International Post-graduate Program
in Human Security (IPHS)
Human Security and DRR
Embedded Files
Course Purpose / 目的
The International Post-Graduate Program in Human Security (IPHS) is an international educational program conducted by the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, the Graduate School of Medicine, and the Graduate School of Agricultural Science under the unified theme of “Human Security,” in cooperation with each graduate school in their respective research fields (health, food and agriculture, environment, and disaster risk reduction (DRR)). The objective of the IPHS is to develop professionals and researchers who can contribute to the realization of human security as leaders of policies and local communities in domestic and international societies with a deep understanding of the complex structure of various issues related to threats to human existence and dignity. One of the courses, “Human Security and DRR,” to be newly established in April 2025, is a graduate program that focuses on disaster risk assessment, urban resilience, and the optimization of DRR investment for the entire society, aiming to create career paths for DRR practitioners, including government officials and engineers in countries with DRR needs (especially middle-income countries).
環境科学研究科、医学系研究科、農学研究科の３研究科が「ヒューマン・セキュリティ」という統一テーマの下に、それぞれの研究分野（健康、食糧・農業、環境、防災）から相互に協力して実施する国際教育プログラムであるヒューマンセキュリティ連携国際教育プログラム（International Post-Graduate Program in Human Security）では、人間の存在と尊厳に対する脅威について、食糧・農業、健康、環境・災害、地域社会等の諸問題の複合的構造を理解し、国内・国際社会において、政策や地域社会のリーダーとしてヒューマンセキュリティの実現位貢献できる専門的職業人・研究者の育成を行うことを目的としています。その一つのコースとして2025年4月に新設された「ヒューマン・セキュリティと防災」では、災害リスク評価や都市強靱化等社会全体での防災投資最適化をテーマとする大学院プログラムとして、世界の防災ニーズ国（特に中所得国）の行政官・技術者等の防災実践者キャリアパスの創出を目指しています。
Content and course structure / 内容・コース構造
Students enroll in the course "Human Security and DRR" offered by the Graduate School of Environmental Studies to obtain a degree. The Course in this program consists of “common subjects” offered by the three graduate schools and two related graduate schools (the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies and the Graduate School of Engineering) from their respective fields of specialization, “major subjects” offered independently by each graduate school, and “thesis guidance and preparation.” In addition to these courses, although they do not generate credits, the program provides opportunities for students to interact with each other beyond the boundaries of the graduate school through courses on how to write papers in English, joint seminars as official events, and so on. The goal of this program is to contribute intellectually to the clarification of the reality of human insecurity and the realization of a new international society that aims for people-centered problem solving through the development of human resources equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge and multiple perspectives that transcend conventional areas of specialization.
学生は、環境科学研究科が設置する「ヒューマン・セキュリティと防災」に在籍し、学位取得を目指します。このプログラムの授業は、３研究科および関連する２研究科（国際文化研究科および工学研究科）がそれぞれの専門分野から提供する「共通科目」、各研究科が独自に実施する「専門科目」、「論文指導･作成」等から構成されます。この他に、単位は発生しないものの、英語論文の書き方講座や、公式行事としてジョイントセミナーなどを開催し、研究科の枠を越えて学生が互いに交流する機会を設けています。従来の専門領域を越えた学際的な知と複合的な視点を備えた人材の育成を通して、ヒューマン・インセキュリティの実態の解明と人々を中心に据えた問題解決をめざす新しい国際社会のあり方の実現に知的側面から貢献することがこのプログラムの目標です。
Learning Outcomes / 学習成果
Students will learn basic knowledge and methods to tackle their research projects in lectures and receive specialized guidance from their laboratories and academic advisors. In addition, through the program's unique interdisciplinary curriculum, students will receive guidance and advice from faculty members of other graduate schools and sub-supervisors, enabling them to analyze issues from multiple and diverse perspectives and to work on problem-solving. In addition, for the graduation thesis, students are provided with opportunities for practical educational research based on a theme set by each student (e.g., disaster risk assessment, DRR engineering, formation of master plans that contribute to the pre-disaster DRR investment based on scientific evidence, etc.) to cultivate research and problem-solving abilities. Moreover, the program will cultivate DRR project formation capacity through the preparation of project proposal drafts according to the most appropriate funding sources (donor funds, private funds, home country budgets, etc.) for project realization.
