In 2001,
Kyushu University launched
the 21st Century Program
with the intention that
it would be an unprecedented,
and very creative, education
system. In accordance with
the Education Charter of
Kyushu University, the program
aims to train students to
acquire outstanding decision
making and problem solving
skills in order to lead
our global society in the
21st century. For this purpose,
the students are expected
to maintain a general interest
in arts and sciences throughout
their university life, while
searching for their own
specialties.
Receiving
the systematic cooperation
of teachers from all faculties
at the university, the 21st
Century Program provides
its students with several
unique educational opportunities.
One of the most prominent
opportunities is that all
lectures, seminars and practice
at Kyushu University are
open to the students of
the 21st Century Program.
This enables them to design
their own curriculum according
to their interests and goals
at the undergraduate level.
Further, all the students
are |
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 At
the “Selected Themes in
Today’s World”. Many invited
lecturers who act on the
top of the field present
today’s problems, and the
students are required to
firstly accept and understand
the problems and then to
find about the way for solving
them. |
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“Open Campus” in Kyushu
University is held in summer,
and 21st Century Program
section is managed by the
students themselves. The
visitors from high schools
are able to hear, see and
feel the real features of
the program. |
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required to take special
classes including a “Tutorial,”
a “Program Seminar,” “Selected
Themes in Today’s World”
and “Practical English,”
all of which are designed
to help them to decide their
academic orientation. In
addition, the students are
strongly encouraged to study
abroad in order to develop
international perspectives
in their modes of thinking
and attitudes.
In
2003, the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science
and Technology (MEXT) in
Japan started the Distinctive
University Education Assistance
Programs to support and
encourage unique practices
that have the potential
to improve higher education
in Japan. The 21st Century
Program was chosen as one
of these excellent models.
It is expected that the
academic community will
learn from the noteworthy
results of the 21st Century
Program, and this innovative
educational system will
contribute to the greater
improvement of higher education
in Japan. |
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