“Special International Program for Urban Infrastructure Engineering in Developing Countries (‘Civil and Development’ program)” and “International Graduate Program for Innovation of Civil Engineering through ICT technologies (‘Civil and ICT/IoT’ program)” are belonging to the Department of Infrastructure and Urban Society for the master course and Department of Urban Innovation for the doctor course in Graduate School of Urban Innovation, Yokohama National University. It is the all-English graduate program at the doctor and master level in the field of civil engineering.

We have initiated the program since 1989. The Japanese government (MEXT) scholarships have been collocated to the program as a priority, and at present, two MEXT scholarships for the master course and five MEXT scholarships for the doctor course are allocated every year for the “Civil and Development” program, and one MEXT scholarship for the master course and three MEXT scholarships for the doctor course are allocated every year for “Civil and ICT/IoT” program. The program is rather research-oriented although coursework (attending lectures) is required. Courses are offered in English, and all dissertation works including adviser's guidance, progress report, writing, and presentation in English.

Program Name

Special International Program for Urban Infrastructure Engineering in Developing Countries

Outline of the Program

With a focus on excellent students in the civil engineering field mainly from developing countries, practical education and research guidance regarding international urban infrastructure engineering in a multicultural environment are being provided. Students will learn civil engineering in the field of urban communities from an international perspective.

Number of Scholars

Five (Doctor course), Two (Master course)

Features of the Program

• Practical education and research in the field of urban communities
  The Yokohama-Kanagawa area, where our university is located, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Japan, with a residential area, a core of industries, diverse and complex terrain. This area has experienced challenges that cities around the world commonly have or may have in the future, and our faculty has accumulated the results of practical education and research in the field of urban communities. Taking advantage of this achievement, this program will carry out practical education and research to solve urban problems, which leads to foster practical human resources that will become one of the driving forces in the realization of metropolitan cities in developing countries.
• Global education with both Japanese and international students
  Students will study in a multicultural environment with both Japanese and international students. All the instructions will be in English. Students will be able to acquire not only practical knowledge and techniques but also a dense network that will continue after returning home country with future Japanese researchers and engineers.
• Interdisciplinary education from an international perspective
  In the Faculty of Urban Innovation, where this program belongs, not only professors in the civil engineering field but also professors who specialize in human and social science, such as international development studies, are also teaching together. Taking advantage of the characteristics of this interdisciplinary education and research organization, this program will carry out interdisciplinary “international urban infrastructure engineering” education linked with Yokohama urban social science on the basis of civil engineering and foster human resources with a multi-viewpoint that can cope with the increasingly complex societies.

Program Name

International Graduate Program for Innovation of Civil Engineering through ICT technologies

Outline of the Program

Practical education and research guidance in a multicultural co-research environment will be provided in order to foster innovative high-level international human resources that can bring technological innovation to civil engineering, environment, and disaster prevention fields by actively utilizing Information Communication Technology (ICT), Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

Number of Scholars

Three(Doctor course), One(Master course)

Features of the Program

• With a focus on students who obtained master's degrees in civil engineering at leading Asian universities (partners of Innovative Asian program), this program aims to train innovative human resources who can contribute to technological innovation in the fields of civil engineering, disaster prevention, and the environment, making active use of ICT, IoT, and AI.
• Students will learn urban infrastructure science, studying civil engineering in the field of cities in practice, and learn how to make use of ICT, IoT, and AI in the civil engineering field, under a co-research environment with multicultural students and working people. All the instructions will be in English. Students will be able to acquire not only practical knowledge and techniques but also a dense network that will continue after returning home country with future Japanese researchers and engineers.
• Students will be able to learn from Professor Akito SAKURAI, who is a pioneer in the research development of support technology for infrastructure inspection, diagnosis, and management by AI.
• Students will study in a multicultural environment with both Japanese and international students. All the instructions will be in English. Students will be able to acquire not only practical knowledge and techniques but also a dense network that will continue after returning home country with future Japanese researchers and engineers.
• In research, innovative results are expected by actively applying ICT and data science technologies into essential themes related to civil engineering that are highly urgent such as efficient construction, cost reduction, and safety.

• The Yokohama-Kanagawa area, where our university is located, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Japan, with a residential area, a core of industries, diverse and complex terrain. This area has experienced common challenges for cities around the world, and our faculty has accumulated the results of practical education and research. Taking advantage of this achievement, this program will carry out interdisciplinary education and research to solve urban problems.
• Students will find plenty of opportunities to receive off-campus education that involves practical activities in real fields, such as internships with institutions and companies in and outside Japan. The financial support for participating in an internship will also be provided for students who desire it.