The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University (UGAS) is one of the six united graduate schools in Japan dedicated to doctoral courses in agricultural sciences. These six schools composing 20 universities, operate cooperatively without the insular character that is often seen among the traditional graduate school systems. UGAS is the northernmost school among the six units and is blessed with the rich natural environment of Hokkaido and the Tohoku area in Japan. The home of the four constituent universities-Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hirosaki University, Yamagata University and Iwate University-is also a key area for food production in Japan, and its value for the nation's agriculture has been increasingly recognized in recent years. In such an environment, achieved important successes in the development of human resources that can contribute to a broad range of research and industrial fields. In addition we have also been aggressively promoting the enrollment of international students and working students. At UGAS, with biological research in cold climates as the main focus, advanced and academic research of various themes is pursued in the four specialies ; Bioproduction Science, Bioresources Science, Cryobiosystems Science and Biotic Environment Science.