The overall aim of the seminar is to develop understanding of the key current issues in palliative and end-of-life care globally. Issues related to aging population, chronic illness rise will also be addressed.

We will use a combination of short lectures, interactive group discussion and problem-based activities throughout the course to address aspects of clinical decision-making in palliative care, communication challenges in facing terminal prognosis, ethical issues, holistic needs assessment and management of family dynamics.

We will also have an international speaker from UK to give a lecture and present their work with a current challenge in their clinical practice.

To understand the concepts of palliative and end of life care
To understand the different models of palliative care within different countries.
To develop awareness of the different disease groups relevant to palliative care
To develop awareness of the current debates within palliative care globally.

Session 1: Introduction of the seminar, definitions of palliative care.
Session 2: Explore different approaches to palliative care/ end of life care- historical evolution of the field
Session 3: Wellbeing and the link to quality of life
Session 4: Family involvement or informal care-giving: the untold reality in palliative care
Session 5: Financial burden/implications for the family in end-of-life care
Session 6: Communication skills in palliative care (Part 1): key challenges
Session 7: Communication skills (Part 2): how to discuss diagnosis and prognosis of terminal illness
Session 8: Quality-of-care (QoC- part 1): Understanding Quality-of-life as the center of care in palliative care
Session 9: Quality-of-care (QoC- part 2): Resilience- The importance of resilience as a coping mechanism
Session 10:Treatment decision-making approaches (part 1): The importance of shared-decision-making
Session 11:Treatment decision-making (Part 2): Advanced- Care- Planning (ACP)- current trends
Session 12: Psychological approaches in the management of chronic pain in palliative care
Session 13: Play therapy in children palliative care
Session 14: End-of-life care in Intensive Care
Session 15: presentations- feedback

特になし

Evaluation will be based on a final-course oral presentation (PPTX, 10-15min)80% and participation and attendance 20%.

Evaluation will be based on active participation (20 points), and an examination- oral presentation(80 points).
Assignments will be assessed on the basis of the course objectives.
- Students who are absent from class more than three times will not be awarded a passing grade.
- Students must present the final course presentations.
- Points will be awarded for assignments showing originality.

Students will follow instructions provided in class, to read a paper or listen to video material occasionaly, in preparation of group work in class. They will also need to prepare their final course presentations (PPTx of 10-15min).

Teacher short lectures, discussion groups, student presentations, small group works during seminar session based on an issue specified by the teacher.

Students are advised to actively participate; make comments and ask questions to generate discussions

Students can communicate directly via e-mail with the seminar teacher for advice, etc. Should they need to meet in person, they can make an appointment with the teacher via e-mail.


If you have any questions, please e-mail the teacher: anagnostou.despoina.2a@kyoto-u.ac.jp

This seminar comprises a broad survey of the history of modern architecture, from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. The content will be organized as a mixture of chronological sequences and building typologies. There will be explanations of the principal characteristics of the design methods, key figures, and major buildings.

By the end of this seminar, students will: Recognize the various styles, specific architects, dates, and locations of important buildings; Understand the climatic, technological, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that have shaped the architecture; Learn to employ basic methods of data collection in research; Assemble this research into a cogent structure; Present research findings to an audience.

The seminar comprises an approximately chronological sequence of lectures. The topics and sequence may be altered during the semester. The first two-thirds of the semester will be lectures by the instructor. The final third of the semester will be presentations by the students. The schedule may be adjusted according to the number of students.

01 Introduction and overview
02 Birth of Modernism
03 High Modernism
04 Late Modernism
05 Alternative Modernisms
06 Postmodernism
07 Neomodernism
08 Deconstructivism
09 Parametricism
10 Supermodernism
11 Student presentations
12 Student presentations
13 Student presentations
14 Student presentations
15 Feedback

No prior knowledge is required. Students should be able to participate in discussions in English.

