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Graduate School of DesignSchool of Design - Dean, TANOUE Kenichi
Welcome to the Future of “Design”
Founded in 1968 as the Kyushu Institute of Design, our institution has pursued the “humanization of technology” through “Design” for over half a century. As a pioneer in design research and education in Japan, we take pride in having cultivated exceptional talent and in making lasting contributions to industry, culture, and regional development. Our legacy continues to this day, even following our merger with Kyushu University in 2003, to establish the current School of Design and Graduate School of Design.
Ohashi Campus has been designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property in recognition of its historical significance and accumulated knowledge as a wellspring of “Design.” This unique environment enriches both learning and research, offering a profound context for academic exploration. While we are informed by this rich history, we remain responsive to societal changes, continually redefining the role of design in contemporary context.
Our five undergraduate programs and six graduate programs are structured to transcend disciplinary boundaries, expanding beyond the creation of physical objects (mono) to include experiences, services (koto), and innovative visions. This approach fosters the capacity to imagine and shape society and its future.
To those interested in joining us at the School of Design and the Graduate School of Design
Our School of Design, Graduate School of Design, and Faculty of Design bring together a diverse community of scholars and practitioners across science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and the arts. This interdisciplinary environment supports innovative education and research, nurturing individuals who can go on to create new value around the world. We aspire to become a leading international hub for design research and education by broadening our research domains and strengthening global partnerships.
We look forward to nurturing the “power of design” at Ohashi Campus, where tradition and innovation converge, and to cultivating design that will shape the coming era.
Founded in 1968 as the Kyushu Institute of Design, our institution has pursued the “humanization of technology” through “Design” for over half a century. As a pioneer in design research and education in Japan, we take pride in having cultivated exceptional talent and in making lasting contributions to industry, culture, and regional development. Our legacy continues to this day, even following our merger with Kyushu University in 2003, to establish the current School of Design and Graduate School of Design.
Ohashi Campus has been designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property in recognition of its historical significance and accumulated knowledge as a wellspring of “Design.” This unique environment enriches both learning and research, offering a profound context for academic exploration. While we are informed by this rich history, we remain responsive to societal changes, continually redefining the role of design in contemporary context.
Our five undergraduate programs and six graduate programs are structured to transcend disciplinary boundaries, expanding beyond the creation of physical objects (mono) to include experiences, services (koto), and innovative visions. This approach fosters the capacity to imagine and shape society and its future.
To those interested in joining us at the School of Design and the Graduate School of Design
Our School of Design, Graduate School of Design, and Faculty of Design bring together a diverse community of scholars and practitioners across science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and the arts. This interdisciplinary environment supports innovative education and research, nurturing individuals who can go on to create new value around the world. We aspire to become a leading international hub for design research and education by broadening our research domains and strengthening global partnerships.
We look forward to nurturing the “power of design” at Ohashi Campus, where tradition and innovation converge, and to cultivating design that will shape the coming era.
Organization
At Kyushu University, the educational institutions are categorized into "School" and "Graduate School," to which students belong, and the research organization "Faculty," to which faculty members belong, to provide a system that enables us to respond to a variety of educational needs beyond the borders of the faculty members' fields of specialization.
Under this system, the School of Design and the Graduate School of Design are staffed by faculty members of the Faculty of Design as well as those from various disciplines, to provide students with the most up-to-date education in response to societal changes. In 2020, the School of Design had only one department, the Department of Design, with five courses, offering a flexible curriculum that allows students to study based on their interests. The Graduate School of Design was reorganized in 2022. It has a single Department of Design, with six courses to nurture next-generation designers who will lead the expanding field of design.
