Development of Advanced International Marine Human Resources based on Interdisciplinary Education Program on Ocean Science and Policy

The problems surrounding the ocean are becoming more diverse and complex with the progression of the marine use development, the exteriorization of the stakeholder, and securing of maritime interests between nations. In order to deal with such problems, it is indispensable to integrate the natural sciences and technical engineering of the ocean with the social sciences such as international law of the sea and ocean policy. Therefore, the "Interdisciplinary Education Program on Ocean Science and Policy" is a cross-disciplinary program conducted primarily by five graduate schools of the University of Tokyo with the aim of developing human talents by providing wide range of education about the sea. Today, the ocean faces many international problems such as plastic waste, distribution of fish stocks, infectious marine diseases, and the exclusive economic zones. To contribute to "environmental conservation of biodiversity, forests and oceans", which is one of the eight fields of the "SDGs Implementation Guidelines" that Japan is aiming for, we need to develop-highly skilled marine human resources urgently who are available to respond internationally to interdisciplinary marine problems. The features of this project are Problem-Based Learning, which is carried out based on the Interdisciplinary Education Program on Ocean Science and Policy, in which students belonging to various graduate schools work together, and the long term overseas internship training at 10 international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or United Nations Industrial Development Organization. We aim for education that fosters a wide range of knowledge of literary fusion through problem research based on field surveys and hands-on experience and understanding the essence of social problems related to the ocean as well as the ability to explore to find possible solutions. We also aim to disseminate information on the results obtained through exercises and practical training, and to contribute to social contributions such as regional revitalization, countermeasures for climate change, the formation of a recycling-oriented society, and public health measures.

Yukio Masumoto (Graduate School of Science)
Toru Miura (Graduate School of Science)
Yoshimitsu Tajima (Graduate School of Engineering)
Hideyuki Suzuki (Graduate School of Engineering)
Tomoyoshi Yoshinaga (Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences)
Nobuyuki Yagi (Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences)
Mitsuo Yamamoto (Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences)
Nanae Karakawa (Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences)
Takuji Waseda (Graduate School of Frontier Sciences)
Naoki Hosaka (Graduate School of Frontier Sciences)
Hideaki Shiroyama (Graduate School of Public Policy)
Kensuke Yamaguchi (Graduate School of Public Policy)
Chang-Kyu Rheem (Institute of Industrial Science)
Atsushi Tsuda (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute)
Yutaka Michida (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute)
Jun Aoyama (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute)
Asuka Yamaguchi (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute)
Seishi Hagihara (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute)