This is not just a conventional course to teach knowledge. Many original Problem/Project Based Learning (PBL) courses are in store to build the students’ strength to think for themselves and find their solution to global issues. Courses reinforcing their area of specialization can also be taken depending on their interest.
In the first year, students stay and take the courses at International Christian University (ICU) which is located in the western part of Tokyo during the Spring Semester.
Courses examples for each school year
1st YEAR
Goal：Cultivation of fundamentals, general knowledge and basic technological skills about problems of earth environment and human society
Foundation Subjects for Major (12 credits)
[BPGI original courses/PBL]
Introduction to Earth Evolution Science (1.5) etc.
General Foundation Subjects (21 credits)
Invitation to Arts and Science (1)
First Year Seminar (1)
Physical Education (1)
Foreign Languages (2)
Information Literacy (2)
ICU Liberal Arts Courses (14-18) etc. *
* In the first year, students stay and take the courses at International Christian University (ICU) which is located in the western part of Tokyo during the Spring Semester.
2nd YEAR
Goal: Cultivation of basic knowledge about various issues of earth environment and human society, management skills, problem solving skills, and communication skills through practical lessons based on PBL (Problem/Project Based Learning).
Major Subjects (Seminars/Practical Training)(18 credits)
[BPGI original courses/PBL]
Seminars on Global Issues Ⅰ (12)
(Group A : Earth Environment/Risk and Security (6)
Group B : Social Diversity and Inclusiveness/ Human Health and Wellbeing (6))
Practical Training on Global Issues Ⅰ (6)
(Group A : Earth Environment/Risk and Security (3)
Group B : Social Diversity and Inclusiveness/Human Health and Wellbeing (3))
Major Subjects (Lectures)
(15 credits)
Intro-Intermediate Macroeconomics (2)
Comparative Public Administration (2)
Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory (1)
Population and History in Japanese Perspective (2) etc.
General Foundation Subjects (5.5 credits)
Foreign Languages (2)
Physical Education (0.5)
Information Literacy (2)
Art (1)
3rd YEAR
Goal: Reinforcement of sophisticated management ability, communication skills, and suggestion skills for problem solving through practical lessons such as Field Research, Analysis, Workshop, and Proposals based on PBL
Major Subjects (Seminars/Practical Training) (18 credits)
[BPGI original courses/PBL]
Seminars on Global Issues Ⅱ (12)
(Group A : Earth Environment/Risk and Security (6)
Group B : Social Diversity and Inclusiveness/ Human Health and Wellbeing(6))
Practical Training on Global Issues Ⅱ (6)
(Group A : Earth Environment/Risk and Security (3)
Group B : Social Diversity and Inclusiveness/Human Health and Wellbeing(3))
Major Subjects (Lectures)
(15 credits)
Quaternary Environmental Change (1)
Marine Biology (1) etc.
General Foundation Subjects (1.5 credits)
Multidisciplinary Subjects (1)
Physical Education (0.5)
4th YEAR
Goal: Cultivation of management ability, communication skills, and proposal skills by acquisition of practical skills through experience such as internship and graduation research of problem solving.
Major Subjects (Seminars/Practical Training) (12 credits)
[BPGI original courses/PBL]
Seminars on Global Issues Ⅲ (6)
Practical Training on Global Issues Ⅲ (6)
Graduation Research or Internship (6 credits)
[The first year]
General Introduction to Global Issues
Description
The purpose of this course is to approach the global issues from a general point of view as a first step beforehand to be able to tackle them. Here we will define what are the Global Issues, who is concerned and who are the actors in the world. You will learn about the organizations specialized in the treatment of such worldwide concerned issues, as for example the United Nations, or other Governmental and non-governmental organizations. Also, we will look back to the story and the history of global issues, the actions that has been done, the decisions that has been taken in the past, and link it to the present and the future.
Example of topics
・ When, why and how the United Nations has been created?
・ What is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
・ How and why everyone is concerned by global Issues?
[The first year]
Methodology for Global Issues
Description
The purpose of this course is to raise the level of competence in detecting a problem. This competence is the most fundamental skill in the process of attacking global issues. You will learn the experiences of past persons and accumulate models for finding a problem in yourself. Concretely historical outstanding persons from ancient times to today are picked up and you will learn what kind of backgrounds were there at that time, what problem those persons find and how they resolve their problem.
Example of topics
・ Why and how did philosophers measure objects in Ancient Rome?
・ Why and how did scientists demonstrate phenomena by experiment in Medieval Europe?
・ Why and how did astronomers separate science from religion and demonstrate phenomena?
