Yoshiki Sugiyama Graduated March, 2007

I am interested in the concept of sustainability, particularly, in economic societies that embrace ecosystems; this is why I came to this graduate school where Professor Washida is part of the faculty. The content of ecological economics that I wanted to study was very new and I was able to develop new perspectives to the relationship between nature and human society. In the professor’s seminars, I was always asked insightful questions, and each time I was asked a question I thought to myself, “So this is what it is like to think deeply about something,” thus allowing me to deepen my understanding about environmental economics. In addition to this, we also attended practical lectures. In one case, I learned about environmental management by reading the environmental report of a certain company, going there to conduct further research and asking questions directly to people from that company; this for me was an opportunity that made me feel as if I was tackling environmental problems from a practical standpoint. Thinking about environmental problems from both theoretical and practical perspectives during my two years at the graduate school was an extremely rewarding experience.

Hiroyasu Morita Graduated March, 2008

When attending public lectures at Sophia University, the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies was established and I learnt that it was also open to working people and thus I enrolled. I was 65 years old and had already worked at two companies; yet, people around me were very understanding and, thus, I was able to complete the two years of my course without any problems. Most of the students at the graduate school were young and had just completed their undergraduate studies; however, there were also people with jobs and people who were close to my age, therefore, I was able to study without feeling uncomfortable. Because of my job, I already a knew a little about waste disposal and recycling and was concerned about environmental issues. Despite this, however, I feel that it was during my two years of study that I was really able to pull together my thoughts. Although it had been 40 years since I graduated from university and had numerous worries about examinations, reports, and my master’s degree thesis, I was able to gain a lot of fresh knowledge from debates in classes and weekly seminars. Now, I am glad that I was able to study in such a stimulating environment. There may be some who question entering graduate school at my age, but I feel that I will certainly have an opportunity to put my numerous years of experience and new knowledge to use in society.

Ayae Oshima, Graduated in March 2007

The thing that most vividly sticks in my mind about Professor Yagishita’s seminars is when he said, “I may have a sharp tongue, but I take care of my students.” When he said that he looked after his students, he truly meant it. As the research in Professor Yagishita’s seminars aimed at establishing methodologies and content that was of immediate relevance to the real world, we were sometimes required to over-exert ourselves and, knee-deep in vast quantities of documents and materials, there were times when we lost our way. However, during these times Professor Yagishita did not fail to uncover the problems and give us a sense of direction by always raising the motivation level of each student through his seminars. Also, he sometimes conducted seminars at his house in the form of training camps or barbeques. At other times, we got to listen to him play the piano at his favorite restaurant, which gave his seminars a homelike ambience. Thanks to his lively seminars, I was able to lead a fulfilling research life.

Kazunari Uesugi Graduated March, 2008

What kind of image comes to mind when you hear the word “environmental problems”? Global warming? Damage to the ozone layer? The problem of waste materials? The destruction of ecosystems? Everybody, most likely, has a different image. In my case, rather than coming up with solutions for each of the aforementioned environmental problems, I was interested in things such as why these kinds of problems occur and the kind of optimal society that could minimize the damage caused by these problems. Professor Owada’s seminar certainly met my expectations in investigating these issues. This seminar shed light on the essential structure of environmental policies, it highlighted the failings in conventional policies and initiated lively debates on ways in which better policies could be formed. I was by no means a model student; nevertheless, I was blessed with a professor who taught me with kindness, and sometimes strictness, as well as with good classmates, and I was able to gain an understanding of important issues necessary for considering environmental issues in the future. My two years spent at graduate school were extremely meaningful.

I recommend this course to people like me who wish to know about the structure of environmental issues on a fundamental level, those who wish to engage in heated debate and, since the professor is an expert on China, to those who wish to study environmental problems related to East Asia that includes China. If none of the above applies to you, please come along to Professor Owada’s seminar anyway! You will find that you will lead a meaningful student life if you do!

Tomoka Harada Graduated March, 2008

Professor Fujii’s seminars considered global environmental problems from the angle of finance and, with his motto of “seeing is believing,” these were seminars with a difference that considered anything from the environment to life (looking for jobs, etc). During my two years of seminars, it was conducting a simulation of an SRI fund that took into consideration both the environment and society, which was the biggest asset to me. During this time, he invited several guest lecturers to the seminars, which on occasion turned into an intense battlefield of debate. This kind of seminar meant that students could express their opinions seriously and it was thanks to Professor Fujii that our opinions were taken seriously and we were given guidance. Moreover, it was not the kind of seminar in which we only conducted debates in a classroom, but rather it provided other opportunities as well, such as a visit to a Sharp factory. For those who wish to better themselves in a variety of different ways, seeing is believing.

Takamitsu Ishigaki

I would like to prevent the destruction of man-made forests. The state of domestic man-made forests that I saw from thinning projects, which were undertaken when I was an undergraduate student made me decide to go on to study at this graduate school. After enrollment, I gained knowledge on not only resource depletion, but also global warming and environmental problems and several other causes of pollution by considering from a range of fields such as law and economics, which forms the basis of my research. The outstanding feature of this graduate school is its range of talented people. Starting with Professor Washida, whose seminar I am conducting, the professors—all of whom are professionals in their respective fields—are very approachable and there are research students with a wide range of experience, such as professionals and international students, thus giving me the opportunity to develop by interacting with a range of diverse people.

Noriko Akita

As an undergraduate student in the faculty of liberal arts, I studied mainly international relations, which was wide-ranging, yet limited in depth. Among my study topics, I was particularly interested in environment and policy, and thus applied to this graduate school in order to study this subject in more depth. At present, in Professor Yagishita’s seminar, I am conducting research on waste material policies in local governmental bodies. The seminars are always stimulating and full of new discoveries, especially in presentations given by the professor and students as well as the reading materials and discussions. Also, other than seminars and lectures, there are numerous opportunities to study a range of things independently at on-campus lectures and workshops.

Ying Lin

I feel that environmental cooperation between Japan and China is the most important key to solving the environmental problems of China, which is why I decided to study at this graduate school. During these past nine months, I could conduct my research successfully. In particular, as an international student who has come from a developing nation, the most attractive thing for me is to be able to make use of my own special talents and study a range of topics in environmental research. I feel that my experience at this graduate school will help contribute to making my country a prosperous and stable place with an environment in which people can live their lives peacefully.