JDS China 中国年轻行政人员长期培养支援项目

Policy science is a new academic discipline that involves interdisciplinary and practical studies. The curriculum of the Graduate School of Policy Science (GSPS) is characterized by the Research Project (a seminar), which aims to open up intellectual spaces where faculty members of different specialties work with graduate students, each of whom pursues a different research theme. There, they are guided by their respective motivations to explore policy design to find solutions to policy issues that have taken place in real society, by constantly alternating between practical and theoretical approaches. The main goal of the GSPS is to cultivate researchers and practitioners who are able to formulate and practice public policies by integrating participatory surveys and evidence-based policy making.

China is facing both local and global issues such as economic development, overcoming pollution, and addressing global environmental problems including carbon reduction towards achieving the “2030 Carbon Peak” and “2060 Carbon Neutrality” (the “30・60” target). To address these issues, it is essential to implement a wide range of measures covering the economic, societal, and environmental aspects. Drawing upon Japan's world-leading policy expertise know-how, technology in overcoming pollution, carbon reduction, and promotion of green growth, it is important to foster the capacity for policy design and practical implementation through theoretical research and practical investigations. This will contribute simultaneously to the solution of local and global challenges.

Please check the website below for details.
https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsps/education/feature/

All graduate students belong to the “Research Project” (a seminar at the graduate school) which is an interdisciplinary research team consisting of several instructors. We adopt a project-based research supervision method where graduate students actively participate in the collaborative research process within their respective teams. Through this approach, which encompasses a wide range of research themes including environmental protection in China, we have provided students with interdisciplinary guidance. Over the past 20 years, we have successfully nurtured over 200 Chinese graduate students (including those from the previous JDS China program) through this research-based approach. Including in the field of environmental issues, past graduate students have made significant research contributions, including on the topics of sustainable development, climate change mitigation, local pollution, resource recycling, food security, and energy and environmental management strategies in China and other East Asian countries.

Moreover, we provide “Regional Co-creation Studies.” This is a program which integrates participatory surveys and evidence-based policy making. In “Regional Co-creation Studies”, students engage in practice at local governments, NGOs, etc., with which GSPS has made contracts, and conduct practical policy studies by engaging in research including approaching stakeholders, gaining access to related documents and conducting reviews of them together with the government or NGO staff. Many of our Chinese graduate students have joined this program, leading to the completion of their master’s theses through practical findings such as learning about Japan’s policy issues and measures. By joining the program, students obtain both academic and practical knowledge pertaining to Improvement of Policy and Systems for Environmental Protection including an understanding of the current state of affairs, successful cases, and lessons learned.

Besides the programs above, GSPS provides classes from three clusters: “Public Policy Cluster”, “Environmental and Development Cluster”, and “Social Management Cluster.” Students can take classes which are related to their research topics with advice from their supervisors, allowing them to absorb interdisciplinary findings relevant to the improvement of policy and systems for environmental protection.

Through the cultivation of policy design and practical skills that contribute to the simultaneous solution of local and global challenges on policy and systems for environmental protection, past graduates from our school have made significant contributions in various fields in China. They include an alumnus working as deputy director in a provincial government office, as well as one employed as a section chief, actively working towards addressing policy challenges in China. Furthermore, a graduate has utilized Japan's advanced biotechnology and environmental protection technologies as a foundation to start their own business after completing their studies. He has conducted demonstrations in organic solid waste digestion, aligning business activities with the actual needs of China's environmental protection market. The achievements of our school extend across a wide range of sectors, including government administration, private enterprises, and academia.

Please check the website below for the detail.
https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsps/education/feature/

Courses taught through English language for the 2025 academic year （English Course）

Whether a master's thesis is required as a requirement for completion/degree acquisition (and supplementary information regarding the requirement of a master's thesis)

Master's theses are generally evaluated according to the following criteria:

• 1. The appropriateness of the research theme: Is there clear recognition of the issue, and is the theme appropriate for the field of policy science?
• 2. Comprehension of the essential nature of the theme: Did the author understand the nature of the theme correctly?
• 3. Correlation with existing research: Was the research appropriately based on existing research?
• 4. The appropriateness of the information and references used: Were sufficient fact-finding studies, searches and evaluations conducted?
• 5. The consistency of the logic in the thesis: Was the logic developed consistently?
• 6. The rigorous quality and accuracy of the statements in the essay: Was the analysis conducted correctly and accurately?
• 7. Originality: Did the content of the research show originality?
• 8. Can the research be substantiated?: Was the research verified sufficiently?

Instructors belonging to the “Environmental and Development Cluster” are to supervise graduate students under the program on “Improvement of Policy and System for Environmental Protection” in “Public Policy.” But as the students will belong to one Research Project in which instructors of different specialties work with graduate students, they can get advice from other instructors who belong to other clusters (“Public Policy Cluster” and “Social Management Cluster”). Therefore, graduate students are able to engage in a multi-faceted study of the Improvement of Policy and System for Environmental Protection.

Regarding the allocation of supervisors, matching is conducted based on the research proposal submitted during the application period, and the applicant is notified of their supervisor prior to enrollment.

