While the world is rapidly becoming borderless and integrated, there have been many cases where intense conflict and friction among regions and nation-states have led to severely strained relations, which even escalate into wars (as you see every day in the news). We are living in an era of rapid change and uncertainty. The issues facing the world today are caused by many diverse and adverse circumstances, which often get entangled with each other in complex ways.

The Graduate School of International Studies, which was established in 2019, provides ample opportunities for interdisciplinary approaches to various issues in international relations, cultural anthropology, linguistics, comparative cultural studies, and other fields. We attempt to grasp issues that cannot be handled by existing disciplines by examining their various facets from multiple perspectives. The master's program offers three specialized majors: International Cultural Studies, Global Studies, and Languages and Communication. We strive to facilitate the advancement of academic research in stages and to deepen knowledge from a broader perspective. In the doctoral program, we aim to foster advanced skills as researchers which are applicable in various international and regional settings.

Although research activities are always challenging, we hope to be an innovative graduate school where students, as well as faculty members, can aspire to accumulate in-depth knowledge while motivating and inspiring each other in a stimulating academic environment.

Sylvain Cardonnel,
Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies.