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The College of International Relations and the Graduate School of International Relations will participate in the Japan Education Fair 2014 on Fri, August 29 in Chiang Mai and Sun, August 31 in Bangkok, Thailand. Please come and visit our booth.

For more details, visit the following link at: 

http://www.jasso.go.jp/study_j/info_fair_thailand_2014_e.html

 

Chiang Mai: Booth No.27　The Imperial Mae Ping Hotel

Bangkok: Booth No.47　Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld

 

From this April to June, the Graduate School of International Relations held information sessions five times at Kinugasa Campus, Ritsumeikan University. During the main session, “Consultation Session with Professors,” on June 17, students attending consulted with professors about their research themes and learning at the Graduate School in a relaxed atmosphere. After discussion with seven professors of various specializations, many participants expressed their satisfaction with the session, saying it helped focus their research theme.

Similar sessions are planned to be held this October and November.

This International Symposium identifying the future of International Relations (IR) invited two prominent speakers Professor Amitav Acharya (American University), the President of the International Studies Association (ISA), and Professor Hiroshi Nakanishi (Kyoto University), Vice President of Japan Association of International Relations (JAIR). This symposium held in the Kinugasa Campus – Soshikan Hall, on Sunday, May 18, 2014, co-hosted by the Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR) and the Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO) research program namely "Research Core for Peace with Ritsumeikan Interdisciplinary Studies."

Professor Amitav Acharya’s presentation, titled: “Global IR and Regional Worlds Beyond Sahibs and Munshis: A New Agenda for International Studies," proposed an agenda of the future IR called the Global IR, which transcend the debates between so-called Western and Non-Western IR. Subsequently, Professor Acharya identified six dimensions and six possible research agendas as the basis of the Global IR. In principle, Global IR is either mutual learning between Non-Western and Western IR or an inclusive, an equal, and a constructive dialog between them symbolized by the relations between Sahibs and Munshis in the past.

Professor Hiroshi Nakanishi provided a very systematic presentation regarding the development of IR in Japan as well as the prospect of constructing the so-called Japan IR (J-IR). In his presentation, titled: “Discipline of IR in Japan: past, present, and future agenda," professor Nakanishi elaborated the progress of IR in Japan and offered models and researches agendas for the making the J-IR. Although the J-IR has not established yet, considering the development of IR in Japan so far, there is an expectation that the J-IR might be the center of “Asian IR dialogue” in the future.

Approximately 75 participants came from various universities in Japan attended and enjoyed both presentations that were intellectually inspiring and stimulating.

The Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, program was recently selected as one of “The International Priority Graduate Programs （PGP）Advanced Graduate Courses for International Students” by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

The Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, program “Global Cooperation Program for Japan and ASEAN linkage “ was recently selected as one of “The International Priority Graduate Programs （PGP）Advanced Graduate Courses for International Students” by MEXT.

PGP started in FY 2006 as one of the initiatives by MEXT to support “the globalization of Japanese universities.” The program aims for Japanese universities to implement the following policies or to have a system enabling the implementation of the following policies in the global higher education market:

Understand the exact needs of partner countries/regions and international students, make efforts to actively and effectively receive outstanding international students and offer the unique educational research services and follow-up support of Japanese universities.

 A total of 72 Japanese national, public and private universities applied for PGP. Following the screening, the programs of 37 universities out of 41 universities (including the programs of all three private universities) were selected.

On Friday, March 21, the Ritsumeikan University Undergraduate and Graduate School Fall Graduation Ceremony 2013 was held at Kinugasa Campus. There, 292 students from the College of International Relations and 23 students from the Graduate School of International Relations were awarded Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. At the University-wide graduation ceremony, Ms. SOH, HUI TING (Singapore) gave a speech as the undergraduate student representative. Mr. Tomihito Morimoto (Japan) and Mr. DERRY APLIANTA (Indonesia) also gave speeches as graduate/undergraduate student representatives at the departmental ceremony. Many family members and friends of graduates, faculty and staff members were there to celebrate. Graduates will soon start their new careers here in Japan and around the world.