Table: List of Instructors capable of guiding JDS China Fellows and their Research Specialties

Please refer to the following website for information on all faculty members in GSPS.
https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsps/introduce/faculty/

Library Services: Located at Osaka Ibaraki Campus, the OIC Library has space for 800,000 books, and a total of about 1,100 seats for use. As of 2023, the library had a collection of 286,939 books (Japanese: 186,487; Foreign language: 100,452), 3,526 journal titles (Japanese: 2,532; Foreign language: 994), and 76,709 E-Journal titles all of which students can access. Ritsumeikan University as a whole, has a collection of 3,426,173 books (Japanese: 2,411,808; Foreign language: 1,014,365), 64,761 journal titles (Japanese: 47,472; Foreign language: 17,289), and students may borrow materials from libraries on other campuses using our electronic library services system. Moreover, even if books which students need are not available in the university's library, it is possible to make purchase requests through the electronic book service system. This allows students to acquire the necessary materials for their studies.

Health Center: Located on campus, the health center promotes the health of students through a combination of general health support services and a medical office that specializes in internal medicine. To ensure their good health, all students must take part in a yearly health check that assesses their overall health condition and, depending on the result, follows up with additional tests as necessary. Students with any persistent health issues are put under watch and given follow up medical guidance until graduation.

Counseling: Professional counseling is available in English and Japanese.

Training Room: In order to support students from a health perspective, our campus has a training room with the equipment necessary for a healthy workout. Trainers are on hand to help out, and students can use the gym facilities free of charge.

Restaurant / Cafeteria: We have several restaurants and cafeterias located on-campus which offer a wide variety of meals. They also double as communication spaces where students can interact with each other as well as with their professors.

Religious and Dietary Considerations: Osaka Ibaraki Campus has cafeterias and restaurants that provide meals to meet the dietary needs of its international population, including dishes suitable for Muslims and vegetarians. Moreover, we also provide a room that students can use for prayer.

International Exchange Lounge & International Center: Ritsumeikan University offers several spaces designed to promote interaction amongst international students and between Japanese and international students. One of these is a space called the Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP), which promotes interaction amongst undergraduate and graduate students from around the world, and at which various multicultural exchange events are held. Separately, Ritsumeikan University has an International Center located on each campus which offers consultation services related to international students’ stay in Japan, such as assistance with maintaining residence status, obtaining permission to engage in part-time work, and applying for subsidies for national health insurance fees and so on. The center also provides information on relevant international events and organizes events of its own both on and off campus. Each center has a designated International Student Support Coordinator who offers individual consultations regarding any concerns or difficulties encountered in international students’ day-to-day life in Japan. Each center also several PCs available for short-term use, and the center, as well as the entire campus, boasts a solid a Wi-Fi network keeping students connected at all times.

The Graduate School of Policy Science (GSPS), Ritsumeikan University, was established in 1997 with a view to develop students’ essential research skills to understand the policy issues that we face in today’s society and work out optimal solutions for them, and to upgrade students’ practical competence. Policy science is a discipline that explores solutions to the various policy issues which affect us while pursuing innovation of social science itself. Through policy science study, the GSPS aims to foster a new breed of researcher, one who is a competent policy practitioner. Indeed, individuals with the ability to implement a wide range of measures covering the economical, societal, and environmental aspects are crucial in achieving the goals of "2030 Carbon Peak" and "2060 Carbon Neutrality" (the “30・60” target).

So then, what is Policy Science in the first place? The name “Policy Science” itself implies that this discipline has its own theoretical system. Policy Science requires the ability to understand various policy issues and generate appropriate solutions to them. Since each policy issue including “Improvement of Policy and System for Environmental Protection” has various social and natural aspects, research achievements from a wide range of academic fields must be utilized for studies in Policy Science, such as political science, economics, law, business administration, urban planning and environmental engineering. In this sense, Policy Science requires interdisciplinary research, encompassing many different academic disciplines. At the same time, we each must deepen our own knowledge within our specialized field.

As a research institution to study the solutions to policy issues, the GSPS places special emphasis on the interaction with real society. To be specific, we have opened research sites called “Regional Co-Creation Centers” in local public bodies in several regions and other social institutions where graduate students are given opportunities to observe, as part of their research, administrative personnel implementing policies firsthand.

The GSPS also offers a project-style joint research program, which was conceived in consideration of the integrated nature of policy issues, the object of Policy Science research. This program is called the “Research Project” in the master’s program. Under this program, several instructors conduct research activities jointly with graduate students and offer research guidance to them.
GSPS not only has long-standing collaborative achievements in research exchanges and human development with various universities in China, but also possesses a broad network of professionals. Furthermore, our faculty member serves as advisors for circular economy model projects among China, Japan and South Korea, showcasing our extensive collaboration and contributions in both research and practical endeavors. These collaborative efforts strengthen our capacity to address environmental challenges in China through an interdisciplinary approach. By carrying out Policy Science research through making the most of these opportunities unique to the GSPS, we hope to train high-caliber personnel capable of finding optimal solutions to all social issues. Please fully utilize the unique features of GSPS and engage in practical research.