Research in the Forest Policy Laboratory

In the Forest Policy Laboratory, we deal with a wide range of research themes related to forests and humans or forests and society. I would like to briefly explain what kind of research we are doing in the Forest Policy Laboratory, especially for students who wish to join or advance to the Forest Policy Laboratory.

University entrance exams are divided broadly into science and humanities. At Hokkaido University, the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science are science, while the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics are humanities. The Forest Policy Laboratory belongs to the "Department of Forest Science," which consists of eight laboratories, and the Forest Science Department itself belongs to the Faculty of Agriculture, which consists of seven departments. If the Faculty of Agriculture is a science, then in that sense the Forest Policy Laboratory fits within the framework of the sciences both in appearance and in terms of career paths. However, the Forest Policy Laboratory conducts research that is more of a humanities-related field.

Just as there are science (such as engineering and science) and humanities (such as law and economics) in society as a whole, there are also science fields that study the physiology and ecology of trees and forests, and the properties and uses of wood. On the other hand, there are humanities fields that study laws and policies related to forestry and forest conservation, and the distribution and trade of wood. The Forest Policy Studies field covers most of the research topics in these humanities fields in one of the eight laboratories. For this reason, the Forest Policy Studies Laboratory deals with a wide range of research topics related to forests. As can be seen from the themes of past graduation and master's theses, even topics that seem to have little direct connection to forests and forestry (such as wildlife and national park management, tourism, regional development, environmental education, etc.) are also research topics that should be addressed in the Forest Policy Studies Laboratory.

In the Forest Policy Studies Lab, we place emphasis on students finding their own research themes. This is because we believe that it is very important to "identify the problem" in the relationship between forests and humans, or forests and society. This may sound appealing, as it gives students the freedom to choose their research topic, but it is not that easy.

Among the research topic ideas that were found, there are many that are difficult to set a research question for or that have already been researched. It is often difficult to set a research question for tropical deforestation, desertification, and climate change issues, in the sense that there is no field nearby (not that it is impossible). In addition, research topics that are based on knowledge learned from books or websites may already be researched. Even if you go to the field to search for research topic ideas, what you thought was a problem may not actually be a problem, or there may be a problem that is actually more important than what you thought was a problem. It is rare for the proposed research topic to become the research topic for a graduation or master's thesis as it is, and it can be said that many students set their research topic after extensively examining various topics that interest them and taking into account previous research. In addition, with a wide range of research topics, faculty members can only provide true professional guidance on a limited number of research topics. Faculty members will work with students to set research topics and select research methods, but students will basically be conducting their research on their own. In that sense, students who are able to conduct research independently are suited to the Forest Policy Research Laboratory.

In the Forest Policy Laboratory, we do not generally require students to attend classes other than seminars. For students who are not good at setting their own research themes or conducting research independently, it can be a difficult laboratory as they are constantly asked questions such as "What do you think is the problem?", "What do you think can be a research theme?", and "What is your research question?", but are not given specific instructions on what research activities to do. On the other hand, for students who can set their own research themes and conduct research independently, it is a luxurious laboratory where there is little interference from faculty and they can proceed with what they like as they like. For students who wish to be affiliated with or advance to the Forest Policy Laboratory, I think the most important point is whether or not this point is a good fit.

Graduates from the Forest Policy Laboratory find employment in a variety of fields and are active in their respective fields. Many students find employment in government agencies related to forests and the environment (as staff in the Forestry Agency, the Ministry of the Environment, or forest and environmental departments of prefectures and municipalities), or in companies related to forests and timber (as housing manufacturers and paper companies), but there are also many students who find employment in other fields. Some students study abroad, go on to graduate schools at other universities, or obtain degrees and become researchers. In their respective fields, they are making concrete contributions related to forests and humans, or forests and society, making use of the research activities in the Forest Policy Laboratory. We hope that students who wish to join or continue on to the Forest Policy Laboratory will be able to find the intersection between forests and humans, or forests and society, through research activities in the Forest Policy Laboratory, and acquire the ability to make their own contributions.