This course aims to raise awareness on the critical role of space technology in our daily lives and the important implications it has on domestic policymaking and international relations. The first part of the course, titled “Space and Society”, provides an overview of major space technologies and their applications. It then demonstrates how space assets have become a critical infrastructure on which advanced societies are over-reliant, and the hazards and threats that they are facing. The second part of course delves into political science and international relations. It addresses the various approaches to space policymaking, the structure of international relations in outer space and the major challenges ahead for the space sector.

This course aims to provide an overview of space governance from the perspectives of space policy and law. For this purpose, lectures are to be given by academia, practitioners and specialists in outer space activities and utilization. The course requires students to explore the possible solutions/proposals on specific themes through joining group work and writing individual report. Space governance and space policy are interrelated and the key terms in understanding how space missions need to cope with the existing regulatory framework and how to identify pressing issues/challenges that all space actors need to go through. Such knowledge is beneficial not only to traditional actors (e.g., government and national space agencies) but also to New Space actors (e.g., private entities) or new space-faring nations (e.g., UAE) who started space missions recently. With the increasing number of space actors, due to growing interest in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), various space applications both by government and private sector are flourishing to support societal needs. Considering such a crowded situation in Earth orbit and the limits of resources available in outer space, this course provides comprehensive lectures that help students to explore the possible and practical solutions necessary for pursuing further space activities. In FY 2024, before dealing with the latest topics including space traffic management (STM), space resources exploration, and space x SDGs, the course provides introductory lectures on space policy and law, governance of various space activities, the role of space actors (i.e., space agencies, industry, international organizations) and the process/forum of rule-making for sustainable space activities.

This course aims to raise awareness on the critical role of space technology in our daily lives and the important implications it has on domestic policymaking and international relations. The first part of the course, titled “Space and Society”, provides an overview of major space technologies and their applications. It then demonstrates how space assets have become a critical infrastructure on which advanced societies are over-reliant, and the hazards and threats that they are facing. The second part of course delves into political science and international relations. It addresses the various approaches to space policymaking, the structure of international relations in outer space and the major challenges ahead for the space sector.

We will reveal the history of modern Japan through various images and historical documents. Students are expected to complete a few group projects to deepen their understanding of the content covered in the course. This intensive course will take place in February (usually over 5 days). Details will be announced in December-January via email/portal site system. 歴史を描いたイメージを通して日本が近代国家に変容する姿を明らかにします。学生は授業で扱う内容を深めるためにグループプロジェクトを行います。使用言語は英語ですので、日本人学生にとっては英語によるディスカッション、文献購読、ライティング力の強化のためにいい機会となります。授業は２月に開講されます（約5日の集中講義）。詳細は12~1月頃にポータルサイトを通してお知らせする予定です。

How do our bodies produce speech sounds? How are the sounds of language represented in our minds? How can we visualize, analyze and quantify people's voices? This course introduces basic concepts in phonetics, the scientific study of speech sounds. Phonetics is at the crossroads of linguistics, psychology and physics. Its content will be relevant to students specializing in many fields, from music to engineering. For this introductory course, no previous knowledge is required. Learning phonetics can also promote the appreciation of the world's languages and of their diversity. This appreciation is a necessary step towards the protection the world's cultural heritage, the respect of linguistic rights and the social inclusion of linguistic minorities.

How do our bodies produce speech sounds? How are the sounds of language represented in our minds? How can we visualize, analyze and quantify people's voices? This course introduces basic concepts in phonetics, the scientific study of speech sounds. Phonetics is at the crossroads of linguistics, psychology and physics. Its content will be relevant to students specializing in many fields, from music to engineering. For this introductory course, no previous knowledge is required. Learning phonetics can also promote the appreciation of the world's languages and of their diversity. This appreciation is a necessary step towards the protection the world's cultural heritage, the respect of linguistic rights and the social inclusion of linguistic minorities.

我々はどこからきたのか、という問いはシンプルかつ深遠な問いである。この問いを突き詰めていくと、宇宙の始まりを考えざるを得ない。宇宙の中身は我々を含め何が入っているのか？ここでのキーワードは、ブラックホール、ニュートリノ、ダークマター、そしてダークエネルギー。また、そうした中身を内包する宇宙はどう始まり、どう成長して、どう終わりを迎えるのか。こうした問いに対して、物理学というアプローチから見た現在の宇宙の理解、そしてまだ残る謎について専攻する分野を問わず一緒に考える。なるべく質疑応答の時間を設けることで双方向の授業を目指す。素朴な質問などでも歓迎である。 ``Where did we come from?'' This is such a simple and yet fundamental question to address. This question inevitably leads us to the beginning of the Universe. What does the Universe contain within it? We have keywords, e.g. blackhole, neutrino, dark matter, and dark energy. Also, how did the Universe begin and evolve? Eventually, how will it end? We introduce these questions and the front line of research using the current knowledge of physics today. We also introduce the effort to go beyond the current knowledge of physics. We try to have bi-directional discussions instead of one-way lectures.

This course aims to raise awareness on the critical role of space technology in our daily lives and the important implications it has on domestic policymaking and international relations. The first part of the course, titled “Space and Society”, provides an overview of major space technologies and their applications. It then demonstrates how space assets have become a critical infrastructure on which advanced societies are over-reliant, and the hazards and threats that they are facing. The second part of course delves into political science and international relations. It addresses the various approaches to space policymaking, the structure of international relations in outer space and the major challenges ahead for the space sector.

The aim of the course is not only to read the Kyoto School philosophy but to draw on these thinkers in order to engage the problems of today’s global world. These thinkers shared cosmopolitan visions of the future, seeking to address issues related to colonialism, social conflict, and self/cultural identity. But if we read these thinkers more hermeneutically, we can find that their work touches on issues that afflict us today as well: issues, such as environmental degradation, military escalation, and excess capitalism. What this course aims to do is to have students exercise their analytical and critical thinking skills in English by deploying these authors or texts in the service of demonstrating their relevance to the sustainable development goals that is the center of Global Liberal Arts Courses (or students can do the opposite, as an option--to disprove their relevance!). In this course, students will: a) learn the fundamental arguments proposed by leading Kyoto School thinkers b) understand and discuss the controversies around the Kyoto School c) explore the personal, social, and political issues raised by the Kyoto School d) and theorize the possible connections or relevance the Kyoto School has to contemporary problems or issues related to the sustainable development goals

The aim of the course is not only to read the Kyoto School philosophy but to draw on these thinkers in order to engage the problems of today’s global world. These thinkers shared cosmopolitan visions of the future, seeking to address issues related to colonialism, social conflict, and self/cultural identity. But if we read these thinkers more hermeneutically, we can find that their work touches on issues that afflict us today as well: issues, such as environmental degradation, military escalation, and excess capitalism. What this course aims to do is to have students exercise their analytical and critical thinking skills in English by deploying these authors or texts in the service of demonstrating their relevance to the sustainable development goals that is the center of Global Liberal Arts Courses (or students can do the opposite, as an option--to disprove their relevance!). In this course, students will: a) learn the fundamental arguments proposed by leading Kyoto School thinkers b) understand and discuss the controversies around the Kyoto School c) explore the personal, social, and political issues raised by the Kyoto School d) and theorize the possible connections or relevance the Kyoto School has to contemporary problems or issues related to the sustainable development goals