Program Overview

International Joint Degree Doctoral Program for Interdisciplinary Science

Program Overview

The International Joint Degree Doctoral Program for Interdisciplinary Science is a collaborative program between Kyushu University's Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences and the University of Antwerp's Faculty of Science. The program aims to nurture globally-minded science and engineering professionals who can lead innovative materials and substances research and development based on nanomaterials and nanoscience to solve environmental and energy challenges.

About the University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is located in the city of Antwerp, Belgium, and is one of the leading universities in the country. It has a strong international reputation, ranking 3rd nationally and 131st worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, and 5th nationally and 248th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2024. The University of Antwerp's Faculty of Science has the NANOlight Center of Excellence, which consists of six research groups, including EMAT (Electron Microscopy for Materials Science), one of the preeminent electron microscopy centers in the world.

Admission

Admission Capacity

The program has an admission capacity of 2 students per academic year.

Ideal Program Graduates

The program aims to realize a sustainable society on a global scale through innovative materials development from both scientific and engineering perspectives. It also aims to nurture academic researchers and highly specialized professionals with strong international and independent perspectives toward various issues related to structural analysis and control in nanomaterials and nanoscience.

Academic Schedule

The academic schedule for Kyushu University students is as follows:

1. 1st Year: Preparation of research proposal and presentation at joint seminar
2. 2nd Year: International collaborative research at the University of Antwerp for six months
3. 3rd Year: Doctoral thesis review and public defense

Faculty Members

Kyushu University

• Program Director / Professor: Satoshi Hata
• Professor: Hiroki Ago
• Professor: Satoshi Iikubo
• Professor: Tsuyoshi Yoshitake
• Professor (Cooperating faculty member): Nobuya Hayashi
• Professor: Masatoshi Mitsuhara
• Professor (Cooperating faculty member): Yasukazu Murakami
• Professor (Cooperating faculty member): Kazuhiro Yasuda
• Associate Professor: Hikaru Saito
• Associate Professor: Yuta Tsuji
• Associate Professor (Cooperating faculty member): Ken Watanabe
• Associate Professor (Cooperating faculty member): Koichi Suematsu
• Associate Professor: Yohei Ishida

University of Antwerp

• Professor: Sara Bals
• Professor: Sandra Van Aert
• Professor: Johan Verbeeck
• Professor: Joke Hadermann
• Professor: Dirk Lamoen
• Professor: Milorad Milosevic
• Professor: Bart Partoens
• Professor: Annemie Bogaerts
• Professor: Erik Neyts
• Professor: Karolien De Wael
• Associate Professor: Sammy Verbruggen
• Assistant Professor: Lucian Covaci

Director's Message

The International Joint Degree Doctoral Program for Interdisciplinary Science is a collaborative program between Kyushu University and the University of Antwerp. The program is designed to maximize the time spent on joint research with partner universities, which is considered the most effective method to enhance advanced knowledge and skills in nanostructure analysis, problem-solving skills for related challenges, and international competency. The program director, Satoshi Hata, believes that by collaborating, the two universities can achieve synergistic, complementary, and mutually reinforcing educational and research outcomes.