Assessment is a mixture of short weekly reports and a term essay/presentation. Students must write short reports on the content of 8 of the lectures, following the templates provided (8x8%=64%). Each student will be assigned an individual architect to research, and will submit an illustrated essay on that architect and then present the content to the class in a short, illustrated lecture (36%). Attendance is mandatory. Participation in class discussions will be evaluated.

All students are expected to have read the assigned readings before each class.

By appointment.

This seminar introduces the challenges of social isolation (hikikomori, schizophrenia, depression) and sheds a new light on the development of the mental health field.

To provide you with a general introduction to and understanding of key questions and challenges of social isolation.
To help you develop your analytical and critical thinking regarding the mental health field.

1) Introduction
2) School Non-Attendance in Japan
3) What is Hikikomori?
4) Mental Health Surveys on Hikikomori (Chap.4)
5) Is Social Withdrawal a Mental Disorder? (Chap.3) NPO Support Towards Hikikomori Youths (Chap.5)
6) Hikikomori Subjects’ Narratives (Chap.6) Beyond the Hikikomori Spectrum (Chap.7)
7) Schizophrenia in Japan
8) Schizophrenia in Japan
9) Depression in Japan
10) Depression in Japan
11) Case studies
12) History of mental illness in Japan
13) Varia
14) Conclusions
15) Feedback

特になし

Students are expected to actively participate in discussion and read material during class. Evaluation is based on the following: Participation (30%) and 3 short tests (Multiple choice questionnaires with 3 possible answers) Short test 1 (30%), Short test 2(20%), Short test 3 (20%).

Students do not have homework assignments. However, they are advised to take notes during class and to review the course material before tests.

Office hours Friday 12:30-13:00

The physical properties of materials, such as strength, ductility, toughness and corrosion resistance largely depend on their microstructures - the very small scale (generally smaller than 0.1 millimeter) structures of the material that can be only observed by microscopes. By tuning the microstructures the physical properties of the materials can be greatly modified without changing their chemical compositions. Nanostructured materials refer to the materials having microstructures of which the characteristic length scale is very small, generally in the order of 1 to 1000 nanometers (1 nanometer is equal to 10^-9 meter). Because of the extremely fine microstructures, the nanostructured materials often exhibit superior physical properties which cannot be obtained from the conventional materials having coarse microstructures. The purpose of this course is to introduce the frontier research of the nanostructured materials with focusing on the microstructures and mechanical properties of nanostructured metals and metallic alloys. For that purpose, the background knowledge of material science and engineering and physical metallurgy will be firstly introduced in the seminar. Examples of the nanostructured materials having excellent properties and the related physical mechanisms will then be introduced and discussed. Laboratory tours are offered to the students to learn the cutting-edge techniques for fabricating and characterizing the nanostructured materials.

By taking this course, students will learn why the materials researches are going into the length scale of nanometer in recent decades. In addition, they will have a brief understanding on the frontier researches of processing, properties and microstructures of the nanostructured metals and alloys.

1. Introduction to materials and materials science
2. Atomic structure and interatomic bonding
3. Structure of crystalline solids
4. Imperfections in solids
5. Microstructures of materials and concept of nanomaterials
6. Laboratory tour* (Techniques for evaluating the mechanical properties and microstructures observation)
7. Metallic materials having nanostructures
8-11. Microstructures and mechanical properties of nanostructured metallic materials
12. Laboratory tour* (Techniques for creating nanostructured metallic materials)
13-14. Advanced characterization techniques
15.Feedback


* Two laboratory tours in the 6th and 12th week will be held in the laboratory for structure and property of materials in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Yoshida campus.

特になし

Attendance and active participation [60%]
Final report [40%]

Students are required to read assigned materials (distributed by the teacher) before and after the class for preparation and review. The necessary time for those would be around 2 hours for each class.

Take out accident insurance.（Students Pursuing Education and Research (Gakkensai)）.

