PhD in Interdisciplinary Education Program for AI and Data Science Specialists (IEPAD)

Saga University's Interdisciplinary Education Program for AI and Data Science Specialists, known as IEPAD, is also offered as a three-year doctoral degree taught in English, with intake in either April or October in the city of Saga. The university was formed in 2003 through the merger of the former Saga University, founded in 1949, and Saga Medical University, founded in 1976, and was incorporated as a National University Corporation in 2004. It is a comprehensive university with six faculties and seven graduate schools, enrolling around 5,800 undergraduate students and 790 graduate students, and has produced more than 60,000 graduates. At the doctoral level, IEPAD centers on independent, supervised research in artificial intelligence and data science, applied across interdisciplinary fields such as engineering, agriculture, medicine, or business depending on a candidate's specialization. Doctoral students typically design and carry out an original research project in machine learning, statistics, or applied data science, working with faculty advisors toward a dissertation that contributes new methods or applications to the field. Coursework and seminars generally continue the program's interdisciplinary approach, connecting AI and data science methods to real-world problems across sectors. Delivered in English, the program accommodates international researchers without a prior Japanese-language requirement, while situating them within a Japanese national university's graduate research community. Graduates are typically prepared for academic careers, senior research positions, and leadership roles in AI and data science within industry, government, and research institutions.