Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology
Space Engineering
International Course
( S E I C )
The purpose of SEIC - and why it does well
Kyushu Institute of Technology (hereafter, “Kyutech”), an institute of higher education with
“national-university status”, was founded in the Year 1909 in the city of Kitakyushu,
Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Kyutech launched a new post-graduate program, the Space
Engineering International Course (SEIC), in April of 2013. The primary purpose of
the program is to graduate engineers who have well-honed inter-cultural communication skills
and a keen sense of viewing problem-solving and solution-creation with a broad, global
systems engineering perspective.
The program offers: [1] Research under supervision of a faculty member toward a Master or
Doctoral degree, [2] a series of lectures (all in English) on space engineering by faculty
members, [3] Project Based Learning (PBL) through concept development in collaboration with
Japanese students, and [4] “hands-on” training on space environment testing using
state-of-the-art engineering facilities. The program provides the on-the-job experience
necessary to acquire basic capabilities in space technology (such as satellite design). In
particular, SEIC graduates will have the know-how to develop satellite-development
infrastructure in their own countries through the actual testing of nano-satellites.
Although you would spend a lot of time in a classroom to acquire basic knowledge of space
engineering, as much as possible we try to provide a lot of time in the lab for "hands-on"
experience. There are many opportunities at SEIC for such "hands-on" experience. Also, the
SEIC experience is extremely international. In SEIC, there are more students from overseas
than from Japan. (As of April 2024, there are 11 Japanese students enrolled in SEIC while 40
foreign students from 25 countries are enrolled in SEIC.)
Through the SEIC program, Kyutech answers the call for long-term educational opportunities
for capacity building of basic space technologies made by the United Nation Office of
Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). As well, Kyutech answers the UN call for Member States
to contribute to the promotion of the peaceful and innovative use of outer space through the
participation of non-space-faring nations. Our enrollment figure for international students
signify the success that we are achieving for answering the UN calls.
Space Engineering Education and Research at Kyutech
Since 1993, Kyutech has provided space engineering education to a class of approximately 30
students at the undergraduate and graduate levels under the Department of Mechanical and
Control Engineering. In 2004, Kyutech established a new research and education center: The
Laboratory of Lean Satellite Enterprises and In-Orbit Experiments (hereafter,
“LaSEINE”). LaSEINE is dedicated to R&D on spacecraft charging, hypervelocity impact,
material degradation and on a wide variety of nano-satellite testing.
In 2010, a new research division, the Center for Nanosatellite Testing (CeNT) was added to LaSEINE. With
the exception of radiation testing, CeNT provides all the environmental tests necessary for
the development of small satellites (and satellite components) with size and weight up to
50cmx50cmx50cm and 50 kg. In 2011, Kyutech became a member of the International
Astronautical Federation (IAF), the first among Japanese universities.
Kyutech has the distinction of being the No. 1 university in the world in terms of launched
small satellites – this is according to a space industry annual summary by Bryce Space and
Technology. At the middle of 2024, the small satellite tally for Kyutech is 29 satellites.
Accordingly, many SEIC students have the chance to get involved in satellite projects – just
indicate your interest in hands-on experience. So far, Kyutech has launched: HORYU-II,
Shinen-2, HORYU-IV, Aoba Velox-III, BIRDS-1 (5 satellites), BIRDS-2 (3 satellites), BIRDS-3
(3 satellites), Spatium-I, Ten-koh, Aoba Velox-IV, BIRD-4 (3 satellites), BIRDS-5 (3
satellites), Curtis, MO-1 and more. Many new
satellites are under development right now.
Curriculum of SEIC
SEIC is open to any student, Japanese or non-Japanese, who registers as a full-time graduate
student in the Graduate School of Engineering here at Kyutech. A student who
registers for SEIC belongs to one of five departments in the Graduate School of Engineering
as follows (by 2018): [1] Department of Mechanical and Control Engineering, [2] Department
of Civil and Architectural Engineering, [3] Department of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering, [4] Department of Materials Science, and [5] Department of Applied Science for
Integrated System Engineering.