Carbon-based molecules and polymers can behave as electrical insulators, conductors, or semiconductors, which makes them useful materials for electronics. In this seminar course, you will learn why certain molecules conduct electricity, how organic semiconductors are made, and how devices like organic solar cells and organic transistors work. The material is aimed at 1st and 2nd year students interested in learning about science in English. 3rd and 4th year students are also welcome. Seminars are presented in English. Discussion is in English and Japanese.

This seminar course will give students a general overview of the field of organic electronics.

1. Introduction
2. Organic molecules and polymers - what makes them semiconductors?
3. Understanding electricity
4. Inorganic vs. organic materials
5. Energy and energy levels
6. Defects and imperfections
7. Fabrication methods
8. Some really basic electronics
9. In-class demo
10. What are electronic devices?
11. Solar cells
12. Lighting and displays
13. Transistors
14. The next frontier...
15. [no class]
16. Feedback

特になし

Each lecture will introduce a short homework assignment related to the topic covered. These assignments count for 70% of the final grade. Attendance and class participation count for 30%.

Weekly assignments reinforce key concepts introduced in the seminars.

This ILAS seminar is designed to provide freshmen undergraduate students who are interested in cancer, a brief introduction to biology of cancer and the current therapeutics. Students will start to learn from this seminar about the introduction of molecualr and cellular biology, and then subsequently the biology principles of cancer. Moreover, recent topics on cancer immunotherapy will also be discussed in this seminar. Finally, students will conduct a presentation on their selected paper and discuss about the current and future therapeutics.Also noted that language that is accessible to students without a medical background will be used in this seminar to help their understanding.

By participating in this ILAS Seminar, students will gain fundamental knowledge of the current understanding of human cancer.

The seminar comprises interactive lectures, reading circles, and student presentations.

Introduction
1. Central Dogma & basic cell biology
2. Cell cycle and chromatin architecture
3. gene expression
4. The nature of cancer
5. Oncogenes 1
6. Oncogenes 2
7. Ras/Tumor suppressor gene 1: pRb and control of cell cycle
8 Tumor suppressor gene 2: p53 and control of cell cycle
9. Tumor microenvironment and angiogenesis
10. Cancer immunology 1
11. Cancer immunology 2
12. Cancer immunotherapy 1
13. Cancer immunotherapy 2
14. Summary & Presentation
15. Feedback

Note: The schedule is subject to adjustments based on the number of students and specific needs of the class.

特になし

Attendance and Active participation to the lectures (60%)
Quality of student presentations and discussions (30%)
A report (10%)

I recommend students to confirm the handouts for each lecture and the relevant reference textbook to learn about the lecture content in advance of the class. Handouts for each lecture will be uploaded on LMS few days before each class.

Consultation via email or online meetings such as Zoom is possible. For those students who prefer to discuss directly with the instructor, please arrange appointments by email in advance.

How does artificial intelligence (AI) change the way we think about law and society?
This seminar invites students who have just entered the University to explore how technology and society continuously shape each other. Together, we will reflect on some pressing questions of our time.

In the first semester of 2026, the course will explore three main themes:

[1. Human-Centred AI: What does it really mean?]
What exactly makes AI “human-centred”? Who counts as “human” in this idea, and whose values are reflected in the design of AI systems? In this theme, we will question the meaning and limits of “human-centredness” by exploring how technology embeds social, cultural, and ethical assumptions. Students will learn to identify how laws and policies can promote, or fail to promote, AI that truly serves human dignity and democratic values.

[2. The Role of Giant Tech: Power, Responsibility, and Democracy]
Giant technology companies are, at their core, private businesses. Yet they hold vast amounts of our data and influence what we see, buy, and even think. What role do they play in today’s democratic societies, and what kinds of responsibility should accompany their power? In this theme, we will discuss issues of platform governance, accountability, and regulation, asking whether democracy can be preserved in an age dominated by digital giants.

[3. AI Judges: Can Machines Deliver Justice?]
Could machines ever replace human judges? Would algorithmic decisions be fairer, faster, and more consistent, but less humane? This theme examines the rise of “AI judges” and the automation of judicial processes. Students will explore how fairness, trust, and legitimacy might change when legal judgment is delegated to machines, and what it tells us about the future of justice itself.

