Healthcare & Well-being

Contemporary society faces increasingly complex challenges that affect both life and society — ranging from global crises such as pandemics, climate change, and widening economic disparities, to population aging, unequal access to medical resources, and the deterioration of mental health. As human mobility and information exchange accelerate across borders, health and well-being have become critical issues that go far beyond individual or medical concerns, shaping the sustainability of societies and the future of human coexistence.

The Healthcare & Well-being IP domain aims to respond to these challenges by integrating diverse academic fields. Building upon the foundations of life sciences, medicine, and public health, this domain brings together knowledge from pharmacy, biomedical engineering, behavioral science, sports science, information science, sociology, and urban design. Through design thinking, students explore the multifaceted nature of health and well-being, seeking to create new values at the intersection of science, technology, and society.

The scope of learning extends from the microscopic mechanisms of cells and organs to the macroscopic systems of healthcare, communities, urban environments, and even the global ecosystem. Students develop the ability to understand the mechanisms that sustain health from scientific and social perspectives, and to grasp the complex interactions among human behavior, living environments, and social structures. Emphasis is also placed on cultivating an appreciation for diverse values and cultural contexts, and on developing a global perspective on health and well-being.

Learning in this domain is not limited to the acquisition of knowledge. Students are encouraged to identify problems on their own, connect insights across disciplines, and design innovative and feasible solutions. By cultivating analytical skills grounded in scientific evidence, the ability to collaborate with others, and the capacity to design solutions that can be implemented in society, students learn to tackle the complex issues of the real world.

By engaging deeply with fundamental questions such as “What is health?” and “What does it mean to live well?,” students are invited to rethink the relationships between humanity, society, science, and technology, and to envision a better future. The Healthcare & Well-being IP domain nurtures individuals who combine critical and creative thinking to contribute to the realization of a healthy and sustainable society through interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.