Features

Aims and Objectives

The Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) aims to prepare talented young people to work in international fields and, through their work, to make a contribution to the international community. At GSICS we believe that mutual understanding and respect for human rights is essential for peaceful global co-existence, and thus strive in our education, research and community activities to further this goal. In particular, we endeavor to provide students with the multidisciplinary background and expertise that will help them both as researchers and practitioners in the field of international cooperation.

Distinctive Features

1. Interdisciplinarity for Understanding Global Issues

Our world is confronted with a range of transnational issues such as the emergence of a borderless economy, poverty, armed conflict, terrorism, global warming and the spread of infectious diseases. Conventional methods of international cooperation are not sufficient to address these problems, and new approaches are necessary. The GSICS curriculum reflects this concern. Our multidisciplinary curriculum design enables students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the creation and development of these new approaches.

2. Postgraduate Curriculum in both Japanese and English

GSICS offers courses in both Japanese and English. International students are welcome. For those not fluent in the Japanese language, GSICS offers courses taught in English at both the Master’s and Doctoral levels. International students comprise approximately fifty percent of those enrolled in GSICS, and many of them are from developing countries.

3. Four Distinctive Programs

The Japanese course is comprised of four programs: International Studies, Development and Economics, International Law/Law and Development, and Politics and Area Studies. The curriculum in each program is designed to offer opportunities for systematic study, and each offers degrees in their respective fields.

4. Tailor-Made Curriculum for Each Student

GSICS offers a flexible curriculum where students can acquire a wide range of knowledge. In addition to its own faculty, GSICS receives support from nine other Kobe University graduate schools and institutes including the Graduate Schools of Economics, Law, Medicine, Health Sciences, Engineering, Intercultural Studies, the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration, the Institute for the Promotion of Higher Education, and the Research Center for Urban Safety and Security. Thanks to their assistance, GSICS can provide multi-dimensional education and research supervision.

5. Emphasizing Fundamental Research

While some students opt to follow scholarly careers, many students become professionals in other fields. In pursuing their studies, students are encouraged to take a practical and applied approach to international issues. At the same time, they are expected to master basic methodologies to conduct fundamental, theoretical, and empirical studies. We believe that this approach to education helps students to address an increasingly diverse, complex, and changing world.

6. Diverse Faculty Members

The faculty of GSICS includes experts in international cooperation from Japan and other countries, serving as full-time and visiting professors, as well as adjunct lecturers.

7. Welcoming Working Students

In addition to recent university graduates, GSICS welcomes applicants with various international, professional, academic and other experiences. GSICS aims at training competent professionals and academics who will be able to work in all the different areas of international cooperation.

8. Career and Employment Support

GSICS supports its students to find employment. Recruitment seminars are regularly held at GSICS by international organizations including the World Bank, UNICEF and UNESCO. Job guidance, seminars and information sharing are provided.

9. Financial Support for Overseas Research

The Kobe University Rokkodai Foundation supports “Overseas Research Grant for GSICS Doctoral Students” with the purpose of contributing to the further development of social sciences. GSICS also offers other financial supports for overseas research activities for students.