Satoru SAITO(Dean and Professor)
Satoru SAITO
Dean and Professor
Education is an activity based on the premise that humans change. The irreversibility of that change creates a tension which requires us to think critically about educational activity. This is one of the reasons why the discipline of education is considered essential, as we continually seek pathways to create and share knowledge amid constant change.
The objectives of the Graduate School of Education and the Faculty of Education are: to cultivate specialist knowledge of the mind, humans, and society; to form a breadth of perspectives and understandings; to nurture multifaceted and comprehensive thinking and critical judgement; and, to foster an attitude of protecting and promoting humanity. We do this not only through our educational practice, but also by conducting studies in a variety of disciplines related to education and human nature, thereby contributing to the harmonious coexistence of global societies.
As technological innovation, including AI and deep learning, raises new questions about how we learn, what is culture, the role of humans, and indeed, what it is to be human, we are pressed to fundamentally reexamine the relationship between humans and education. This demands developing new educational methods and designing new systems for the next generation. To further develop as a center for education research that can meet these social demands, our Faculty and Graduate School have recently reorganized to more flexibly link and cooperate across disciplines and areas, while building on the accumulation and traditions of the past.
We at the Graduate School of Education and the Faculty of Education of Kyoto University continue to maintain our founding principles, pursuing academic research supported by a unique partnership that has never wavered while at the same time restructuring to respond to the demands of the times and society. Together, students and faculty members will continue to promote interdisciplinary research based on their areas of expertise, thereby fostering individuals who will lead education research and educational practice from a global perspective.