In AY2021, the Security and International Studies Program has been merged into the G-cube program as a G-cube concentration, joining the Global Governance Studies Concentration and the International Development Studies Concentration. Please see the curriculum below.

Program in brief

Equips students to become Leader of Leaders for government, business, and international arenas.

• Program Director: Professor Kazushi Takahashi
• Associate Director: Vice President, Professor Yoko Kijima / Professor Nobuhiro Aizawa / Professor Yoko Iwama
• Degrees Offered:

Ph.D. in Public Policy

Ph.D. in International Relations

Ph.D. in International Development Studies

Master of Arts in Public Policy

• Scholarship: GRIPS Fellowship, JICA Scholarship
• Language of Instruction: English
• Time Schedule:
  • Program Duration… 5 or 3 years
  • Enrollment…October
  • Graduation…September
• How to Apply

General Description

The world is faced with new and serious problems, such as financial crises, terrorism, energy challenges, and environmental issues. Behind them lie conflicting interests, large value gaps, dysfunctional global governance systems, escalating globalization, the rise of emerging states, and drastic changes in the distribution of wealth and power in the world. A new type of leader is needed to address these problems and forge a path to a new age. These leaders require qualities, competencies, and skills that conventional institutions of higher education, which focus on nurturing highly specialized professionals, are not equipped to instill.

Against this background, this new 3-year Ph.D. program aims to produce a new type of leader for government, business, and international arenas. The program will equip its participants with: (1) a broad historical perspective, which will help them understand the true nature of policy issues and predict their overall impact, (2) strong analytical ability needed to develop insightful and effective policies, and (3) effective communication skills to convey ideas and opinions across languages, cultures, religions, and nationalities.

The curriculum has been designed to enable students to develop a broad historical perspective, strong analytical ability, and good communication skills through lectures, tutorials, and seminars taught entirely in English. A distinctive feature of the program is its teaching staff, which includes nationally and internationally renowned guest speakers—many of whom are former ministers and top business leaders—as well as first-rate GRIPS faculty.

Target Group and Eligibility

This program is open to those with a master’s degree from a recognized/accredited university, with the ability and will to become a leader of leaders. Preference is given to current government officials, or those who are interested in pursuing a career as a government official, or in international organizations.

The applicant is expected to have a record of solid academic performance at the undergraduate and graduate level, and must satisfy the English language requirement with a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (iBT79) or IELTS 6.0.

Curriculum Three Year Ph.D. Course 2025-2028

Category	Course Name
I Required Courses	Dissertation Proposal Seminar Tutorial Ⅰ Executive Seminar G-cube Workshop
II Recommended Courses	Introduction to Applied Econometrics Economic Development of Japan Development Economics Development History of Asia: Policy, Market and Technology Economic History and Institutions Theoretical Foundation of Economic Policy Advanced Development Economics Trade and Industrial Development Leadership and Knowledge Creation International Political Economy Workshop State and Governance The Making of Modern Japan (Advanced) State and Politics in Emerging Economies Advanced International Relations Advanced International Security Studies Comparative Politics Analysis of Great Power Politics Advanced Comparative Political Economy Tutorial Ⅱ Tutorial Ⅲ III Elective courses by concentration (see auxiliary table below)
Elective Courses	Courses not listed in this table (with the advisory committee’s approval)
X Others	Courses offered by the Center for Professional Communication

[auxiliary table] Recommended Courses

Concentration	Course Name
Global Governance Studies Concentration International Development Studies Concentration	Advanced International Relations in East Asia Advanced Comparative Development Studies of Asia Politics and Diplomacy in Postwar Japan State and Politics in Southeast Asia (Advanced) Advanced International Relations in Europe International Development Policy Applied Econometrics Applied Econometrics Practice Data Science for Public Policy International Economic Policy Analysis Agricultural Development Development Econometrics Economics of Health and Education Comparative Analysis os Schience, Technology and Inovation Policy;Asian Experiences
Security and International Studies Concentration	Advanced International Relations in East Asia Politics and Diplomacy in Postwar Japan State and Politics in Southeast Asia (Advanced) Politics of Global Money and Finance (Advanced) Advanced International Relations in Europe International Development Policy