Message from the Dean
Dean of Graduate School of Literature Kazuyuki Kobayashi
Message from the Dean
Aoyama Gakuin University Graduate School Graduate School of Literature consists of the following majors: English and American Literature, French Literature and Language, Japanese Literature and Japanese Language, History, and Comparative Art Studies.
At Graduate School of Literature, you will learn a wide range of advanced specialized knowledge based on your undergraduate studies. Each major has its own traditions, characteristics, and research methods that vary greatly depending on the academic field. As you proceed with your research, you will come into contact with and acquire traditional research methods unique to each academic field, as well as cutting-edge research methods such as those typified by digital humanities.
The humanities are said to explore issues such as "the meaning of human existence" and "what is a human being?" Although each major in Graduate School of Literature has a strong sense of individuality in its academic field, it is expected that each research will advance humanities research.
In order to advance research, it is necessary to read through a huge amount of previous research, examine various materials located in various places, conduct various experiments and observations, and then submit research reports to deepen the research. It is also important to decide what your problem is and to constantly think about the significance of the problem. Furthermore, interdisciplinary research in collaboration with academic fields other than your specialty may bring about new results.
In graduate school, students, even if they are beginners, are recognized as researchers. Faculty members face students as independent researchers and sincerely advise them to improve their research. Students will also be able to make friends who are researching the same field, both within the university and at other universities. Such friends who share the same research goals may become lifelong friends who will share the joys and sorrows of research. We hope that you will be able to make such friends not only at our graduate school, but also at graduate classes at other affiliated universities, or through various research groups and academic conferences.
Modern society is changing and becoming more fluid as information technology advances and globalizes. In this environment, the question "what does it mean to be human?" is becoming more and more important. This is because it is through this question that we develop solid wisdom and insight that allows us to cooperate and collaborate with others while not being swayed by those around us.
It is my hope that, through your studies and research at graduate school, each and every one of you will be able to write original and compelling dissertations and acquire cutting-edge academic knowledge, so that you will be able to fully contribute in various fields, such as research, education, and society.