Program in brief

Fosters leaders in urban policy and town management

• Program Director：Adjunct Professor Yoshitsugu Kanemoto
• Associate Director：Professor Masafumi Takahashi
• Degrees Offered：
  • Master of Public Policy
  • Master of Public Economics
  • Master of Law and Policy
• Language of Instruction：Japanese
• Program Duration：1year
• Enrollment：April
• Graduation：March

Japanese cities face many new challenges linked to major social changes and demographic shifts. Policy responses to these challenges, however, tend to adhere to a conventional framework inadequately supported by theoretical analysis. Government responses to the emergence of non-profit organizations and other new urban policy players also remain inadequate, with urban policy development failing to meet radically changing demands.

This program aims to provide private and public sector policy makers and other personnel involved in urban policy with the opportunity to learn to assess urban policies using a wide array of analytical tools.
The curriculum provides a foundation of legal and economic knowledge as well as insights from sociology, regional policy, local community studies, urban planning, and urban structure studies. Partnerships with other universities and institutions are being explored to ensure that students are exposed to both theoretical and practical knowledge in relation to the urban environment, welfare, engagement with local residents, and other urban policy issues.

In recent years, as the Japanese government endeavors to strengthen intellectual property protection, national and local governments and private corporations have shown a growing interest in intellectual property issues. Accordingly, demand is increasing for intellectual property experts who are able to plan and design intellectual property policies and strategies as well as protect and promote local culture and traditional crafts. In response to these trends, the Urban Policy Program now offers an Intellectual Property Course. This course provides students with broad knowledge and skills related to intellectual property, including intellectual property law, law and economics, and science and technology.

Students will acquire broad and profound knowledge in the areas of law and economics, town management, intellectual property laws, and recent socioeconomic trends, all of which will be highly applicable and generalizable to their careers.

Target Group

Central and local government officials handling urban policy; real estate appraisers, architects, and staff of non-profit organizations involved in the practical aspects of urban policy; lawyers, patent attorneys, and others engaged in intellectual property issues.

Career Destinations

Professional positions in urban policy and/or intellectual property policy.

Origin and Affiliation of Students

Professional positions in urban policy and/or intellectual property policy.