of Entrance Examinations: Comprehensive Admission; Recommendation-Based Admission; General Admission; and International Admission. ISI evaluates candidates’ abilities, skills, attitudes, and aptitudes in each admission from multiple perspectives.

2. Questions answerable for both the Humanities and Science backgrounds

   The entrance examinations of ISI use questions accessible to both Humanities and Science backgrounds (except for international candidates).

3. Personal Statement for Application

   ISI requires all the candidates to submit a Personal Statement of Application and checks eagerness, reasons, and aptitudes for ISI.

4.  Reasonable Care for Candidates with Disabilities

   Candidates who will need accommodation or support when taking an ISI entrance examination or after entering ISI are encouraged to contact us so that we can consider giving reasonable care.

Table of Selection Methods