A student who registers for SEIC belongs to one of ten courses in the Graduate School of
Engineering as follows (from 2019): [1] Architecture Course, [2] Civil Engineering Course,
[3] Control Engineering Course, [4] Mechanical Engineering Course, [5] Mechanical and Space
Systems Engineering Course, [6] Electrical and Space Systems Engineering Course, [7]
Electrical Engineering Course, [8] Electronic Engineering Course, [9] Applied Chemistry
Course, [10] Materials Science and Engineering Course.
(from 2023): [1] Architecture Course, [2] Civil Engineering Course, [3] Control Engineering
Course, [4] Mechanical Engineering Course, [5] Space Systems Engineering Course, [6]
Electrical Engineering Course, [7] Electronic Engineering Course, [8] Applied Chemistry
Course, [9] Materials Science and Engineering Course.
Under supervision of a faculty member who belongs to one of these departments/courses, the
graduate student carries out thesis work towards a Masters or Doctoral degree.
The general requirements, such as the number of credits, thesis work, etc., to be satisfied
by SEIC students are the same as other students who register for ordinary Graduate School of
Engineering courses. SEIC students shall satisfy the course requirements by selecting from
the subjects listed in SEIC Curriculum. The requirements for the Master’s degree are to
obtain 30 or more credits from SEIC Master’s Program subjects, and the requirements for the
Doctoral degree are to obtain 10 or more credits from SEIC Doctoral Program subjects. Upon
writing and successfully defending a Masters or Doctoral thesis, the student will be awarded
a Master of Engineering (or Master of Science) or a Doctor of Engineering (or Doctor of
Philosophy in Engineering) degree by the Graduate School of Engineering.
You
can download SEIC curriculum and the syllabus from the website.
Some subjects are given as lectures. Yet, Space Environment Testing Workshop, is given as a
laboratory workshop utilizing facilities of the Center for Nano-satellite Testing
(CeNT). Also, Space Systems PBL is a project based learning class where students
participate in a space-related project. Often the output of this class is an entry into
UNISEC’s Mission Idea Contest (MIC).
Kyutech employs a semester system (two academic terms per year). The first (spring) semester
starts on April 1st and the second (fall) semester starts on October 1st. Most Japanese
students start on the first semester while most foreign students start their study on the
second semester (in most countries the academic year starts in September, but not in Japan).
Admission process
Foreign students who wish to study at SEIC shall follow the application procedure described
on the Kyutech
Official Website. Each year, two examinations are scheduled in July and November.
The application periods are in April-May and September-October, respectively.
Fellowship opportunity (PNST)
In October of 2012, the SEIC of Kyutech, in collaboration with UNOOSA (United Nations Office
for Outer Space Affairs), was selected as a "Special Program for Priority Allocation of
Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships". Each year from 2013 to 2017, six students (two for
the Master’s Program and four for the Doctoral Program) from 2018 to 2026, six students
(three for the Master’s Program and three for the Doctoral Program) can receive a MEXT
scholarship to study in the SEIC program. This scholarship (or fellowship) is managed under
the framework of the United Nations/Japan Long-Term Fellowship Programme. More specifically,
this scholarship is called the Post-graduate study on Nano-Satellite Technologies
(PNST). The application package for the fellowship programme is available at the
UNOOSA website; the relevant PNST site will come up with a Google search on “PNST
Fellowship”. Note that the PNST site is fully self-contained: it contains all of the
information that you need to apply, as well as the application package itself. The use of
this PNST site is the only way to apply to PNST. There is no other method or route.
FAQ
Please download this pdf: Space Engineering International Course - Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ). This FAQ covers the cost of enrolling in SEIC, among many other topics.
For further information, contact (pnst.space-at-mail.kyutech.jp).
Please replace -at- with @.
