Program Outline

Message from the Program Leader

Welcome to the PhD Program in Human Biology

Nurturing global leaders towards future human society

The University of Tsukuba's PhD Program in Human Biology (HBP) was chosen as one of the Leading Graduate School Doctoral Programs supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), and has started in 2011.In the 21st Century, humanity faces numerous global crises: environmental problems, dwindling natural resources, disasters, disease, and poverty. To solve these problems we have to transcend disciplinary and national borders, and work together towards a brighter future. We share the same destiny and are all passengers in the same boat: our planet Earth.

In the HBP, we aim to nurture leaders of the future, who will bring together expertise in various fields relating to human biology, to identify and work towards overcoming global issues. We call this the Shipmaster Program. An excellent captain has strong leadership skills and takes the responsibility of directing the ship's crew, making good use of various technologies and resources, to navigate the ship through the roughest of seas towards the final destination. To nurture such leaders, we have brought together world-class academics from many research areas, not only biology, but also medicine, computational sciences, and materials sciences, to be faculty members of the HBP.

A competent captain needs more than just technical ability, and so we also aim to foster professional skills in our students, what we refer to as the ABC of Human Power, namely the power of accomplishment (A: Accomplishment), the power of breakthrough (B: Breakthrough), and the power of judgment (C: Cognoscente). In the HBP, we prepare various programs to cultivate these abilities. For example, students have the chance to actively study in other countries through three innovative courses: Appropriate Technology in Developing Countries, International Research Rotation, and Internship in Overseas Companies.

HBP has been accepting students since 2012 school year and has produced many graduates so far. The HBP graduates who have acquired strong human ability in addition to a wide range of research abilities are actively working in domestic and overseas companies, various research institutes, and academia. In the final evaluation of the Leading Graduate School Doctoral Programs, HBP obtained the highest S evaluation (it can be evaluated that the purpose of this project was sufficiently achieved because the efforts beyond the plan were performed and the excellent results were obtained). We have realized that students are growing through the HBP educational program.

Although support from the Leading Graduate School Doctoral Programs was terminated in 2017, it will be restarted with a new system from 2018, and students of this course will continue to receive financial assistance for 5 years.
https://hbp.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/support/

Please enroll in HBP and experience your growth in an environment where you can grow up and work hard with your friends. We welcome young people with big dreams and high ambitions.

Program Leader 
Professor Kenji Irie