On April 2, 2013, African Development Bank (AfDB) staff members visited Ritsumeikan University.
Masahiro Kan, Japanese Executive Director of AfDB and other staff members met with our faculty members of International Relations and also participated in a special discussion session for graduate students from China, Japan and African countries.      
During the session, graduate students and AfDB staff members enjoyed discussion on career development, students’ research areas and AfDB’s activities.
The Graduate School of International Relations offers “International Organizations Workshop” for students who seek a career in international cooperation and development. 
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/education/first/feature.html/

African Development Bank (AfDB)
http://www.afdb.org/en/

On Tuesday, December 25, 2012, Graduate School of International Relations invited　HAYASHI, Nobumitsu, former Executive Director for Japan, World Bank and held a special lecture, “Evolving Role of the World Bank Group and Japan's Partnership.”  Undergraduate and Graduate students, including many international students and faculty members, attended to the seminar.  At the end of the seminar, a Q/A session was held and both undergraduate and graduate students actively participated.

The International Organization Seminar was established for students who aspire to work in international organizations and international cooperation, special lectures are held by guest lecturers who are currently working in international organizations and active in the field. Special seminar is also open to undergraduate students. The English-based “International Organization Seminar” started from this semester.

 International Organization Seminar  https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/education/first/feature.html/

 

Our office will be closed from December 26, 2012 to January 6, 2013 for winter holidays.
We will be back in the office on Monday, January 7, 2013.

We are sorry for the inconvenience we may cause.

The International Studies Association of Ritsumeikan University has started the bi-weekly “IR Brown Bag Seminar” in English for its undergraduate and graduate students.

The new IR Brown Bag seminar offers International Relations students the opportunity to discuss current international affairs in an informal setting. Held every second week during lunch time, these seminars are a student-led initiative aimed at providing:

・an avenue for students to discuss and learn more about IR current affairs

・a new forum for students to meet other international/Japanese IR students

・an informal platform for students to practice debating skills


During each seminar, one student will briefly prepare and present the main topic of discussion and then lead the discussion. In this fall semester, students are discussing topics such as “Environmental Sustainability in Japan: A Post 3.11 Analysis”, “Mali Crisis: Mali Crisis: A new base for Islamic terrorists?” and “Training for Torture: The School of the America” The Graduate School of International Relations started its English-based program, GCP in 2003. In addition, the College of International Relations’ recently established the English-based “Global Studies Major” in 2011.

Many of our Japanese and international students are now studying in global environments. In the next Brown bag Seminar, students will discuss on following topic, “The Media and the Right to Privacy: How far should the Media go?”


Link: College of International Relations, Global Studies Major
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/eng/ir/

Link: Graduate School of International Relations
  https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/

On Tuesday, December 11, the Graduate School of International Relations held the "Field Research Report Session."
Since the establishment of the Graduate School of International Relations, we have emphasized internship, study and research and starting in 2009, began Field Research as a part of the Graduate School GP Program "to develop ready-to-work human resources in global cooperation." Along with developing the GP program, we established the "Field Research・Study Activity Promotion" to provide positive support for graduate students who conduct their research in the field.  
In the field research report session, four graduate students who conducted field research in Philippines, Ireland, Thailand and Cambodia, reported each of their research characteristics and results, tasks and advice for their junior fellows. In addition to Prof. Masahiko Koyama, Asso. Prof. Masahiko Matsuda, faculty members from the Graduate School of International Relations, Ms. Miwa Okura who is the instructor of the Field Research class, and each presenter's academic advisors, many graduate students and graduate students also exchanged comments and shared their research results. The Graduate School of International Relations will continue to support Field Research Study in the future.   

Field Research Support
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/education/first/feature.html/

On Friday, December 7, the Graduate School of International held the "workshop on Research Database" for graduate students. (Instructor: Asso. Prof. Ritsuko Kawamura)
At this workshop, Students learned the usage of the"RUNNERS." RUNNERS Discovery is the library collection of Ritsumeikan University Library and　Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Library, students can search for e-Journals, e-Book together. Appropriate usage of the academic database/ articles is essential for all researchers, so participants worked hard on the workshop.  　 

Ritsumeikan University Library
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/mr/lib/index_e.html

On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, Graduate School of International Relations invited Tetsuo Konaka, Deputy Director General of Budget and Accounting Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and held a special lecture, “Japan's ODA and JICA - Policy, Operation and Perspective.” Undergraduate and Graduate students, including many international students and faculty members, attended to the seminar.  At the end of the seminar, a Q/A session was held and both undergraduate and graduate students actively participated.

The International Organization Seminar was established for students who aspire to work in international organizations and international cooperation, special lectures are held by guest lecturers who are currently working in international organizations and active in the field. Special seminar is also open to undergraduate students. The English-based “International Organization Seminar” started from this semester.

