Overview

1. The foundation of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies is based on the four faculties of Kyorin University: School of Medicine; School of Health Sciences; Faculty of General Policy Studies; and Faculty of Foreign Studies. The curriculum is comprised of academic studies drawn from each faculty under the common theme of international cooperation.
2. The teaching staff consists of experts with rich working experience in the governmental, private and NGO sectors, as well as leading researchers.
3. The postgraduate students come from a variety of backgrounds. They include not only recent university graduates but also foreign students, government officials, business people, teachers, and those who have served in the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV).
4. In order to encourage mid-career and foreign students, the Graduate School allows students to enroll in either the spring or the fall semester. Both day and evening classes are available.
5. Classes are offered on two campuses: one in Mitaka and the other in Hachioji.
6. The Institute of Education in Washington DC supports the students who carry out field studies related to US diplomacy, politics, and economic policy.
7. The latest international news and information is provided in a special center equipped to receive data from a variety of media sources to give students and researchers immediate access to late-breaking world events.

Semesters

The spring semester is scheduled from April through September, and the fall semester begins in October and ends in March. Accordingly, entrance examinations are held twice a year, in the spring and the fall.

Daytime-Evening classes

Evening classes are available on both the Hachioji and the Mitaka campus for the convenience of working students. In addition, daytime classes are offered on the Hachioji campus on weekdays and on the Mitaka campus on Saturdays. Classes in the International Public Health curriculum are concentrated on the Mitaka campus.

Seminars

In the master’s degree program, each student belongs to a seminar from one of the seven groups listed below. The professor in charge of the seminar also serves as the student’s academic adviser, beginning in the first semester

• International politics
• Development cooperation
• International business
• International legal system
• International public health and medical system
• Language and cultural exchange
• International public health

In addition to these compulsory seminars (Seminar I), students also may choose to participate in a seminar led by a professor other than the academic adviser (Seminar II). Furthermore, students may also earn credits through field study conducted in firms, research institutes, NGOs and the Institute of Education in Washington DC (Seminar III).

In the doctoral program, each student belongs to a seminar from one of two groups: Political Economics/Legal System and Regional Studies/Development Cooperation. The professor in charge of the seminar also serves as the student’s academic adviser.

Degree Requirements

Master’s program

A student who has been enrolled for more than 4 semesters, accruing at least 30 credits, and passed the thesis examination will be granted the master’s degree. In some cases, the academic adviser may allow the submission of a research paper in place of a thesis. In exceptional cases, enrollment could be shortened to two semesters for students who exhibit superior academic performance and/or who hold equivalent expertise in accordance with relevant laws governing graduate education.

Doctoral program

A student who has been enrolled for more than six semesters, accruing at least 20 credits, and passed doctoral thesis examination will be granted the doctor’s degree. In exceptional cases, enrollment could be shortened to two semesters for students who exhibit superior academic performance in accordance with relevant laws governing graduate education.

Message from the Dean of the School of International Cooperation Studies

The graduate school was established to provide a unique combination of resources from four different faculties of Kyorin University with the aim of offering an interdisciplinary approach to studies of international cooperation. The master’s degree program offers three fields of specialization. These are International Development Studies; International Culture Exchange Studies; and International Public Health Studies.

International Development Studies is composed of five courses: international politics, development cooperation, international business, international legal system, and international public health and medical system. International Cultural Exchange Studies is comprised of three groups of specialized subjects: linguistic-culture studies, Japan studies, and cultural exchange studies. International Public Health Studies, newly opened in 2004, includes medical sociology, international public health, and international relations and exchange as the three core subjects.

International Public Health Studies is specially designed to train students with a background in social science to be medical planners by providing basic medical knowledge. In addition, students from medical, health and nursing fields will acquire the necessary knowledge of socio-economic policy to enable them to work effectively in developing countries.

Our intention is to deepen studies of international cooperation through a flexible combination of studies in international development, language and culture, and medicine and public health. Since the establishment of the school, 402 students have been awarded a master’s degree, and 9 students, a doctor’s degree. We will continue to strive to do our best to respond to social needs and society’s expectations of us.

Hiroshi Chiba, Dean
Graduate School of International
Cooperation Studies
Kyorin University

Curriculum policy

Various issues associated with development may include, for example, conflict between traditional and modern approaches to value judgments, ethics, lifestyle, technology and skill. Our curriculum, integrating different fields of study from four faculties under the common theme of international cooperation, is designed to promote understanding of these issues in the context of reality in developing countries. The curriculum will also foster analysis of various social systems and cultural structures from a long-term perspective. In addition, the curriculum is designed to allow maximum flexibility in responding to the educational needs of students from a variety of different academic backgrounds and work experience, including experience abroad.

The Kyorin Institute of Education in Washington DC

Purpose of the Institute

• To arouse student interest in international affairs
• To deepen their experience in the international arena
• To prepare students to take their rightful place in the international community to address future challenges

We hope their days and studies in Washington DC, a world political and economic center, will become the first step to active participation in the international community.

Research and studies

Studies

Students may choose from among many possible fields of study. Some examples include:

• US - Japan relationship
• US foreign policy
• US -UN relationship
• US development/environment policy
• NGO/NPO activities in the US
• US trade and external economic policy

The aim of the Institute is to allow students the opportunity to gather thesis materials in the Washington DC area. Students will be able to compile data and other information and to interview professors, senior government officials, and other experts. The resident professor is available to offer guidance and advice in organizing field study, as well as daily life, including participation in seminars, conferences, debates sponsored by universities, research institutes and the US Congress. In addition, students will be able to network and develop relationships with experts in the area.

Length of Stay

The length of stay is usually 3 months. This period can be extended up to 1 year.

The resident professor

Katsuro Sakoh (Ph.D.), Professor
The School of International Cooperation Studies, Kyorin University

Former senior researcher, Brookings Institution Former senior researcher, Heritage Foundation Visiting professor, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University