The evolution of JDPSR
This joint program is a doctoral research program and was established in 2019 based on the thinking that working towards a resolution for global issues currently being faced by humanity —particularly issues related to development, the environment, and peace—is the duty and purpose of sustainability research.
The word “sustainable development” became known around the world when the World Commission on Environment and Development published a report in 1987 (Brundtland Commission) and there were strong references to environmental problems. Even traditional sustainability research centered around environmental problems.
On the one hand, in the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” adopted at the UN Summit in September 2015, international goals known as “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” from 2016 to 2030 were raised, which not only identified environmental problems but also included a wide range of issues related to development such as poverty, health and sanitation, education, governance, peace, etc. This joint program, similar to these SDGs, will capture “sustainability” in its wide range of meaning.
With regards to these SDGs identified as the ideal by the UN, this program first started to leverage the strengths of the three universities—“education and research in language, liberal arts, and area studies” (TUFS), “education and research in food, energy, and life sciences” (TUAT), and “education and research in information and communication technology (ICT), artificial intelligence and robotics, and thermal energy” (UEC) —to bring focus on them as realistic issues from a humanities and sciences perspective and to engage in research that seeks a practical resolution.
The specific areas of specialization of each university transfer as the faculty member shifts over time, but the initial vision of the program is inherited and even confirmed.
Joint Docto