つくばの森で学ぶ（寄稿）大学院共通科目

緑豊かなキャンパス

新緑の季節を迎え、筑波大学キャンパスにはさわやかな風が吹き渡っています。講義棟のすぐ横でオオルリが囀っていたりするほどキャンパスは自然豊か。ただし、山奥ののどかな大学というわけではありません。筑波大学は、研究学園都市つくばの教育研究の要であり、つくばエクスプレスを利用すれば、最寄りのつくば駅まで秋葉原から最速45分。しかもつくば市は「ロボット特区」に選定されており、筑波大学とその連携研究機関である独立行政法人産業技術総合研究所で製作されたロボットの実証実験が推進されています。
キャンパス内には学生宿舎が完備し、周辺には民間アパートも多数あります。美しいキャンパスで学住近接の生活を送るためのインフラが充実しているのです。学住近接は研究への集中も可能にします。そしてそこに集う学生は、国内各地だけでなく海外の出身者も多数います。多様性と集中が筑波大学の特徴です。

多様性と集中
多様性の高さは、筑波大学の組織にも当てはまります。学士課程には9つの学群・学類（学部に相当）、大学院課程には8つの研究科・専攻があります。なかでも国立大学としてユニークなのは、芸術系とスポーツ系を備えていることでしょう。多くのアーティストやオリンピック選手を輩出しており、ラグビー部は今年の大学選手権３位という栄誉を獲得しました。
環境、内容ともに充実した大学院教育の目玉の１つが大学院共通科目です。「豊かな『人間力』養成のため」と銘打ったこのカリキュラムは、人類の未来を託せるに足る教養を備えた優秀な科学者、技術者、高度専門職業人の養成を目的に組まれています。人文科学から数理医学までをそろえた総合大学ならではの多様性に富んだカリキュラムです。国際色豊かな筑波大学にふさわしく、いくつかの科目は英
語で開講されています。次ページで、大学院共通科目のカリキュラムを英語で紹介します。英語にチャレンジしてみてください。
学住近接の豊かな環境と、高い多様性と専門性を兼ね備え、未来を見据えた学び舎である筑波大学の雰囲気を感じ取っていただけることでしょう。 （寄稿）

筑波大学
◇大学院共通科目パンフレット　
◇世界に挑む産業界・官界のトップリーダーによる　連続リレー講義

Graduate General Education Courses Program of the
University of Tsukuba:Nurturing Professionals for Tomorrow

Randeep RAKWAL and Matthew C. WOOD
Students are learners, and the University of Tsukuba welcomes students into a variety of disciplines and faculties under the guidance of able teachers with diverse backgrounds and expertise, ranging from basic sciences, life and environmental sciences to computer science, and sports. We believe that to assure a future as a successful researcher or specialist, well-balanced interdisciplinary abilities—productive human qualities, coupled with highly specialized expertise—are becoming indispensable. For these reasons, graduate schools have a responsibility not only to nurture professionals but also “to endow students, our most valuable resource pool and the next-generation, with a rich sense
of humanity creating good citizens.” This is the objective of the Graduate General Education Courses (GGEC) program, at the University of Tsukuba. The goal of the program is to nurture intelligent professionals with proactive attitudes, management-oriented minds, integrity, and communication & socializing skills. The courses are designed to promote independent thinking, professionalism, and character building. The GGEC program was pioneered in 2006 by the University of Tsukuba as part of its efforts to further evolve the education system. Courses were initiated under the chairmanship of Professor Yoshihiro Shiraiwa (Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences) and a committee of highly supportive faculty leaders from diverse disciplines, especially Prof. Shin-ichi Kobayashi (Faculty of Business Sciences), and with the encouragement from Prof. Norio Kudo (Vice President for the Administration of Education). The courses were designed and implemented in cooperation with faculties spread across various disciplines.

Life, Environment, Academic Integrity – developing professional integrity based on universal rules,
Academic Management Skills – encouraging proactive attitudes to set research topics, implement them, and achieve
results,
Distributing Information, Communication Skills – improving communication and transmitting information
capability,
Retaining Internationalized Characters – developing proficiency towards becoming internationalized individuals,
Career Management – preparing for the business and social environment students will encounter after graduation,
Intellectual Foundation Courses – providing broad general knowledge to become well-educated individuals,
Mental and Physical Works – promoting health in mind and body and nurturing firm discipline.
Responding to the growing popularity and practicality of these courses, in 2012 the GGEC program has expanded its
curriculum to offer 85 courses, including 14 courses being taught in the English language.

Courses offered in 2012 include, Applied Ethics, Career Paths for Ph.D.’s—a popular course that focuses on the future of doctoral students—Science Communication, Scientific Discoveries and Creativity, Japan Project-Industry Council, JAPIC lectures, Science Mini-tour to Top Research Institutes in Tsukuba Science City, UTTop Academist’s Lecture, What’s My University of Tsukuba(TGN) and Tsukuba Marathon. Here, we would like to emphasize one important point of the GGEC program. The courses are designed not only for Japanese students but also International students, who can also benefit from the increasing number of courses being offered in English by instructors from within and outside the university. One such example is the recently introduced International Education & Learning – Effective Communication and Presentation Skill Course, in collaboration with INTEL, KK, Japan. This course offers students requisite skills in communication—a critical factor in a rapidly globalizing world. By participating in this course, students have the opportunity to listen, talk, and learn in the English language and to enrich themselves through interaction with instructors and students from various backgrounds and disciplines. This will undoubtedly encourage “internationalization” and create openness and confidence among students to interact and cooperate on the global stage—an essential qualification for the coming generation of global citizens.

With this introduction to the GGEC program, the University of Tsukuba welcomes graduate students from universities across the nation and abroad to actively participate in these courses.