The world is entering a new era. As the transition toward a decarbonized society accelerates, demand for rare metals and rare-earth elements—essential to renewable energy technologies—continues to grow rapidly. This has intensified global competition for strategic resources. For Japan, which relies heavily on imported resources, addressing this challenge is vital for sustaining economic stability and future prosperity.

　The Faculty and Graduate School of International Resource Sciences at Akita University build on more than a century of academic tradition, dating back to the founding of the Akita Mining College in 1910. Our programs offer an interdisciplinary approach that integrates science and engineering—such as resource exploration, sustainable mining, and advanced recycling—with the social sciences, which examine international politics, economics, and resource governance.

　Many courses are conducted in English, creating an international learning environment in which students from Japan study alongside peers from resource-rich regions such as Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. Through global research collaborations and joint projects with international partners, students develop the knowledge and skills needed to address real-world resource challenges.

　Join us in designing a sustainable future for global resources.