Preface

Departments and their courses

The Faculty of Agriculture of University of the Ryukyus is the main academic institution of agriculture in Japan’s subtropical zone. The Faculty provides excellent education opportunities and conducts research on the problems of agro-forest production, agricultural development, environmental conservation, and bioresource utilization considering the subtropical island characteristics.
The Faculty of Agriculture has four departments: Department of Subtropical Agro-Production Sciences, Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Department of Regional Agricultural Engineering, and Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology. The Department of Subtropical Agro-Production Sciences provides comprehensive education and conducts research on rational uses and recycling of regional resources in order to promote sustainable agriculture. The Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences provides education and conducts research on characteristics of living organisms related to agriculture and forestry for establishing better harmony between humans and the natural environment. The Department of Regional Agricultural Engineering provides education and conducts research on development of subtropical rural space and biomass-recycling systems for generating sound environment. The Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology provides education and conducts research on characteristics of subtropical bioresources and food resources and development of usable components for functional food production The Department also provides dietitian training course.
Agriculture is characterized as an integrated science comprising natural and social sciences, which deals with the basics of applied sciences. Therefore, a well-balanced and combined curriculum has been designed for the faculty. Common education is provided for all the first year students, and special lectures, practicals and seminars are provided from the second to fourth year students to develop and enhance professional skills. The results of student evaluation systems of this faculty help the academic staffs to develop their teaching designs, methods and implementation of curriculum, which increases students’ motivation for learning. The academic staffs also provide career-oriented education for the students.
The Graduate School of Aguriculture provides advanced education and research opportunities in its Master’s program with one mojor in Subropical Agriculture. This Graduate program is conducted based onthe four courses that are connected to each of the abocve Department. This program has been designed to develop high-level professional experts with the knowledge of broad and systematic fundamental theory as well as applied skills in the fields of life science. bioresource bioresource development and utilization, and so on, for the preservation and restoration of subtropical and regional agro-forest environments. In addition, the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University (University of the Ryukyus, Kagoshima University, and Saga University) has established a doctoral program for the students who aim to be professional researchers.