Message from the Dean
Introduction to the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Terada Torahiko
The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
The Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Welcome to the website of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Tokyo. The Komaba I Campus, home to both the Graduate School and the College, offers the bountiful beauty of nature in each of the four seasons. While we cannot convey the richness of the scenery on our campus through this site, we hope that as you browse its pages, the wealth of information it provides makes you feel as if you are taking a stroll through the campus itself.
When walking through fields and mountains, you may come across paths that diverge, and it is not always easy to decide which one to follow. The pursuit of learning is much the same. When we find ourselves at a crossroads, it is our thinking that helps us decide on a direction to go.
The more knowledge that you have, the more confident you will be in choosing your way. And if you have someone to consult, your decision will be informed by a wider perspective. Exploring this site is similar in some respects: rather than being satisfied with a single answer, we hope that you will visit a variety of pages and discuss the information you have gathered with friends and family so that you can consider matters from a range of perspectives.
More than 9,000 people gather on the Komaba I campus, and this site provides information that serves their diverse needs. Over 6,600 students from the Junior Division (years 1 and 2) study here, along with more than 500 students in the Senior Division (years 3 and 4), and more than 1,300 graduate and research students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Supporting them are over 570 professors, associate professors, lecturers, assistant professors, and administrative and technical staff. The website offers valuable information for each and every one of the members of this community, as well as resources for visitors from outside the university. The site has been designed to meet these varied and complex needs. Faculty and staff at the Komaba I Campus continuously share information through this website, always with an eye toward how their message might be better conveyed. We would like our visitors to engage in a dialogue with these sources of information, rather than passively take it in.
The purpose of the road is to reach a destination. But if arrival alone were all that mattered, it would matter little whether one traveled on a rocky path or walked through the desert. The paths of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences, however, are lined with delicate greenery, beautiful flowers, and large trees that cast generous shade. Some paths are narrow; others are spacious and lined with gingko trees. They are not mere routes toward information, but pathways that enrich our ways of seeing and deepen our understanding.
It is our hope that a stroll through the website of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences will provide you with more than just knowledge, that it will engage you in a dialogue that enriches your spirit and mind. We believe that this will be the first true step toward visiting the Komaba I Campus.