The seminar combines reading, discussion, and interaction with international experts who will join us online. Students will learn how to read short academic and policy texts, summarise key ideas, ask meaningful questions, and discuss them in English. Each student will also develop a personal research project, moving step by step, from choosing a topic to building a structure and presenting findings, supported by individual feedback.

By completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the fundamental relationship between AI, law, and society, and explain how technological developments shape legal and social values.

2. Identify and analyse key issues in the three course themes, Human-Centred AI, Giant Tech and democracy, and AI Judges, using basic conceptual and analytical frameworks introduced in class.

3. Read and summarise short academic and policy texts accurately, and formulate insightful questions for discussion.

4. Discuss and present ideas clearly and respectfully in English, showing improvement in both academic communication and critical reasoning skills.

5. Develop and complete an individual research project through independent and continuous effort, demonstrating the ability to connect course themes with personal interests under supportive guidance.

Through these achievements, students will cultivate the capacity to think critically, communicate effectively, and engage with global debates on AI, law and society.

Weekly Schedule and Class Themes

Week 1: Introduction: Course information and overview of AI, Law and Society
Week 2: Theme 1: Human-Centred AI (I) + Method Workshop
Week 3: Theme 1: Human-Centred AI (II)
Week 4: Guest Lecture I: Lawyer in Big Tech
Week 5: Theme 2: The Role of Big Tech (I) + Presentation Clinic I
Week 6: Theme 2: The Role of Big Tech (II)
Week 7: Theme 3: AI Judges (I) + Presentation Clinic II
Week 8: Theme 3: AI Judges (II)
Week 9: Guest Lecture II: Lawyer in an International Organisation
Weeks 10-14: Final Presentations (two students per week with peer discussion)
Week 16: Reflection Session


The seminar proceeds step by step, combining reading, discussion, and practical exercises to help students explore how AI interacts with law and society.
The course is structured around three core themes: Human-Centred AI, the Role of Giant Tech, and AI Judge. It also includes two guest lectures by international professionals.
Students will receive continuous guidance through workshops and presentation clinics, gradually developing their own research projects. In the final weeks, each student presents their findings and participates in peer discussion, followed by a reflection session that connects individual insights to the broader themes of the course.

特になし

Students will be evaluated through continuous assessment based on participation and the final report. Emphasis is placed on steady progress, engagement, and the ability to connect ideas across class discussions and personal research.

Class participation and discussion (20%)
Active involvement in reading discussions, peer feedback, and guest sessions.

Article summary and question (20%)
In each of the three main themes, we will read two materials per week to compare perspectives and deepen discussion.
Each student will select, during the first class, one week to be responsible for summarising or raising discussion questions and one week for their final presentation.

Final presentation (40%)
Oral presentation of individual research findings with peer discussion.

Final paper (20%)
Written version of the research project (approx. 1,200-1,500 words) showing independent thinking and integration of feedback.

Evaluation criteria:
Grades will reflect the student’s understanding of course themes, analytical ability, clarity of expression, contribution to class discussion, and consistency of effort. Continuous engagement and growth throughout the semester are valued as key aspects of assessment.

Before each assigned summary, question submission, and presentation, students are expected to prepare by carefully reading the selected materials and reflecting on key issues.

Students are also encouraged to explore related topics beyond the assigned readings, such as current news, reports, or commentaries on AI and society, to broaden their understanding and achieve better learning outcomes.

Contact via Email.

In the future, one of your co-workers might be a humanoid robot. But how can robots complete the same tasks as humans? More precisely, how can a robot achieve the same dexterity as we do for manipulation tasks, and what are the challenges involved for robots to pick and manipulate objects?
In this class, we will explore the underlying physics (working principles and control schemes) for robotic manipulators. This seminar course is based on my own researches in robotic manipulation, so we will also cover recent research evolutions in robotic manipulation.

