Welcome Message
On behalf of our faculty, staff, and students, I welcome all of you who wish to apply to the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University (UGSAS-KU, also known as “RENDAI” in Japanese). The RENDAI, Kagoshima University, is an independent postgraduate school offering a three-year Ph.D. program in agricultural and fisheries sciences in cooperation with three allied universities in Japan: Saga University (Saga Prefecture), University of the Ryukyus (Okinawa Prefecture), and Kagoshima University (Kagoshima Prefecture). In the temperate to tropical regions that extend from Kyushu Island to Asia and Africa where characteristic regional agriculture and fisheries are flourishing, our postgraduate school focuses on conducting research and education to develop the characteristic food production, conserve and maintain sustainable environments, ensure the effective use of biological resources, and the advancement of life sciences. Throughout our activities, we aim to educate young scientists so that they may acquire advanced expertise, academic knowledge, research ethics, and a global perspective in the above-mentioned fields, who can lead the sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industry. Since research and supervision are conducted in collaboration with professors from all three allied universities, students are able to conduct their research by taking advantage of the resources of three universities. Furthermore, as we have received many international students in the past 30 years, we are a highly international school, where students are able to complete their program in either Japanese or English.
In 2018, our postgraduate school, which was established in 1988. celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the past 30 years, we have conferred the Ph.D. degree to more than 1000 awardees including more than 500 international students; these alumni are actively working in many kinds of fields, such as academics, research, government, politics, and industry. The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, is one of the few higher education institutions in the Kyushu and Okinawa region that can confer the Ph.D. degree in agricultural and fisheries sciences.
Again, I welcome all of you who wish to apply to RENDAI and am looking forward to seeing you in Kagoshima, Saga and Okinawa. I also sincerely acknowledge those in the community, industry, government, and other organizations for their continuous support to RENDAI and students.
Kanefumi KITAHARA, Ph.D.
Dean, UGSAS-Kagoshima University
