"Kuroshio Science"
What is "Kuroshio" ?
A warm ocean current flowing northeastwards from the Philippne Sea past southeast Japan to North Pacific.
Vision
Kuroshio Current is one of the greatest currents in the world, which influences very much on culture of people, climate, natural resources, and the community structures of plant and animal in most of Southeast Asian countries. We establish an intelligent and excellent ground for research and education as a doctor course, the Graduate School of Kuroshio Science (presently "Kuroshi Science program), for studying on the natural and social science of Kuroshio Current area.
However, we are not concentrating on only Kuroshio expansion, but also have many areas for researches. We try to contribute to society though analyses of the targets from literature and science viewpoints for creation a new learning field in which we’ve never noticed.
Creation a new learning field “KUROSHIO SCIENCE”
We create a new study concept of not the Kuroshio Current, but named “Kuroshio Science”, and are advancing the research that aims at harmonious coexistence with nature.
The wide sense of the Kuroshio Current area in the study indicates the entirely including the activities and many problems between the nature and people there are, and they are the fatalistic collaboration connected.
In this study, It would convert the direction of human’s activities through clarification of a fundamental causal relation what man activity disturbs the environment of the earth and the ecosystem from various problems of which seem to happen separately.
It is indispensable for the realization of the study to feel for the way of the solution by understanding the problem, analyzing from various fields in cooperation. Therefore, Kuroshio Science has created as not the study of subdivided old model, but a new study field in which integrated both arts and science.
Message from the Head of Kuroshio Science Program (Ph.D.)
Towards a Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and People
In 2004, the "Graduate School of Kuroshio Science" was established as the first Ph.D course for interdisciplinary education and research. Based on the concept and educational and research activities, all graduate schools in Kochi University was reorganized into the "Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences" which includes both master's and doctoral programs in 2008 and "Graduate School of Kuroshio Science" was changed into "Kuroshio Science program (Ph.D course)" in "Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences". By the reorganization, professors in Marine Biological Institute, The Center for Advanced Marine Core Research and other departments also became members of Kuroshio Science program (Ph.D). As a results, covering specialized fields for supervising Ph.D students were expanded. In addition, new members joined in our course: professors in department of nursing by establishment "human science course" in 2009, tenure-track researchers on "Promotion Program for Young Scientists and COE for Innovation of Marine Science and Technology" project started in 2010 and professors in department of Marine Resource Science (undergraduate course) established in 2016.
The aims of our Ph.D course are to develop awareness of "interdisciplinary" and "international" on educational and research activities. To expand the concept into master's program, we have established the "Kuroshio Integrated Science (Sub-Major)" in 2008. In addition, there have been two programs which are non-regular curriculum: “Cross-border Education” in “International Kuroshio Science Symposium” which has been held annually with partnership universities and institutions in Taiwan, Philippines and other South-East Asian countries and “Invitation of young researchers” through the Japan-Asia Youth Science Exchange Program (JST) "Sakura Science Plan" started in 2014.
Since 2014, we have been accepting three Ph.D course students from the Philippines every year by MEXT special scholarship, “Nurturing Talented People to Establish a Sustainable Society in the Kuroshio Region” and conducting Ph.D. research related to coastal management for five years (final batch students will graduate on September 2021). In addition, “Leader Nurturing Program to Create Sustainable Regional Society in Kuroshio Region” will be started October 2020 and three Ph.D student will be accepted from the Philippines for three years to develop the leaders who will be in charge of coastal management. Based on these programs, in 2019, we have established the PHILJAPKUS (Philippines-Japan Association for the Kuroshio Science Promotion, Inc.), an alumni association mainly composed of graduates who have studied together in “Graduate School of Kuroshio Science” and “Kuroshio Science program (Ph.D)” at Kochi University.
Promotion of "Integrated Coastal Ocean management" program for undergraduate students in the Department of Marine Resources Science, and systematization of total curriculum through bachelor-to-Ph.D. for Marine resources science has been conducting under Kochi University special project, “Four-Dimensional Kuroshio Marine Science (4D-KMS)” granted by MEXT, Japan. Please look forward to the “Kuroshio Science program (Ph.D)” as center for nurturing human resources for "Marine Resources Science" and "Coastal Management".
（Prof. Gyo Itani, head of Kuroshio Science program, Ph.D)
Message from the head of the Kuroshio Science Unit (Research)
The “Kuroshio Science Unit” was established in April 2008 with 20 faculty members when the education and research section was organized. With the "Kuroshio Science Program (doctoral course)," we share the philosophy of coexistence with nature and have been promoting the establishment of an interdisciplinary research field, "Kuroshio science," through close collaboration between education and research.
The first International Kuroshio Science Symposium was held at Kochi University in 2007, the year before the reorganization. Since then, it has been held on a rotating basis by Japan (Kochi University), Taiwan (National Sun Yat-Sen University), and the Philippines (Bicol University and others). In addition to the three countries, researchers from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam have also participated in the discussions. Although postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the online symposium hosted by Kochi University in November 2021 was participated by over 280 participants. Subsequently, the symposium has been held in Taiwan (National Sun Yat-Sen University) and the Philippines (Partido State University) in succession since 2023, and international exchange, including graduate students, has resumed.
"Kuroshio Science" is an interdisciplinary journal launched in 2007. It has a peer-review system and is continuously published. This journal is published twice a year, with the first issue published only in English and the second issue mainly in Japanese. The journal publishes symposium records and interdisciplinary research results by researchers from Japan and abroad.
Kuroshio Science aims to build a sustainable society by coexisting with nature. Kochi University's “SDGs ACTION” website lists 30 case studies on Kuroshio Science's contribution to achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) by 2030.
We will further develop interdisciplinary research in 2024, the 20th anniversary of establishing the Graduate School of Kuroshio Science.
（Prof. Satoshi Kubota, head of the Kuroshio Science Unit, Ph.D）