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Dean's Message
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Campus Bulletin

Dean's Message

Faculty of Design
Graduate School of DesignSchool of Design
Dean, OMOTO Akira

Welcome to the World of Design

The purpose and nature of the School of Design, as compiled by the Council for University Chartering and School Corporation when the Kyushu Institute of Design was established in 1968, is as follows:

１．In order to make appropriate use of general technology in life, there is a need to integrate science, which is the basis of technology, and art, which is the freest expression of the human spirit, and to plan the course of technology and study the design of its functions based on the overall spirit of these two fields.

２．The organization of modern society has become more complex. As a result, the scope of work that university graduates will be involved in has expanded. Also, there is a growing demand for designers with the knowledge and artistic sensibilities that span the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, in addition to traditional designers. As such, we need to respond to this demand.

At the time of its establishment, the technology was probably associated with heavy industry. As time changes, it is associated with the current information and communication technology. Even though the design has taken a broader meaning, and graduation from graduate schools has become common, our purpose does not become obsolete with time. It will soon be 20 years since we merged with Kyushu University. These objectives and the philosophy of "humanization of technology" remain essential as the only School of Design and Graduate School of Design in the comprehensive university.

At the same time, we need to be sensitive to the changes in the social environment surrounding us. Hence, five new courses in the School of Design were launched in 2020 due to the reorganization. Furthermore, in 2022, the Graduate School of Design will launch six new courses. These are the expression of our convinced will to actively expand the scope of design from "mono" to "koto" and into the realm of envisioning the future while preserving the good traditions of the past.

 

To those who are interested in joining us at the School of Design and the Graduate School of Design

Our faculty members have widely diverse specializations, each of whom is working hard to sharpen their expertise. The range of the faculty is so broad that it goes beyond what is called "interdisciplinary." This allows the School of Design and the Graduate School of Design to offer a variety of highly specialized courses and many project-based courses that integrate a wide range of fields.

We encourage students to study across various disciplines and sometimes deepen their understanding in a particular field. Also, please try to integrate the different disciplines with broad perspectives as a driving force. Through these processes, the student, more than anyone else, will be able to take on the challenge of exploring new areas and becoming a high-order designer who creates new value. The faculty members will do their best to support you in this endeavor.

We look forward to seeing you at the small but profound Ohashi Campus, where "design" originated and is accumulated.

Organization

Kyushu University is divided into student-affiliated educational organizations—namely, its undergraduate and graduate schools—and research-centered faculties where its academic faculty and staff belong. This system provides a diverse education that allows faculty to transcend conventional organizational boundaries.

Under this system, academic faculty with a variety of expertise, many from the Faculty of Design, teach at the School and Graduate School of Design, where Kyushu University provides a state-of-the-art education that reflects social change. As of 2020, the School of Design will further consolidate its education under the Department of Design, a single-major, five-course system and flexible curriculum that allows students to pursue individual academic interests. The Graduate School of Design consists of two majors: the Department of Design Strategy and the Department of Design, which is divided into four courses.

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 Graduate School (Master's Course) of the Kyushu Institute of Design is established, comprised of the Divisions of Living Environmental Studies and Audio and Visual Communication Studies.
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 are 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 are reorganized. The staff of each Department are divided into two groups (the Department of Environmental Design is divided into Theory of Environmental Design and Environmental Design Practice; the Department of Visual Communication Design is 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 are reorganized. The staff of each department are divided into two groups (the Department of Industrial Design is divided into Ergonomic and Mechanic Design, and Product and Interior Design; the Department of Acoustic Design is 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 is 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 are reorganized. The members of each Department were divided into three sections: the Department of Environmental Design is divided into Theory of Environmental Design, Environmental Planning and Design, and Environmental Systems; the Department of Industrial Design is divided into Ergonomics, Product and Space Design, and Intelligent Mechanics and Control; the Department of Visual Communication Design is divided into Vision Science, Visual Image Design, and Image Engineering; the Department of Acoustic Design is divided into Science of Sound Culture, Science of Acoustical Environment, and Science of Acoustic Information.
The Department of Art and Information Design is 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 is reorganized. The Divisions of Living Environmental Studies and Audio and Visual Communication Studies are discontinued, and the Graduate School of Design is 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 is established.
2008 April 1st The doctoral program in the Department of Design Strategy, Graduate School of Design of Kyushu University is 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 is reorganized.
Departments of Environmental Design, Human Living System Design, Visual Communication Design, Acoustic Design, Art and Information Design and Applied Information and Communication Sciences are discontinued. The Departments of Human Science, Communication Design Science, Environmental Design, Content and Creative Design, and Design Strategy are 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 is established.
2013 April 1st The Research Center for Applied Perceptual Science, Faculty of Design of Kyushu University was established.
October 1st The Department of Environment and Heritage Design is 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 is 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 was 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 Design Initiative for Diversity & Inclusion at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University is established.

Successive President and Dean

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 present

Facilities / Organizations

Facilities
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Campus Bulletin

School of Design ／ Graduate School of Design ／ Faculty of Design

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You can download the Bulletin, Gejutsu Kogaku: the Journal of Design Kyushu University, fom QIR (Kyushu University Institutional Repository).

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