TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Course description and aims

What kind of "liberal arts" should Ph. D. students of Tokyo Tech learn? Scientific research at the top level of the world requires several key competence: (1) extensive knowledge beyond his/her own discipline, (2) transferring skills and creativity to utilize other fields’ research, (3) interdisciplinary ability and spirit to build his/her own network with diverse fields of specialists.
Students of this course will manage the advanced liberal arts course for themselves to acquire liberal arts skills. More concretely, manage a corresponding course (lectures, small-group work, poster presentation), and conduct PR activities of the course results. The purpose of this course is to create a forum which facilitates knowledge exchange among Ph. D. students through designing a liberal art course for themselves. In the process, students will learn the most recent trends of interdisciplinary research.
Foreign students can register this class (ability to speaking Japanese is not required).
Communication with students in different academic friends and with foreign students in English.

Student learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) have their own idea and vision of "liberal arts".
2) establish communication among students different academic friends and foreign students.
3) manage lectures of specialists who conduct advanced and interdisciplinary studies.
4) manage the poster presentation conference and summarize the results of their group-work.
5) acquire leadership as a researcher.

Keywords

Liberal arts, Interdisciplinary collaboration

Competencies that will be developed

Class flow

40 students can be registered. In case applying over 40 students, registration will be restricted(See, "Prerequisites" and "Others" of this syllabus).
Two successive sessions will take place on every other Saturday basically. Students will decide the topics of Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses next quarter. In addition, students will select a guest speaker of mini-symposium, the overall approach of the course, and the process of a workshop.

Course schedule/Required learning

Textbook(s)

None required.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

None required.

Assessment criteria and methods

Students will be assessed by participation and contribution to the course.

Related courses

• LAH.C601 ： Independent Studies Courses1
• LAH.C602 ： Independent Studies Courses2
• LAH.C604 ： Independent Studies Courses4
• LAH.C611 ： Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses1
• LAH.C612 ： Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses2
• LAH.C613 ： Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses3
• LAH.C614 ： Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses4
• LAH.C615 ： Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses5
• LAH.C616 ： Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses6

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR 3Q: September 28 12:00 PM (the first class will be held on September 29)
To take the Liberal Arts (Humanities and Social Science) Course for the doctoral program in 3Q, submit your application on the Web System for Students and Faculty before the above deadline. Your application will be treated as "completed" (at Tokyo Tech lecturers' side) by clicking on any of "SAVE(Temporary)", "Verify" or "Register".
There are a limited number of spots available in Liberal Arts (Humanities and Social Science) Courses. If the number of applications exceeds the limit, a lottery system will be used to determine which students are admitted, meaning that your application will not necessarily be approved in your preferred quarter.
Information about the restrictions and lottery results will be posted on the following website:
http://bunkei.ila.titech.ac.jp/index.html

Students are expected to commit themselves to the course.
This course is a seminar style. Students are also required activities outside of the individual sessions.

Other

Ph. D. course students have to take any two class of Independent Studies Courses (from 1 to 8) or Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses (from 1 to 6) for two credits. Scheduled on September 29, October 13, October 27, and November 17, 2018.

NOTICE: We strongly recommend to register an Independent Studies Courses and a Path Breaking Liberal Arts Courses at first academic year. The restricting registration will be taken based on the number of students by total number without distinction of an academic year.
Reason: Independent Studies Courses 5,6,7,8 and Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses 4,5,6 will be listed enabling for the students who had registered an Independent Studies Courses or Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses at the same Q, to register other Courses in the Next Year. (It may be a rare case.) Independent Studies Courses at the same Q (1&5, 2&6, 3&7, 4&8) are the same program, not independently open. (It is applicable to Path-Breaking Liberal Arts Courses.)