- Understand the issues and challenges surrounding robotic manipulation.
- Be able to describe mathematically the kinematics and dynamics of robotic manipulators grasping objects.

1. What does “Robotic Manipulation” means? (Week 1)
2. Linear algebra as the language of robotics (Week 2-3)
3. 3D rigid motion (Week 4)
4. Modeling robot links and joints (Week 5)
5. Forward and inverse kinematics (Week 6-7)
6. Jacobian matrix and singularity problems for manipulators (Week 8-9)
7. Mathematical formalisms for robotic manipulators (Week 10-11)
8. An introduction to manipulators equations of motion (Week 12)
9. Control strategies for manipulators (Week 13)
10. Manipulation problems using Grasp Maps (Week 14)
11. Feedback (Week 15)

Students should be familiar with high-school level mathematics (algebra and calculus), and with basic mechanics.

The students will be graded based on participation (20%) as well as a final report covering the contents of the class. (80%)

Some homework to complete what has been seen in class.

This course is designed as an introduction to early eastern philosophical and religious thought. We will begin with a reading of early Indian Vedic literature and then turn our focus to Zoroastrianism and early and later forms of Buddhism.

By the end of this course, students will have gained a basic understanding of eastern philosophical and religious thought.

The course is divided into the following four sections, each with a different theme.

1. Introduction (about 2 weeks)
Indo-Iranian and Indo-European origins; shared cultural, linguistic, and religious material; comparative mythology

2. The Vedas and Upanishads (about 5 weeks)
Vedic and the Vedic world: language, texts, and ritual; the Rigveda and the Upanishads

3. Zoroastrianism (about 4 weeks)
Zoroaster and his world; Zoroastrian religion and literature; shared Indo-Iranian religious and cultural themes

4. Buddhism (about 3 weeks)
The Buddha; Buddhist texts and schools; Japanese Buddhism

Feedback (1 week)

特になし

Grades are based on attendance/class participation (30%), and assignments/exams (70%). Important: If you miss four or more classes, you will not be given credit for the course.

Readings will be assigned on a weekly basis, and you will be expected to prepare sufficiently for each class. In addition, there are brief writing assignments for each section.

Office hours to be specified (check KULASIS). For questions about the course or to set up a meeting, email me at catt.adam.7c@kyoto-u.ac.jp. Please include “Eastern Thought I” in the mail header and your full name and student number in the email. Important: Make sure that you search for answers to questions yourself before contacting me by email.

Students will be provided with an overview of the origins, formations and receptions of world religions. Given the lecturer’s educational background and teaching expertise, religions are discussed through two different perspectives: (a) historical origin of religions, their formation, texts and development over the course of history. Particular attention will be paid to primary sources (the Bible-Old and New Testaments, the Quran and Hadith); and (b) interreligious debates between Muslims and Hindus in India; Buddhists and Muslims in Southern Thailand; Christians and Muslims in Malaysia. Sessions 13 and 14 will be dedicated to an examination of new religious movements. During the last session, students will run a conversation with leading experts and observe old Biblical, Quranic, Hindu and Buddhist manuscripts. The approach assumed in this paper shall be academic and dispassionate.

Enthusiastic students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
o Demonstrate an informed understanding of key concepts and major themes within the world religions
o Discuss critically the development and compilation of religious

