Featured Course: Physics
General Education Courses | Group II: Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Physics
A Deep Understanding and Enjoyable Experience Gained from Theory and Experiments
Natural science is the academic discipline of understanding the mechanisms by which natural phenomena occur.
As can be seen from areas like computers, genetic engineering, and the issue of global warming, the importance of natural science in modern society continues to grow. Furthermore, cutting-edge research fields such as astrophysics and genetic analysis are constantly producing new and interesting results. I believe that understanding the way of thinking in natural science is necessary in modern society, regardless of whether one is in the sciences or humanities.
Various natural science courses are available to students of the Faculty of Economics. Among these, physics, chemistry, and biology courses that include experiments for humanities students are particularly distinctive, and they have been offered at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ for over 50 years. Although they are elective courses, they are popular classes taken by the majority of students. There are likely no other universities in Japan that offer courses with experiments for humanities students on such a scale. These are truly traditional courses unique to ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡.
These courses are designed so that even students who did not take laboratory courses in high school can understand and learn the material. By linking lectures with experiments, a deeper understanding can be achieved, and through these experiments, students can experience firsthand what "scientific truth" is. Furthermore, there is a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment in conducting experiments, obtaining results, and understanding them. These courses, which include experiments, are also highly regarded outside of ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ and have been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the 2005 "Good Practice (GP)" Program for Distinctive University Education and the 2010 Program for Promoting University Education and Student Support.
In the physics course, students conduct a variety of substantial experiments, such as the direct measurement of the speed of light and the quantum mechanical analysis of atomic spectra. I believe that the opportunity to take a course that includes such experiments is hard to find elsewhere. Moreover, physics is a discipline that has historically had, and continues to have, a deep connection with economics. This is a course I would strongly encourage humanities students who did not take physics in high school to enroll in.
(Professor Ken-Ichiro Aoki)