Curriculum Implementation in GCOE Unit for Energy Science Education
Preparation of "Education Unit Overview and CO2 Zero Emission Education Program Course Syllabus”
Full-scale operation of the Education Unit and the CO2 Zero Emission Education Program started from April 2009. 73 students have registered for Education Unit in the academic year 2009. The registered students are allowed to submit an application form for participation in subjects in the Education Program. They are eligible for research-related financial support, such as GCOE employment as an RA or TA, financial assistance for travels associated with presentation of their research, and research grant for participants of the subjects "International Energy Seminar (group-research)" in the Education Program. The overview of the Education Unit and main subjects in the Education Program are presented below.
I．Those Eligible to Register for Education Unit
- Those who can join the GCOE Education Unit for Energy Science are the doctoral students who are enrolled in the following departments of the graduate school.
- ・Graduate School of Energy Science
- Department of Socio-Environmental Energy Science
- Department of Fundamental Energy Science
- Department of Energy Conversion Science
- Department of Energy Science and Technology
- ・Graduate School of Engineering
- Department of Nuclear Engineering
II．Research Support for Registered Participants of the Education Unit
- Those who had signed up for this education unit will be eligible to be appointed as GCOE-RA or TA.
- Those who had signed up for this education unit can receive grants for travelling expenses for research presentation.
- As for those who signed up for this education program subject, “International Energy Seminar (Group Research)”, based on the research plan submitted by each group, the required research expenses will be supported, amounted to the maximum of 1.5 million yen a year per person.
III．CO2 Zero Emission Education Program
Those who registered to join the Education Unit, and acquired the total of 14 credits and above from the following subjects within the course period will be certificated as graduates of the education program, and a completion certificate will be issued for each student. The number of credits and the number of registered students (as of the end of January, 2010) for each subject are indicated below.
- International Seminar on Energy Science I, II, III, IV (Each 2 credits, compulsory 4 credits, maximum 8 credits）
Number of registered students: I（first semester, 2009）58
II（second semester, 2009）67 - Advanced Research for CO2 Zero-Emission I, II (Each 1 credit, compulsory 2 credits)
Number of registered students: I (first semester, 2009) 36 - Field Practice (Compulsory 2 credits)
Number of registered students: 26 - Research Presentation I, II, III (Each 1 credit, compulsory 1 credit, maximum 3 credits)
Research presentation at academic meetings - Overseas Practice (1-4 credits)
Research or practice at international institutions
Number of registered students: to be counted at the end of academic year - Classes in English (Half term: 2 credits, quarter term: 1 credit)
Number of registered students: 24
IV．Field Practice
Purpose: Dispatched to places that have tense relationship with the public such as nuclear power plants, and learn about the problems out in the field.
Contents：
（1）Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute
The first field practice was held at Research Reactor Institute (Kumatori) from August 26 to 28, 2009, and 13 students participated. The practice included fundamental reactor physics and reactor operation practice using Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). After security lesson and lectures on reactor physics and calibration of control rods, dynamic response experiments of the reactor (calibration of control rods and access to critical state) and operation practice of KUCA were carried out. At the end of field practice, the participants drew up their reports and held a discussion meeting.
（2）Nuclear Power Division (Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.) and Monju fast-breeder reactor （Japan Atomic Energy Agency）
The second field practice was held at Nuclear Power Division of Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (Mihama) and Monju fast-breeder reactor of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (Tsuruga) from November 20 to 21, 2009, and 10 students participated. At the Nuclear Power Division, students learned on issues in nuclear fuel cycle, earthquake-proof safety of nuclear power plant and living together activities in Fukui prefecture and exchanged opinions. At the fast-breeder reactor, Monju, they visited the facility of Monju and Sodium operation practice, learned the operation simulator and exchanged opinions.
Overseas Study
Overseas Study is for research or practice at international institutions. In this year, GCOE Curriculum Committee supported the participation in the third Kyoto-Erlangen Symposium on Advanced Energy and Materials held at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany). Out of about 50 total participants, 16 researchers and students participated from Kyoto University, including 6 students belonging to the GCOE Education Unit and 4 students from other divisions of Kyoto University. Prior to the symposium held from September 3 to 4, 2009, they visited Bayerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Energieforschung (ZAE) and Department of Material Science in the University of Erlangen-Nuhremberg on September 1, and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe on September 2. During the symposium, 29 oral talks were presented and active discussion took place.
International Summer School
Accompanied with the GCOE International Symposium "ZERO CARBON ENERGY Kyoto 2009" held at the Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall from August 20 to 21, 2009, Energy Science International Summer School was held during three days from August 20 to 22, 2009. In addition to the lectures given at the Symposium, a poster session with 49 presentations was organized at the Clock Tower Centennial Hall on August 20, and oral session with 21 presentations took place at Kyodai Kaikan on August 22. In both sessions, two poster presentation awards and two oral presentation awards were given to the winners based on the evaluation by the members of the steering committee of the GCOE Education Unit.
In addition to the students of the GCOE Education Unit and a few students from other domestic universities, more than 20 international students from China, Korea and Denmark participated in the summer school. Since the GCOE Education Unit students came from 12 countries including countries in North America, Africa, Asia and Europe in addition to China and Korea, the summer school became really international one. The workshop was mostly operated by the GCOE Education Unit students, except the chair person at the oral sessions.
Japan-Korea Graduate Student Joint Symposium
In order to promote international energy science education for graduate student in Japan and Korea, 2010 Kyoto-Ajou Graduate Student Joint Symposium on Energy Science was held at Uji Obaku Plaza on February 2, 2010, in collaboration with Ajou University in Korea. From Ajou University, 13 graduate students and 8 faculty members came to participate in the symposium and 22 graduate students belonging to GCOE Education Unit and 10 faculty members participated from Kyoto University. At the symposium, 11 oral presentations by Korean graduate students and 9 by Japanese graduate students were given and active discussion on energy science was evoked. For this symposium, students in GCOE Education Unit planned the program, made announcements, and coordinated with Korean side. The graduate students also ran the symposium itself as chairpersons and site managers. Active intercommunication between Japanese and Korean graduate students was kept in the reception after the symposium.
Conference Contributions of Students
A total of 96 of doctoral student were contributed to54 of national and international conferences.
RA /TA Program
Five judges evaluated RA candidates using their application forms (blank form is shown in Table 3-2) based on the following evaluation points and the appointment was determined based on the 5 judges’ total scores. Especially the top candidates were appointed on special hourly unit price. As shown in Tables 3-3 and 3-4, a total of 32 RAs and 4 TAs were appointed (6RAs were appointed from the second semester). Among these, 9 RAs were appointed on special hourly unit price.
Evaluation points: Each item carries 25 points full mark, and total 100 points full mark.
- Contribution to this GCOE program
- Academic importance and achievement in the concerned field
- Research prospects and comprehensive evaluation
- Research performance
(Concerning research performance, the grade (the number of years since starting the research) is considered)