The Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability was established in April 2013 as the 18th graduate school of Kyoto University.
Its goal is to establish “Integrated Studies in Human Survivability” as a practical academic discipline to solve the many complex and structural problems facing society today, and to cultivate global leaders who will master this practical discipline and work for social change.
The world faces numerous global-scale issues that threaten the survival of humankind. Climate change, natural disasters, environmental destruction, conflicts, economic disparity, pandemics, and declining birthrates and aging populations are just a few examples. To overcome these complex challenges, it is necessary to establish a methodology of “integrated knowledge”, not limited to the segmented and specialized fields of study used in the past, but encompassing the broad exploration and integration of various academic disciplines.
To this end, it is essential to connect, integrate, and fully utilize the knowledge of various academic fields to identify, analyze, formulate, and structure complex social issues./ and Additionally, to explore a wide range of solutions, ideas, policies, and methods through to their implementation in society. In the process of research and practice, students are expected to develop the ability to integrate the humanities and sciences comprehensively at a high level and to adopt a broad, global perspective.

In traditional graduate schools, students have contributed to their discipline’s development by working in a faculty member’s laboratory, under their supervision, and studying related research topics. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in the vast body of research produced to date.
However, as mentioned above, the emergence of complex global issues that are difficult to address within individual academic fields has created a need for a new approach. Students interested in tackling such complex problems can now propose their own research themes or topics and collaborate with multiple faculty members from different academic fields.

Integrated Studies in Human Survivability is a new academic discipline that supports this approach, enabling students to engage in inter transdisciplinary research to address these challenges.
Integrated Studies in Human Survivability explores ways for humanity and global society to survive by drawing lessons from the history of mankind , civilizations , and the earth including its organisms. It seeks to integrate and restructure the information from specialized academic fields, traditionally fragmented through specialization, into a cohesive framework that can be applied as practical survival knowledge.