History
| Date | Events | |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | February 27th | Committee for the establishment of Kyushu University of the Arts formed. |
| 1966 | October 18th | Preparatory committee for Kyushu University of Industry and the Arts (tentative name) formed. |
| 1967 | June 1st | Preparatory office for the Kyushu Institute of Design established. |
| 1968 | April 1st | The School of the Kyushu Institute of Design was established, comprising of the Departments of Environmental Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, and Acoustic Design. |
| 1972 | April 1st | The Advanced Course of Design was established. |
| 1977 | April 1st | The Advanced Course of Design was discontinued. |
| May 2nd | Master's programs at the Graduate School of the Kyushu Institute of Design were established, comprised of the Divisions of Living Environmental Studies and Audio and Visual Communication Studies. | |
| 1980 | April 1st | Health Care Center established. |
| 1986 | April 1st | The Departments of Environmental and Visual Communication Design were reorganized. The staff of each Department were divided into two groups (the Department of Environmental Design was divided into Theory of Environmental Design and Environmental Design Practice; the Department of Visual Communication Design was divided into Theory of Visual Communication Design and Visual Communication Design). |
| 1988 | April 1st | The Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Acoustic Design were reorganized. The staff of each department were divided into two groups (the Department of Industrial Design was divided into Ergonomic and Mechanic Design, and Product and Interior Design; the Department of Acoustic Design was divided into Science of Acoustical Environment and Science of Information Acoustics). |
| 1993 | April 1st | The Graduate School (Doctoral Course) of the Kyushu Institute of Design was established, comprised of the Divisions of Living Environmental Studies and Audio and Visual Communication Studies. |
| 1997 | April 1st |
The Departments of Environmental Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, and Acoustic Design were reorganized. The members of each Department were divided into three sections: the Department of Environmental Design was divided into Theory of Environmental Design, Environmental Planning and Design, and Environmental Systems; the Department of Industrial Design was divided into Ergonomics, Product and Space Design, and Intelligent Mechanics and Control; the Department of Visual Communication Design was divided into Vision Science, Visual Image Design, and Image Engineering; the Department of Acoustic Design was divided into Science of Sound Culture, Science of Acoustical Environment, and Science of Acoustic Information. The Department of Art and Information Design was established, comprised of three sections: Media Art and Culture, Media Design, and Information Environment Sciences. |
| April 1st | Design Research Center established. | |
| 2001 | April 1st | The Graduate school of Kyushu Institute of Design was reorganized. The Divisions of Living Environmental Studies and Audio and Visual Communication Studies were discontinued, and the Graduate School of Design was established as a single unified course. |
| 2003 | October 1st |
The Kyushu Institute of Design and Kyushu University are unified. The School of Design, Graduate School of Design and Faculty of Design of Kyushu University are established. |
| 2006 | April 1st | The Department of Design Strategy, Graduate School of Design of Kyushu University was established. |
| 2008 | April 1st | The doctoral program in the Department of Design Strategy, Graduate School of Design of Kyushu University was established. |
| April 1st | Department of Design of the Graduate School of Design restructured around a four-course system: the Human Science Course, Communication Design Science Course, Environment and Heritage Design Course, and the Content and Creative Design Course. | |
| 2009 | July 1st |
The Faculty of Design, Kyushu University was reorganized. Departments of Environmental Design, Human Living System Design, Visual Communication Design, Acoustic Design, Art and Information Design and Applied Information and Communication Sciences were discontinued. The Departments of Human Science, Communication Design Science, Environmental Design, Content and Creative Design, and Design Strategy were established. |
| 2010 | April 1st | The doctoral program in the Human Science International Course of the Department of Design, Graduate School of Design of Kyushu University was established. |
| 2013 | April 1st | The Research Center for Applied Perceptual Science, Faculty of Design of Kyushu University is established. |
| October 1st | The Department of Environment and Heritage Design was restructured as the Department of Environmental Design, offering a total of 17 subject groups. | |
| 2014 | August 1st | The Physiological Anthropology Research Center at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University is established. |
| 2015 | April 1st | The Social Art Lab at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University was established. |
| 2017 | April 1st | The Environmental Design Global Hub at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University is established. |
| 2018 | April 1st | The SDGs Design Unit at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University is established. |
| June 1st | 50th Anniversary of "Design" | |
| 2020 | April 1st | The School of Design is reorganized with the establishment of Department of Design; composing of the Environmental Design Course, Industrial Design Course, Design Futures Course, Media Design Course and Acoustic Design Course. |
| 2021 | April 1st |
The Social Art Lab at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University was dissolved. The Design Initiative for Diversity & Inclusion at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University is established. |
| 2022 | April 1st | The Graduate School of Design is reorganized with one department, six courses; composing of the Strategic Design Course, Environmental Design Course, Human Life Design and Science Course, Design Futures Course, Media Design Course and Acoustic Design Course. |
| April 1st | The Faculty of Design is reorganized with 6 departments: the department of Strategic Design, the department of Environmental Design, the department of Human Life Design and Science, the department of Design Futures, the department of Media Design and the department of Acoustic Design. | |
| April 1st | The Center for Design Fundamentals Research at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University is established. | |
Successive President and Dean
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Name Position Term of Office KOIKE Shinji President of Kyushu Institute of Design 1968 to 1974 OHTA Hirotaro President of Kyushu Institute of Design 1974 to 1978 YOSHITAKE Yasumi President of Kyushu Institute of Design 1978 to 1986 ANDO Yoshinori President of Kyushu Institute of Design 1986 to 1994 YOSHIDA Sho President of Kyushu Institute of Design 1994 to 2002 TAKIYAMA Ryuzo President of Kyushu Institute of Design 2002 to 2003 SATO Haruhiko Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2003 to 2005 YASUKOUCHI Akira Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2005 to 2009 ISHIMURA Shinichi Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2009 to 2013 YASUKOUCHI Akira Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2013 to 2017 TANI Masakazu Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2017 to 2021 OMOTO Akira Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2021 to 2025 TANOUE Kenichi Dean of Faculty of Design, Kyushu University 2025 to present
Campus Bulletin
School of Design ／ Graduate School of Design ／ Faculty of Design
Unauthorized reproduction or copying of the contents (text, images, etc.) of the booklet is prohibited.
You can download the Bulletin, Gejutsu Kogaku: the Journal of Design Kyushu University, fom QIR (Kyushu University Institutional Repository).