Week 1 Judaism: Origin
Required Reading: Solomon, Norman. Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edn (Oxford
and New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 1-40.
Week 2 Judaism: Texts
Required Reading: Vidas, Moulie. Tradition and the Formation of the Talmud (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2014), 115-149.
Week 3 Christianity: Origin
Required Reading: Young, Frances M. “Prelude: Jesus Christ, Foundation of Christianity”, in Cambridge History of Christianity: Volume 1, Origins to Constantine, edited by Mitchell,
Margaret M., Frances M. Young, and K. Scott Bowie (Eds) (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 1-34.
Week 4 Christianity: Texts
Required Reading: Myers, Alicia D. An Introduction to the Gospels and Acts (Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2021), 1-16.
Week 5 Islam: Origin
Required Reading: Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices(London: Routledge, 2014), 7-44.
Week 6 Islam: Texts
Required Reading: Sinai, Nicolai. Qur’an: A Historical-Critical Introduction (Edinburgh:Edinburgh University Press, 2017), 40-75.
Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (London: Routledge, 2014),44-58.
Week 7 Judaism in the Modern Age
Required Reading: Fackenheim, Emil L. What is Judaism?: An Interpretation for the Present Age. (New York: Syracuse University Press, 1999), 223-253.
Week 8 Christianity in the Modern Age
Required Reading: Boss, Sarah Jane. “The Role of Mary in the 20th and 21st Centuries”, in Women in Christianity in the Modern Age, edited by Isherwood, Lisa and Megan Clay(London: Routledge, 2021), 53-82.
Week 9 Islam in the Modern Age
Required Reading: Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices(London: Routledge, 2014), 301-312
Week 10 Muslim-Hindus in India
Required Reading: Thursby, G. R. Hindu-Muslims Relations in British India (Leiden: Brill, 1975), 123-135
Week 11 Buddhist and Muslims in Southern Thailand
Required Reading: Yusuf, Imtiyaz. “The Southern Thailand Conflict and the Muslim World,”Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 27, no. 2 (2007): 319-339.
Week 12 Buddhist and Muslims in Southern Thailand
Required Reading: Yusuf, Imtiyaz. “The Southern Thailand Conflict and the Muslim World,”
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 27, no. 2 (2007): 319-339.
Week 13 Christians and Muslims in Malaysia
Required Reading: Riddell, Peter G. “Varieties of Christian-Muslim Encounter in Malaysia”,in Christian Responses to Islam: Muslim-Christian Relations in the Modern World, edited by
A. O’Mahony and Emma Loosely (Manchester: Manchester University Press 2008), 105-119.
Week 14 New Religious Movements 1
Required Reading: Wallis, Roy. “Three Types of New Religious Movements,” In Cults in Context: Readings in the Study of New Religious Movements, edited by Lorne L. Dawson
(London: Routledge, 2018), pp. 39-71.
Week 15 Exam.
Week 16 Feedback

特になし

General Information about Assessment Overview
Your assessment consists of two components: (1) A 2000-word essay 1 (35 %) For the first assignment students should choose a topic based on our first 6 sessions. Students are not expected to adapt or replace the title of the essay. Any alteration to the title of the essay must be discussed with the lecturer. (2) The final exam, which is worth 65% of your grade. Information on the examination format will be handed out mid-semester. Because of the precise format of your essay assignments, I provide students with a document on about my expectations for their essay work.

Read through all provided information very carefully, at the beginning of the semester, taking time to absorb its contents, so that you may get to work in an efficient and pleasurable manner, rather than go down dead-end avenues of investigation or end up otherwise frustrated. Then come back, and come often! If you have any questions at all about your assignment, please do not hesitate to contact me. Above all: Be timely with your work. Begin early; it is the only insurance you have against hurry, stress, and in the end inferior work (to say nothing of possible late penalties). The more effort you put in the early stages, the easier you will find everything; the later you are, the more difficult things become.

No prior knowledge of religion is required. Students should be able to participate in discussions with their classmates in English. This may be face-to-face small group discussion or online. Students may also be asked to make short presentations in English based on the class topics.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Knowledge a) A working familiarity scriptures and their interpretive literature
b) A familiarity with key concepts used by different religious communities
c) A familiarity with history of religions in different parts of the world
d) A familiarity with modern debates around interreligious discourse and dialogue.
Skills
a) The ability to research disparate types of material and bring them together in a unified presentation
b) The ability to develop creative and critical approaches by original religious texts
c) The ability to present an extended analysis in essay form using appropriate literature on a chosen topic.

Appointment can be made via: daneshgar@cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp