- National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
-
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (政策研究大学院大学 Seisaku Kenkyū Daigakuin Daigaku), or GRIPS, is a national university in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1997.
The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) is a stand-alone graduate school focused on policy studies. As of August 2009, IDEAS ranked GRIPS to be the third top economics school in Japan, after the University of Tokyo, and Osaka University, respectively, as first and second.[1]
Contents
History
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
The Graduate School of Policy Science (GSPS), the predecessor of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), was established at Saitama University in 1977 as a new kind of graduate school. GSPS aimed to promote interdisciplinary policy research that had the potential to contribute in an effective manner to the making of appropriate policies for the real world and to train administrative officials and policy analysts equipped with policy analysis and policy-making skills backed by a scientific approach and methods. Established as an institute to engage in graduate-level research and education, GSPS took the form of an independent graduate school that was separate from undergraduate programs, with the appropriate academic staff, facilities, and equipment.
Over the first twenty years of its existence, GSPS gained a unique reputation for producing mid-career government officials who had a clear understanding of policy issues. Central and local governments and government-related institutions regularly sent their most promising officials to GSPS, where, under the instruction of their professors, they engaged in the intellectual task of structuring and analyzing policy issues. At the same time, GSPS academic faculty developed interdisciplinary policy research. Through these activities, GSPS led the field of policy studies in Japan. With the advance of research and education in the field of policy studies, the question arose as to whether policy research could be further advanced if the school were independent. Behind this lay the awareness that Japan needed to quickly enhance its system for promoting policy research. There had been too few studies conducted on the governmental and administrative structures that had supported the nation's economic growth, and Japan was about to enter a new stage amid a domestic and international situation that was changing at a dizzying pace. Thus, it was crucial for Japan to study its policies from their very foundations in order to envision the future of the country and create appropriate policies. In addition, there had been a dramatic rise in international interest in Japan's policy system, and it was becoming increasingly important for Japan to explain its policies and contribute to global advancement and international collaboration.
In response, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (today's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) set up a committee to study the future of policy studies and education in Japan. In March 1994, the committee proposed the creation of an independent graduate institute befitting the unique character of the academic discipline of policy research. Budgetary steps were taken to prepare for the establishment of the National Institute of Policy Studies (tentative name), and a committee to prepare for the founding of the institute was formed in June 1994. This committee of experts set up a special subcommittee and held deliberations to give concrete form to the new concept, including asking experts from industry, government, and academia to provide special cooperation, and referring to input provided by various sectors of society.
In October 1997, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) was established as a new type of independent graduate university with Toru Yoshimura as the first president. GRIPS'mandate was to promote high-level policy research and respond to various domestic and international needs based on international intellectual cooperation and the cooperation of leading members of Japan's political, industrial, government, and academic circles. Ten years later, in April 2007, Tatsuo Hatta became the second president of GRIPS.
Fields
Students at GRIPS study the methodology of policy impact analysis and policy assessment based on their chosen academic areas, including economics, political science, public administration, international relations, mathematical science, social engineering, and interdisciplinary fields. They learn to apply analytical tools to concrete cases.
GRIPS’ academic programs focus not only on contemporary academic methodologies, but also on the historical experiences of Japan and Asia. This emphasis on regional historical experience distinguishes GRIPS from its global counterparts.
GRIPS is one of the most international educational institutes in Japan.[citation needed] Among the 2007 graduates, 64 were Japanese and 150 were from overseas.[citation needed] GRIPS has alumni in 72 countries in Asia and the Pacific; Central Europe; the Middle East; Africa; and South, Central, and North America.
Most of GRIPS’ students to date have been incumbent administrative officials. More than half of the Japanese officials studying at GRIPS come from local government offices. Some of the graduates have gone on to direct agencies or serve in other high-level positions in their governments.
Professors
Professors at GRIPS include high-level government officials as well as many top-class researchers. The roster includes the famous Yujiro Hayami who was awarded the Emperor of Japan's award for lifetime achievement in Economics in 2007. These officials are well versed in real-world policy challenges; some faculty members have held cabinet-level posts. The institute is in Roppongi, which is very close to Japan's political center in Kasumigaseki and Nagata-cho.
GRIPS recruits a diverse range of applicants, bringing GRIPS’ high-level education to a broader group of students who aspire to make an impact on policy, also benefiting those who work in government by allowing them to build valuable personal networks. GRIPS is the only academic institution in Japan that regularly recruits first-rate international faculty from the American Economic Association and has various international research collaboration programs.[citation needed]
http://www.grips.ac.jp/about/faculty_atoz.html
References
External links
Categories:- Educational institutions established in 1997
- Japanese national universities
- Universities and colleges in Tokyo
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
