Our Mission and Values

Cultivate Yourself!  Cultivate the World!

The Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR), which was established in 1982 as the first professional school in Japan, is intended to equip students with political, economic, and management skills, as well as historical and cultural perspectives, so that they may become specialists who understand and analyze the above and other related issues in international relations. The school, utilizing the experiences of Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, examines these issues within a broad and coherent theoretical framework. The GSIR is designed to also help students acquire a long-term vision of the rapidly changing world, appreciate diverse perspectives of global and local contexts, and enhance their level of knowledge and problem-solving capabilities in contemporary international affairs.

Most of our faculty members obtained their Ph.D. from top schools in Japan, North America, Europe and Australia. They are full of knowledge and international experience to supervise our diverse students.

Our current student body is representing more than 40 countries around the world. Because of this, the student body itself is one of the most valuable sources of information for learning about and analyzing various international issues. The variety of professional and cultural backgrounds that our students bring is one of the most important assets at our school. At our university, all course work and official communications are conducted in English. Thus, it is not necessary to speak Japanese. The school offers an excellent Japanese language program for students even without any prior knowledge of Japanese, and its English language program provides useful support to students who need it.

To accomplish the mission of our school, the GSIR offers the following four separate but interrelated Master’s degree programs:

International Relations Program (IRP)
MA in International Relations
MA in Political Science
International Development Program (IDP)
MA in International Development
MA in Economics
Public Management and Policy Analysis Program (PMPP)
MA in Public Management
MA in Public Policy
International Public Policy Program (IPPP)
Master of International Public Policy

The International Relations Program (IRP) provides two degree courses; MA in International Relations and MA in Political Science.
The course for the MA in International Relations is designed for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of major trends in contemporary international politics, economics, and a global society. This course is suitable for those who either work in, or who intend to take up careers in the public sector, international organizations, or in the media.
The other degree course, the course for the MA in Political Science, has been made for those who wish to broaden their knowledge in political science. This course tries to let students acquire sufficient methodological skills to analyze diverse issues in political science.
In the end, IRP students are expected to develop the capacity to analyze diverse global challenges and propose policy solutions for them.

The International Development Program (IDP) provides students with two different Master of Arts degrees; MA in International Development and MA in Economics. Depending on the modules students take, successful IDP students can obtain either degree upon their graduation.
While all IDP students can take the same modules under these two different degree courses, required modules students have to take are slightly different in each degree course.
The course for the MA degree in International Development is intended for students who are interested in several issues in developing countries including the design and implementation of effective and sustainable development policies.
The course for the MA in International Development is suitable for students who wish to pursue careers in the public sector, international aid agencies, or international organizations, but also for those who wish to work in consulting firms, research institutes, financial institutions, and other public sector companies.
On the other hand, the course for the MA in Economics provided within the IDP program is designed particularly for understanding of modern economics. While its main concern is relatively with providing economic frameworks and models, the course also consists of many modules of applications of the frameworks and models. The course for the MA in Economics is suitable for students who try to be able to apply analytical tools in economics to several issues of a society.

The Public Management and Policy Analysis Program (PMPP) is designed to meet the needs of good governance required to implement, administer and evaluate policies that effectively solve diverse public problems in the areas of environmental management, health care, education, and national and regional development. Like the IDP, it is designed not only for students who wish to pursue careers in the public sector, international aid agencies, or international organizations, but also for those who wish to work in consulting firms, research institutes, and other public sector companies. This program provides successful students with the Master of Arts degree in Public Management or Public Policy upon graduation.

Finally, the International Public Policy Program (IPPP) is a one year mid-career program, designed for diplomats and government officials of countries in Asia, the Pacific, and around the world.
Students in this program will choose their concentration areas (either  “International Affairs” or “Public Policy”), depending on their professional backgrounds and career goals, and study various disciplinary-related courses in respective fields.
The program will not only encourage the students to look back on and systematize their professional experiences, but also develop them into a body of knowledge with which they can further their professional capabilities. The program will also help the students to develop their capabilities to think about and discuss various international public policy issues from long-term, broad, and diverse perspectives.
IPPP provides successful students with Master of International Public Policy upon graduation.

These programs also offer a valuable stepping stone to those who wish to pursue further studies in a Ph.D. program and enter the academic world.