Since this program is offered in collaboration with other graduate schools, students can take a wide range of related courses according to their interests. Furthermore, in collaboration with the International Research Institution for Disaster Science (IRIDeS), which is engaged in cutting-edge research in the field of DRR and recovery, they will be appointed as core members of the Global DRR practitioner platform consisting of the industry, government, academia and civil society to be established under the project for International Research Excellence. Alumni will be followed up in the long term until they realize DRR investment projects.
受講生は講義にて研究課題に取り組むための基礎的な知識・手法を学び、所属研究室や指導教員から専門的指導を受けます。加えて、本プログラム独自の学際的なカリキュラムにより、他研究科所属教員や副指導教員の指導・助言が得られることから、複合的・多角的な視点で課題を分析し，問題解決に取り組むことができるようになります。また卒業論文では、各自が設定したテーマ（例えば、災害リスク評価、防災減災技術開発、科学根拠に基づく事前防災投資に資するマスタープラン形成など）に基づき、実践的な教育研究の機会を提供し調査能力と課題解決能力を養成します。さらに、事業実現上で最適な資金源（ドナー資金、民間資金、自国予算等）に応じた事業提案・要請書案の作成を通じた具体的な事業形成能力を養成します。
また、本プログラムは、他研究科と連携しているため、学生の関心に応じて幅広い関連科目を履修することが可能となっています。さらに、防災・復興分野における最先端研究に取り組む災害科学国際研究所と連携し、国際卓越研究大学プロジェクトにて本プログラムが中心となって構築予定の産官学民連携の国際防災戦略プラットフォームのコア人材として登載し、卒業後も継続的に事前防災投資事業等の実現までフォローする予定です。
Admission Targets / 入学者ターゲット
The program targets practitioners and engineers from Central/National DRR agencies and DRR-related agencies in middle-income countries and developing countries with DRR needs (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.), as well as from the private sector. The program targets those who are expected to play a leading role in DRR in the future, and who have a high level of motivation and ability to take on the role of formulating, implementing and managing the policy measures and projects, including DRR investment and recovery in their home country after graduation.
中所得国・開発途上国の防災ニーズ国（インド、インドネシア、フィリピン、ネパール、スリランカ、バングラデシュ、パキスタン、ベトナム、タイなど）の災害関連政府機関（Central/National DRR agency and DRR-related agencies）や民間企業等の実務者・技術者を対象とします。Those who are expected to play a leading role in DRR in the futureを中心対象とし、卒業帰国後は、自国における防災・復興分野における事前防災投資はじめ関連事業や政策施策の形成・実施・管理を担うことを目指す意欲及び能力の高い人材をターゲットとします。
Courses of IPHS
Main Course Faculty
Main Course Faculty
※Additional faculty members from the Cultural Environment Studies Corse of the GSES are also available.
Yuichi Ono
小野 裕一
Yuichi Ono
小野 裕一
Professor
Disaster risk reduction studies, which aims to minimise the damage caused by disasters, is a discipline that integrates the humanities and sciences, including the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and medicine. In order to reduce the damage caused by disasters, which have become increasingly severe and frequent in recent years due to climate change, it is important to mainstream disaster risk reduction studies and to promote practical disaster risk reduction studies, i.e. the social implementation of research findings and disaster mitigation measures through regional and international cooperation. In this area, the focus is on the international agenda adopted by the UN in 2015, namely the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, with particular attention to the practical implementation of disaster risk reduction measures through the Sendai Framework. By analysing the evolution of the international agenda and the state of practice, and conducting research that contributes to the formulation of disaster risk reduction policies based on evidence such as disaster loss and damage statistics, the project plans to approach practical disaster risk reduction studies with a view to the post-Sendai Framework after 2030.
Research Fields:
International disaster risk reduction policy / Climatology / Wind-related disaster risk reduction, including tornadoes and tropical cyclones / Early warning system
Daisuke Komori
Daisuke Komori
小森 大輔
小森 大輔
Specially Appointed Professor
Water is the most abundant substance on the earth, the principal constituent of all living things, and a major force constantly shaping the surface of the earth. It is also a key factor in air-conditioning the earth for human existence and in influencing the progress of civilization. Changes in the distribution, circulation, or temperature of the earth’s waters can have far-reaching effects; the ice ages, for instance, were a manifestation of such effects. Changes may be caused by human activities, in particular, since the latter half of the 20th century. People cultivate the soil, irrigate crops, fertilize the land, clear forests, pump groundwater, build dams, dump wastes into rivers and lakes, and do many other constructive or destructive things that affect the circulation and quality of water in nature. Besides, an expanding population and a rapidly growing economy especially in Asia and Africa are hindering sustainability on the globe.
