Department

Department of Ecosystem Studies

An ecosystem comprises diverse organisms and their environments, which compose complex interaction systems including human society and its activities.
The Department of Ecosystem Studies focuses on the integral understanding of component processes and their interactions in natural and artificial ecosystems through field experiments and practical field training around Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. "The Department deals with hydrospheric ecosystems such as lakes, marshes, rivers and oceans; terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, agricultural farms and residential areas; and the global environment such as with atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. "For accelerating educational and research activities in the field, the Lake Experimental Station and the Watershed Experimental Station serve as supporting facilities.

Department of Environmental Policy and Planning

One of the most urgent challenges for us living in the 21st century is to transform our society into a sustainable one. The Department helps students acquire knowledge and skills to make the behavior of governments, corporations and individuals more consciousful healthy environment.
The subjects relating to environmental policy and planning range from social sciences to natural sciences. While learning the basics and methodologies of both, students can strengthen their own fields of interest. The wide variety of the programs offered is reflected in the diverse career options upon graduation. Students can plan their careers by selecting the courses to take, and through those courses, can develop practical skills that are useful in their professional jobs.

Department of Design and Architecture

The programs of the Department of Design and Architecture are aimed to develop students' abilities to comprehensively design living spaces and urban systems for harmony between human activities and regional environment. Faculty and students collaborate to find and propose original ideas.
In the department, students are trained mainly in the design of houses and buildings, public facilities, urban and rural spaces, and landscapes. The Department features programs on the planning, design and engineering of these architectures, programs on town and country planning, urban design and community development, and programs on landscape architecture for the coexistence of humans and nature. We study the method of environmental design and sustainable development to establish harmony between human life and the natural, historical and cultural environment.

Department of Biological Resources Management

The Department handles various subjects such as biological resources, genetic resources, biological production based on botanical pathology and ecology, water and soil resources based on engineering, and physics, and economical policies considering harmonization and maintenance between production activities and the natural environment. To respond to these problems, the students develop strong understanding and knowledge of proper control and management of biological resources. The Department emphasizes technical education through outdoor experiment at "the Agricultural Field Laboratory" on the campus, as well as on-the-spot investigations of agricultural production and its impact on the environment. Students learn the method of, and technology for, sustainable agricultural production compatible with natural ecosystem conservation, through studies on weather, soil and water condition in the agricultural land.