

Sustainability is not just related to environment issues, rather it is a multi-faceted field derived from environmental quality, community stability, economic and social equity, and other indicators of sustainability.
Sustainability is founded on the integration of an understanding of the natural sciences regarding the threat of environmental problems and an understanding of the social and behavioral sciences regarding the social, economic, cultural and political factors which underlie the problem, as well as providing insights into potential solutions. Sustainability also draws upon historical perspectives, ethical sensibilities, and the creative imagination of the arts and humanities to shed light onto what has led us to this point, and to determine ways of dealing with the problems that have arisen.
Therefore, SCOPE provides a curriculum which integrates knowledge and methodologies from the humanities, social sciences, economics, natural sciences, and arts to provide a roadmap for students that can be applied to the design, selection, and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and strategies.
Shown below is a schematic sketch, which indicates how students will develop basic academic knowledge and competence through liberal arts in the first half of students’ academic years. It also indicates that SCOPE core courses, the GO program and ESOP will deepen students’ specialized interests and knowledge. At the same time, students will have opportunities for various Co-creative experiences in interactive courses or courses open to students from other programs.
SCOPE also offers different opportunities for study such as Seminar, Field Workshop and Co-creative Workshop courses, so that students will be able to pursue their academic interests and future career. “Seminar” is for further study of a specific academic interest under the guidance of experienced professors, whereas in Field Workshops, students will be out of the classroom and meeting people who deal with relevant issues in various fields. Seminar also offers a first-year seminar for the smooth introduction of SCOPE. Co-creative Workshop provides students with a collaborating active learning environment with students from the Japanese-based Faculty of Sustainability Studies in English. Through these interactive and practical courses, students will be able to better understand how to relate classroom activities to real-life issues.
Through the SCOPE curriculum, students will have a truly interdisciplinary understanding of various dimensions of sustainability, both from a global and local perspective. In addition, they will become fluent in articulating how sustainability issues relate to matters of the environment, the economy, and social equity; and demonstrate critical thinking, reading, writing, and research skill proficiency. It might be appropriate to say that SCOPE is preparing its students with knowledge, insights, skills, and strategies to help steer communities, organization, society, and the world toward a more sustainable future.