Department of Humanities and Social Sciences: Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies
Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies SectionArea Studies SectionSocial and International Relations
Interdisciplinary Language Sciences
Language is the fundamental basis of human intellectual activities and forms one of the defining features that distinguish humans from other species. As such, to study the essence of language is to study human nature itself. The purpose of this course is to conduct research and teaching that shed light on structures and functions of language from various viewpoints and explore their true nature. The two defining features of the course programme are as follows:
A cross-linguistic perspective
Under the expertise of faculty members specialising in major Western and Asian languages, the course allows students to deepen their understanding of their chosen language, both on its own terms and in comparison with other languages that have contrasting characteristics - with the overall aim of nurturing a perspective that seeks to capture both the diversity of human language and the universality that lies behind it.
An interdisciplinary approach
From humanities and social scientific approaches examining language use in society to natural scientific approaches capturing human use of language in relation to cerebral activity or language processing in computer science, the aim is to train students who can study language scientifically from a variety of viewpoints. In this course, students acquire practical proficiency in more than two foreign languages and develop a highly active, multi-linguistic language ability. At the same time, the course also equips students with media literacy, fostering in them the ability to live in an increasingly multi-linguistic and multi-cultural world - with their understanding of language as their key strength.
Teaching and research supervision are conducted in close cooperation with the Department of Language and Information Sciences at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and are provided on two levels: classroom teaching based on course curriculum and personal supervision by faculty members. Graduates of this course are expected to go on to work in a variety of sectors such as media and communications, civil service, trading companies and educational institutions. For those who wish to continue with research, further study is possible at the Department of Language and Information Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Language and Information Sciences Website 
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[Courses]
| Cultural Anthropology | Culture and Representation | Comparative Literature and Arts |
| Contemporary Thought and Philosophy | Interdisciplinary Japanese Cultural Studies |
| Interdisciplinary Language Sciences | Studies on Text, Culture and Theory |
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Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies SectionArea Studies SectionSocial and International Relations