 International Organization Seminar  https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/education/first/feature.html/

Graduate School of International Relations held the PCM training session as part of International Organizations Workshop on December 1st.
Project Cycle Management is well known as the management method for professional fields of development and international cooperation, covering problem identification in a community, causes and effects analysis,
building a project design (resource input), and evaluation. This training　session was conducted in English with many international students from Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, China, Laos, Malaysia, and the United States participants. In this diverse environment, students　worked collaboratively and developed mother and child health care
improvement plans for the rural areas in developing countries.
Professor KOYAMA commented that the PCM method was a practical common knowledge needed for experts working in international development and cooperation fields, and it could be adopted in a variety of issues to be solved. Foreign students seemed enjoyed practicing this workshop.  

Graduate School of International Relations started the International Organizations Workshop in 2005. Many of the alumni were serving for international cooperation. The English based class has just started from this fall semester, 2012.

International Organization Seminar
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/education/first/feature.html/

　　On Friday, November 30, Japan-Taiwan Graduate Students Academic Exchange Conference"The Future of East Asia"was held at Kinugasa Campus.(Sponsor: Graduate School of International Relations, Co-sponsor: Interchange Association Japan) 19 graduate students came from Taiwan and visited the Graduate School of International Relations (Head of delegation: Prof. LEE, TZU-YAO National Taichung Institute of Technology). Also, 6 Taiwanese students and 5
 Ritsumeikan students presented on research progress in English.      
     The symposium included a wide range of topics such as "Security affairs in East Asia" and "Market for elderly
in Japan" reflecting on various issue today in East Asia. Undergraduate and graduate students, including many international students and faculty members attended the symposium. Prof.Tadashi Ikeda, former Japanese
representative to Taiwan, summarized and evaluated the overall symposium, ending it on a high note.  Throughout the unique presentations and active discussions, participants were able to grasp an overview of East Asia today and find a common social background.

Ms. Wang YuHui who completed the Graduate School of International Relations has been selected as a 2012 fall fellow in United Nations Washington Office.

After Ms. Wang YuHui studied abroad to School of International Relations, American University, which is one of our partner universities, as a DMDP (Dual Master's Degree Program) student on 2011/2012, she completed our school on this fall. Please visit http://www.unicwash.org/UnicPage.aspx?pid=122 to view her profile and photo posted on United Nation's website.

DMDP HP -> https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/gr/gsir/eng/gcp-dmdp.html

On Monday, August 27, 2012, associated U.S. graduate students from institutes including Yale University, Tufts University, University of Maryland of APSIA (Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs) visited Ritsumeikan University and interacted with International Relations undergraduate and graduate students.
Associated U.S. graduate students of APSIA visited Japan for a part of the program “Japan Travel Program for U.S. Feature Leaders” sponsored by The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.  U.S. graduate students of APSIA interacted with various important dignitaries, visited the area stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake,
and also visited the Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, the only official member of APSIA in Japan, at the end of the Japan travel program.   
The meeting was held by the graduate students of International Relations and The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Students visited Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University.  At the museum, students walked around the exhibition about the educational philosophy of Ritsumeikan University, “peace and democracy,”and after that, discussion was held under the several themes like future task of Japan and the United States.
The vigorous discussion included not only Japanese and the U.S. students but also international students from Asia and Africa enrolled in Ritsumeikan University, ending on a high note.
After the discussion, students visited Tojiin Temple which was founded by the Lord of Takauji Ashikaga. By Ritsumeikan University students conducted a temple tour and introduced the historic gardens to the U.S. students, all the while promoting friendship between the two groups.
Interaction with the U.S. graduate students from APSIA was a meaningful opportunity for Ritsumeikan   undergraduate and graduates students who will lead future Japan-U.S. commerce. Comments from Ritsumeikan participants include, “I spent a stimulating and meaningful time exchanging views on a wide range of issues with U.S. graduate students, who will be future global leaders. And I am sure that the personal connections I established through this event will be of great advantage to my research on U.S. diplomacy” (2nd year, Master’s Program), and this comment: “U.S. students from APSIA were interested in Japanese students’ point of views, so we were able to have a real discussion.　It was such a refreshing experience for me to realize viewpoints that I was not conscious of throughout the meeting. Also they are such motivated students toward to the wide range of global issues. It made me think that I need to further develop specialized knowledge and skill”(3rd year, undergraduate students).             

*　APSIA（Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs）
APSIA (Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs) is an organization of leading universities and graduate schools in International Relations education and research, its members including institutions such as Harvard University and Yale University. Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of International Relations is the only full member of APSIA among universities and graduate schools in Japan, being globally recognized as Japan’s leader of education and research in the field of International Relations.

*　The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP)

　　http://www.jpf.go.jp/cgp/e/index.html

The Center for Global Partnership (CGP) was established within the Japan Foundation in April 1991 to promote collaboration between the people of Japan, the United States, and beyond in order to address issues of global concern.　CGP, in collaboration with APSIA, created the Japan Travel Program for U.S. Future Leaders with the goal of fostering a new generation of leaders in the United States who are interested in achieving a greater understanding of Japan since 2009 and its roles in global affairs, and in engaging in dialogue with their overseas counterparts in Japan.

*　Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University
　　https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/mng/er/wp-museum/english/index.html

*　Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University
　　https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/