Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders From the Ancient Capital Kyoto
The Graduate School of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University (GSIR) is located in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Kyoto not only has a considerable number of world-class historical sites but is also home to more than thirty higher educational institutions. Students have the advantage to pursue their own study and research in a unique environment where tradition and innovation co-exist in harmony.
How are you preparing students to adapt to a rapidly changing world?
In 2020, only a handful of our students from abroad could enter Japan due to the pandemic. To cope with the everchanging situation, GSIR delivered classes combining online conference, on-demand, and in-person classes. The pandemic has cast questions over the existing framework of university and research institutions, urging us to reconsider the significance and our role. This led us to launch a new curriculum that we had been working on for several years, which has a strong focus on classes conducted in English.
Within the English-based program, GSIR offers four newly established clusters: ‘Global Governance’, ‘Sustainable Development’, ‘Culture, Society and Media’ and ‘Global Japanese Studies’. These clusters cover broad academic disciplines, such as politics, economics, sociology, and cultural studies. Our highly qualified academic team with extensive experience in their fields of expertise conduct the various cutting-edge courses. As our graduate school has been admitting more students not only from Asia but also from Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America year by year, students can immerse themselves in a culturally and ethnically diverse environment, where they learn from each other on a daily basis.
What does GSIR o er to students who are seeking advantages for their careers?
In addition to providing ways for upgrading academic knowledge and skills through the programs, GSIR invites experienced external lecturers, such as diplomats, economists, journalists, managers of nongovernmental organizations, and entrepreneurs from private sectors. This gives students opportunities to promote their understanding of what is really happening in Japan and in the world as well as encourages them to find clues to address global issues. Moreover, we are preparing various o -campus academic and practical training opportunities in Japan, which will also help students realize how the Japanese political and economic system are operating in both public and private sectors.
Furthermore, GSIR has been in the process of strengthening the dual master’s degree program, which offers qualified students an opportunity to study at overseas partner universities and research institutes in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and in various Asian and European nations. Through this program, students are able to earn two master’s degrees in as short as two years.
Our alumni are engaged in professions in the fields of international organizations, public and private sectors, civil society groups, and research and educational institutions. GSIR is ready to o er committed students every opportunity to acquire high level of knowledge and skills for their future careers.