2022 Students Enrolled in or before 2015 School of Engineering Polymer Chemistry

Special Seminar for Polymer Researches

Academic unit or major: Polymer Chemistry
Instructor(s): Teaching Staffs
Class Format: Exercise
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms): Intensive
Class: -
Course Code: ZUK.E310
Number of credits: 020
Course offered: 2022
Offered quarter: 1-2Q
Syllabus updated: Jul 10, 2025
Language: Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

This course is intended to provide undergraduate students majoring in polymer chemistry with research experience in multiple areas of the field. Students gain access to two laboratories. Students start at each laboratory by hearing an introductory talk by the supervising faculty on the laboratory’s research and its social significance. They are then assigned a specific research topic and activities.

Although the contents of the research activities will vary with each laboratory、 all supervising faculty will allow students to (a) develop critical thinking skills by performing scientific investigations on specific research topics, (b) gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies, and (c) experience lab experiments and simulations and participate in discussions afterwards.

This course facilitates students' understanding of the research process and provides them with opportunities to experience the fun and challenges of cutting-edge research at Tokyo Tech. Students will be able to gain a broad view of their discipline and of how individual research relates to the world. This course will aid students in selecting the laboratory in which to conduct their Graduation Thesis.

Course description and aims

By the end of this course、 students will be able to:
1. Gain knowledge of trends in polymer chemistry research
2. Participate in research with faculty and debate experimental and simulation results effectively
3. Draw conclusions from experimental and simulation results through logical reasoning
4. Present research findings in a clear and logical fashion both verbally and in writing

Keywords

Research opportunity, lab, research-related courses, writing, Graduation Thesis

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Students are each assigned two laboratories based on their requests. (The laboratories are referred to as A Lab and B Lab in this syllabus.) Students spend five sessions at each of the first laboratories and then five sessions at the second. On these two separate occasions, students will be given the chance to discuss what research activities they wish to engage in with the supervising faculty.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Orientation Students are divided into groups and assigned laboratories. Research opportunity at A Lab • Introduction of the Lab’s areas of research • Literature search on a chosen research topic	Know the course outline and understand the objectives. Articulate the social significance of research conducted at A Lab.
Class 2	Research opportunity at A Lab • Research	Analyze and interpret experimental and simulation results.
Class 3	Research opportunity at A Lab • Research	Analyze and interpret experimental and simulation results.
Class 4	Research opportunity at A Lab • Research • Discussion on research topic	Prepare a research report. Debate basic points about the research undertaken.
Class 5	Research opportunity at A Lab • Research • Discussion on research topic	Prepare a research report and debate findings with others.
Class 6	Presentation of findings from research conducted at A Lab	Prepare slides and give a presentation on findings from research at A Lab.
Class 7	Research opportunity at B Lab • Introduction of the Lab’s areas of research • Literature search on a chosen research topic	Articulate the social significance of research conducted at B Lab.
Class 8	Research opportunity at B Lab • Research	Analyze and interpret experimental and simulation results.
Class 9	Research opportunity at B Lab • Research	Analyze experimental and simulation results, and discuss in detail the results with the supervising faculty member.
Class 10	Research opportunity at B Lab • Research • Discussion on research topic	Prepare a research report. Debate basic points about the research undertaken.
Class 11	Research opportunity at B Lab • Research • Discussion on research topic	Prepare a research report and debate findings with others.
Class 12	Presentation of findings from research conducted at B Lab	Prepare slides and give a presentation on findings from research at B Lab.
Class 13	Research ethics	Consider research ethics that should be had by all scientists and engineers from impacts of research activities on societies and awake the sense of ethics.
Class 14	Introduction of Graduation Thesis I	Students should be able to state what research they would like to engage in and which laboratory they wish to join for their Graduation Thesis.
Class 15	Class 15 Introduction of Graduation Thesis II	Students should be able to state what research they would like to engage in and which laboratory they wish to join for their Graduation Thesis.

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Specified by the academic supervisor as necessary

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Specified by the academic supervisor as necessary

Evaluation methods and criteria

The levels of attainment of student learning outcomes 1–3 through research activities carry a total weight of 60%. The level of attainment of student learning outcome 4 through report writing and giving presentations carries a weight of 40%.

Related courses

Undergraduate courses offered by the Department of Polymer Chemistry

Prerequisites

Students must be a third grader in the Department of Polymer Chemistry.