[The first year]
Literacy in Global Issues (Environment)
Description
The purpose of this course is to provide basic knowledge on global issues in the environmental field. Concretely, some of actual global issues related on environmental matters are picked up and you will learn factors in problems and techniques for resolving them. You will also acquire information on related academic fields, which helps you select your specialized field later. At the end of this course, you will choose a single global issue according to your interest and make a presentation on its factors and solution to encourage your skill of outputting knowledge as well as inputting.
Example of topics
・ Food production and water management in Mongolia
・ Balance of environmental conservation and tourism promotion of Mt. Fuji
・ Mitigation of thermal stress by Cheonggye Stream Restoration Project in Seoul, Korea
[The first year]
Literacy in Global Issues (Human)
Description
The purpose of this course is to approach global Issues more specifically about what concerns the world’s society. You will learn from situations that occur in people’s everyday life, according to the social context and environment where they live. Concerns are about the diversity between people, how they live together, and how they manage their health. You will choose one specific issue that you want to focus on and prepare a presentation for the end of this course from your own investigation and point of view.
Example of topics
・ The context of education in primary school on the Reunion Island (France, Indian Ocean)
・ Promotion of sports for health, education and social cohesion in France and Africa
・ Cause and consequences of the demographic situation in Japan
[The second year]
Seminars on Global Issues I-A (Earth Environment / Risk and Security)
Description
These seminars provide you with basic skills for environmental and urban regional analysis, information interpretation, presentation and discussion in order to resolve global issues. Referring to actual cases on the earth, you will learn knowledge and techniques to understand the condition and process of environment pollution. Furthermore, you will also learn theories of urban analysis and techniques of spatial analysis and social survey. Then you will deepen your understandings on those cases by focusing on historical and international contexts. At the end, you will conduct a case study, which includes problem finding, discussion and presentation.
Example of topics
・ Basic skills for water quality analysis
・ Basic skills for spatial analysis
・ Basic skills for social survey
[The second year]
Practical Training on Global Issues I-A (Earth Environment / Risk and Security)
Description
This course offers practical training to apply the knowledge and skills on scientific analysis, information interpretation, discussion and presentation you learned in Seminars on Global Issues I-A for an actual case. The case study will be conducted in the Tone River and Kinu River watershed. You will analyze data obtained through excursion and field survey and give presentation on the situation of the region and the process of resolving problems on environment and disaster risk there. Through this case study you will learn the fundamental process of resolving global issues in terms of Earth Environment and Risk and Security.
Example of topics
・ Relation between geographical features and land use and the rainfall disaster in Joso City
・ Factors of Ashio Copper Mine Pollution and the process of resolving the incident
【The second year】
Seminars on Global Issues I-B (Social Diversity and Inclusivenss / Human Health and Wellbeing)
Description
The seminars will focus on problematic aspects of social communication and health matters of aged people in the domestic context, since it is important to understand information literacy and care of the elderly in contemporary society. The seminars will approach a wide range of knowledge, assessment methods, coping and preventive strategies related to the issues of social inclusiveness and medical science of health. You will also learn basic concepts and techniques of survey to grasp problems in reality, as well as processing methods and interpretative strategies for gathered information (documents, data). At the end, you will come up with an original research project aiming at finding and solving problems of a real situation (preparation for fieldwork conducted in Practical Training I). In doing so, the seminars will aim at developing your ability to imagine and consider matters that various stakeholders can face. The classes will be based largely on activities of presentation and discussion.
Example of topics
・ Contemporary society and problematic communication (hate speech, discriminatory words, communication disorder) and field research methodology (field observation note, data collection, discourse analysis, multimodal analysis)
・ Causes of care need situation in Japan (lifestyle disease, cognitive impairment, deteriorated physical performance, malnutrition, depression, homebound, preventive strategies, physical strength measurement and assessment, etc.)
【The second year】
Practical Training on Global Issues I-B (Social Diversity and Inclusiveness / Human Health and Wellbeing)
Description
Concerning some themes or objects selected from problems viewed in Seminars I (problematic communication and discourse, nursing care need and health matters), you will conduct, individually or on a team, fieldwork. You will try to understand and/or find causes, backgrounds, processes, etc. from the perspectives of social inclusiveness and human health-wellbeing. To obtain more convincing results on basis of interview or questionnaire survey, and/or data collection will be your task. You may include an experimental method in laboratory and establish a state-of-the-art with information from media. It will be important to derive results as objective as possible in considering various types of analysis. At the end, you will give a presentation of your project in public, preferably to people outside of the program (such as high school students, academic conference, public symposium, presentation session) to obtain critical feedback on your project.
Example of topics
・ Interview to aged people accommodated in a social facility for the elderly as well as working nurses to identify communication problems in society.
・ Physical strength measurement and assessment of the elderly accommodated in the same social facility to find rooms to avoid potential risk of lifestyle disease.
