Update: 2025/03/14

EDUCATION

Education Program

Graduate Program for Doctoral Degree (Ph. D.)

I. Basic Principles

A. Mission Statement

The aim of the Doctoral Program is to foster researchers with multiple talents in mathematical sciences who are also capable of working in various fields. In the Graduate School of Mathematics we offer doctoral students an active and global work place in order that students enrich their knowledge by working together with younger researchers.

Mathematical scientists are not only those who work in a university or a laboratory but include those competent to solve problems of any field of the mathematical sciences. Therefore, we encourage you to take a broad perspective in considering your career options after graduation.

II. Program Details

Self-designed study is the principal work of the doctoral program. That is, students organize their own research, in cooperation with members of the Graduate School of Mathematics faculty. In other words, the work style in the doctoral program is similar to that of an internship.

Doctoral students, much like Master students, have advisors. However, unlike the Small Group Class of the Master’s program, students and advisors do not regularly meet in a classroom situation. Therefore it is important that students consistently take initiative in their research. We recommend that you begin your research as soon as you enter the doctoral program.

The target duration for the doctoral degree is 3 years. In these 3 years, students are expected to devote themselves to their research rather than attend lectures. The objective is to solve an important problem that you, or other specialists, have not solved yet.

Activities in doctoral program:

• Lectures, Symposia, Seminars, National and international workshops/​conferences,
• Laboratory project,
• Organization of students’ project,
• Faculty/Student seminar.

A. Laboratory Project

Doctoral research can be considered a “project”. A project can be described in the following process:

Theme/topic selection → Planning → Presentation → Result report

The most important part is finding a topic.

Laboratory projects that researchers organize offer doctoral students an active and challenging place for their research. These projects will also inspire students to find a theme and to do research.

B. Student’s Project

While doctoral students prepare for their dissertation in the Graduate School of Mathematics, we encourage them to develop their project planning skills by creating what we call a “Student’s Project”. The Student’s Project may consist of workshops, researcher’s seminars, and research exchange/​collaboration with other laboratories or institutes.

C. Research Activity in the Department

In the Graduate School of Mathematics, we organize a diverse string of seminars including the following:

• Introduction of Algebraic Geometry Seminar, Research Worker Seminar, Graduate Students’ Seminar,
• Number Theory and Geometry Workshop,
• Seminar on Analytic Number Theory,
• Geometry Seminar,
• Ricci Flow Seminar,
• Geometric Group Theory Workshop,
• Rigidity Seminar,
• Seminar in Analytic Geometry,
• Global Analysis Seminar,
• Dynamical Systems Seminar,
• Potential Theory Seminar,
• Infinite Dimensional Analysis Seminar (Joint seminar with Meijo University),
• Differential Equations Seminar,
• Tagen Seminar,
• Mathematical Physics Seminar,
• Mathematics Education Seminar,
• Lunch Time and Seminar for Women,
• Project “Differential equation according to algebraic geometry method”,
• Project “Geometry in string theory and its expansion”,
• Project “Hecke algebras and Macdonald functions associated to complex reflection groups”,
• Project “Representation theoretic combinatorics and combinatorial representation theory”.

Detailed schedule can be found at: Research Calendar. Educational Research Projects are on-going original research projects of the Graduate School of mathematics.

D. Advisor

Students will have several advisors in the doctoral program; one of the advisors will be the main advisor:

• Advisors will give students technical advice for their dissertation.
• Advisors will be in charge of: Student’s Project, writing a dissertation, and career counseling.

E. JSPS Fellowship

This program was established by JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) to assist promising and highly qualified students wishing to conduct research in universities or institutions. Fellowships are awarded for a period of two to three years with monthly research-related expenses and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research. Detailed information is provided at:

Official web site of JSPS [English]

F. Research Assistant

Many doctoral students may be employed as research assistants (RA) to help them develop their research skills and to provide opportunities for participation in various research groups in the Graduate School of Mathematics.

III. After the graduation

Students advance to various careers after receiving their degree. Some become laboratory or university researchers, SE, or other specialists in companies, especially in research and development sections, or teachers at institutions of higher education. The need for people with mathematical training is increasing worldwide. It is the time for you to try to explore a new field. We encourage you to work consistently to broaden your perspectives and to explore new fields where your knowledge may be applied. We invite you to participate in lectures and conferences held by companies in various fields to help you find your interest.