Independent Research Project | 東京大学 | グローバルリーダー育成プログラム

Will university students from abroad join the GEfIL Independent Research Project?

Only GLP-GEfIL members can participate in the Independent Research Project. There will, however, be opportunities to discuss your ideas with students abroad in the process of the research. Please consult with your professors for details.

Are the themes of the GEfIL Independent Research Project fixed? I am interested in Agriculture-related issues and I wonder, which thematic field would be appropriate.

The thematic fields of the GEfIL Independent Research Project are fixed every year. Depending on your particular interest, Agriculture-related issues may belong to Sustainability, Global Health and/or Global Economy. Each thematic field offers a wide range of possible research topics, and the thematic fields overlap with each other to a certain extent. Thus, you should be able to find the best thematic field for your research topic. Please refer to below link for more details.　
More about GEfIL Independent Research Project

Do we research by ourselves with guidance of the professor supervising our thematic field? Can we expect any further support provided in the GEfIL Independent Research Project?

You will be supported by the professors of the GEfIL Independent Research Project and the GLP Office along with teaching assistant support staffs (postgraduate students). Student numbers working in one particular thematic field will be quite small, so the research process will be interactive.

Are the classes of the GEfIL Independent Research Project like a seminar?

Yes, they are similar to seminars. In Phase 1, you will mostly be familiarized with interdisciplinary research and teamwork skills and improve your English presentation skills. In Phase 2, the students will work in small groups of their thematic field supervised by the subject’s professor. Members from sponsoring companies may, from time to time, join the presentation sessions held at regular intervalls of the GEfIL Independent Research Project.

Does the theme of my GEfIL Independent Research Project have to be related to my own major?

Not necessarily. You may select your own research topic based on your interest within the framework of the thematic fields.

I noticed that the thematic fields of the GEfIL Independent Research Project are rather large. How do I select a topic?

It may be useful to begin by thinking of a global issue that interests you and then, to break down this problem into its components. This exercise will allow you to identify the thematic field (e.g. Sustainability, Global Economy, Peace Building, etc.) within the GEfIL Independent Research Project that would respond to the global issue of your interest. You can – and indeed should – also discuss your ideas and research questions with the professors leading the GEfIL Independent Research Project and other GLP-GEfIL members, in order to determine the thematic field that is right for you and your research interests.

I heard that a research group in the GEfIL Independent Research Project may consist of students from different disciplinary backgrounds. If so, how do we decide on one theme for the project?

Students with different interests can work together in one group, as long as they share the same or a similar problem consciousness. As you probably know, many big problems, which the world faces today, can only be solved by teams consisting of people with different expertise but shared interests. You can exchange your ideas with other GLP-GEfIL members and professors and thereby, expand your horizon, in order to enhance the quality of your research.

Are credits of GEfIL Independent Research Project included in the graduation requirements unit?

This will depend on the decision of your faculty. Please refer to information in 'About GLP-GEfIL Course' section for more details.
List of faculty's decision about credits as of 202303

How often will classes and/or meetings for the GEfIL Independent Research Project be held?

Generally speaking, classes will be held once or twice a month. If your research team wishes to meet more often then, this could be arranged with the help of the support staff. Holiday seasons (summer and March) will be off due to abroad programs, though you may wish to continue your own research during the holiday periods.

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