Our studies and challenges have been focused on solving the world water issuers by understanding water circulation, along with the following subjects: (1) Impact assessment on the hydrological change under the changing climate and the land use change at a global and local scale; (2) Mechanism of slope failure and wood debris by torrential rains; (3) Socio-hydrology: trade-offs between urban flood resilience and urbanisation; (4) Numerical study on water pollution in the inundation areas; (5) Long-term heat, vapour and carbon dioxide fluxes observation for an impact assessment on the interaction between land and atmosphere.
Furthermore, the following inter-/trans-disciplinary research has been focused on achieving local sustainability: (6) Understanding requirements for sustainability of community-based programs; (7) Value-based co-creation of technology and lifestyle for a society based on a virtuous materials cycle.
Research Fields:
Hydrology, Socio-Hydrology, Water resources management, Environmental impact assessment, Integrated Research for Disaster Risk, Disaster management
Kozo Nagami
永見 光三
Kozo Nagami
永見 光三
Specially Appointed Professor
In order to reduce losses from disasters, the most important thing is to make efforts to minimize disaster risks on a daily basis. Though it is important to enhance the disaster response and adaptation capacity of individuals and communities against disaster, structural measures as the whole society should play the greatest role in the developing countries. In Japan and other developed countries, historical accumulation of disaster risk reduction investment against high-frequency and low-intensity hazard exposures is considerable. However, many developing countries have entered a period of rapid economic growth without either historical or simultaneous proper disaster risk reduction efforts, and such gap has been expanded further in the development. During over 28 years of practical experience working for JICA's development programs and projects before joining Tohoku University, I have seen such dilemma everywhere in the developing countries. Therefore, the biggest research and education challenge is to steadily correct this situation, even with small increments. I would like to establish a methodology and logic for that purpose.
Research Fields:
Disaster risk assessment, Disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy, DRR investment, Urban development, Critical infrastructure development, Public policy planning, Institution building and analysis, Central and local administration, Urban development policy
Daisuke Sasaki
佐々木 大輔
Daisuke Sasaki
佐々木 大輔
Associate Professor
I have been continuously conducting research focusing on the factors that might hinder the resolution of regional issues from the perspective of international cooperation both qualitatively and quantitatively. I am currently engaged in the collaborative research with several universities in Indonesia, e.g. Universitas Syiah Kuala.
One of the aims of the current research is to clarify the intermediate function of local academic institutions interlinking local residents with external actors, e.g. international donors.
In this context, I adopt some quantitative methods such as text mining analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) to reveal the basic structure underlying the reconstruction scheme after a disaster occurs.
Research Fields:
International Studies / Environmental Studies / Disaster risk reduction / Climate change adaptation / Evidence-based policymaking
How to join our course?
HSとDRRコースに興味がある研究者・学生はこちら。
Application to Human Security and DRR Course
If you are interested in working with us as a PhD or master student, please consider apply to the IPHS "Human Security and DRR" course , The Graduate School of Environmental Studies (GSES), Tohoku University.
Admission 2026 to "Human Security and DRR" Courses: 【Closed】
Term of Enrollment： April 2026
Application period ： June 9 - July 4, 2025
Examination date ： August 26 - 28, 2025
Contact/Links
Contact/Links
Contact Info:
468-1, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-0845, JAPAN
eishin.hata.a6 [at] tohoku.ac.jp
Links
東北大学／Tohoku University
https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/東北大学大学院環境科学研究科／
Graduate School of Environmental Studies
https://www.kankyo.tohoku.ac.jp/en/
東北大学グリーン未来創造機構／
Green Goals Initiative
https://www.ggi.tohoku.ac.jp/
東北大学災害科学国際研究所／International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS)
https://irides.tohoku.ac.jp/eng/東北大学工学研究科／School of Engineering
https://www.eng.tohoku.ac.jp/english/
Page updated
Report abuse