By the end of this century, the human population is expected to reach 10 billion, placing a huge demand on food production and bioresources. Environmental problems such as deforestation, soil salinization, desertification and water pollution are also growing concern. In recent years, issues such as food safety have also become increasingly prevalent. Faced with this situation, the Graduate School of Agriculture seeks to find a way for humans to coexist in harmony with their environment.
Agricultural science is the integration of life, food and environmental sciences. In addition to biological fields, it encompasses chemistry, physics and the social sciences, particularly economics. Through its education and research undertakings, the Graduate School and Faculty of Agriculture aims to cultivate specialists with a broad, flexible and multidisciplinary outlook, and an understanding of international perspectives. The school aims to function as a center for interdisciplinary education and research on agriculture in Japan.
The Graduate School of Agriculture comprises seven divisions: Agronomy and Horticultural Science, Forest and Biomaterials Science, Applied Life Sciences, Applied Biosciences, Environmental Science and Technology, Natural Resource Economics, and Food Science and Biotechnology. It also has affiliated experimental and livestock farms. The Special Course in Agricultural Sciences, in which all classes are conducted in English, was established in April 2010.
The Faculty of Agriculture is devoted to undergraduate education and comprises six departments: Bioresource Sciences, Applied Life Sciences, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Food and Environmental Economics, Forest and Biomaterials Science, and Food Science and Biotechnology.