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国際大学 (Kokusai Daigaku) | |
 | |
| Motto | Where the World Gathers |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1982 |
| Chairman | Fumia Kokubu |
| President | Takeo Kikkawa |
| Students | 374 (graduate) |
| Location | Minamiuonuma, Niigata, Japan 37°08′53.72″N138°56′50.61″E / 37.1482556°N 138.9473917°E /37.1482556; 138.9473917 |
| Alumni | 5,193 (from 143 countries) |
| Colors | blue |
| Website | www |
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TheInternational University of Japan (国際大学,Kokusai Daigaku), abbreviatedIUJ, is a privateuniversity located inMinamiuonuma,Niigata, Japan.
Established in 1982, IUJ is Japan’s firstgraduate university offering only graduate programs, and one of the few that conducts all courses in English.[1][2] It was founded in 1982.[3] It offersMaster's degrees inInternational Development,Economics,Public Management, andInternational Relations, as well as anMBA. TheDigital Transformation Program began in 2021, followed by the International Public Policy Program in 2022. IUJ isaccredited by theMinistry of Education, Japan, and its Graduate School of International Management earnedAACSB accreditation in 2018.
Each year, IUJ welcomes students from more than 50 countries, maintaining a close-knit community of around 310 students. Its diversity was highlighted during the university’s 25th anniversary with aGuinness World Record attempt for "the most nationalities in a sauna (50)".[4]
IUJ was founded in 1982 by representatives of business, government and world organizations. It was established with extensive support from Japan's industrial, financial and educational communities as well as from the local community.[5]
IUJ is Japan's first graduate-school-only university and the first to useEnglish-medium education (EMI) in the classroom.
The Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR) was the first school at IUJ. Leading supporters IUJ's foundation included theJapan Association of Corporate Executives,Japan Federation of Economic Organizations,Industrial Bank of Japan,Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, andJapan Foreign Trade Council.
In 1988, the Graduate School of International Management (GSIM) was established in collaboration with theAmos Tuck School of Business atDartmouth College, United States, as the first US-style business school in Japan, and the first MBA to teach only in English. In that same year, the Matsushita Library & Information Center (MLIC) was established with an endowment from theMatsushita International Foundation, now called the Kinoshita Matsushita Memorial Foundation (KMMF).[5]
IUJ comprises two graduate schools: the Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR) and the Graduate School of International Management (GSIM). Both schools offerMaster's degree programs, the GSIR offers PhD degree programs.
The university runs two research institutes: The IUJ Research Institute based on campus and The Center for Global Communications (GLOCOM) located inTokyo. GLOCOM was established in spring of 1991 as asocial science institute specializing in the study ofinformation society and Japan. GLOCOM's research focuses on the social, economic and cultural impacts of new communications technologies.
IUJ offersMaster's degree programs and a PhD degree program.
TheGraduate School of International Management (GSIM) offers four graduate programs: a full-time 2-yearMBA program, a 1-year MBA program targeted at company sponsored students with over 5 years of experience, a Japan-Global Development Program, and theDigital Transformation Program. The Business School's working Motto is "Leveraging Emerging Asia for Global Advantage."[6]
TheGraduate School of International Relations (GSIR) offers three graduate programs and 5 master's degrees:International Relations Program (IRP) offering an MA in international relations and MA in political science, theInternational Development Program (IDP) offering an MA in International Development and an MA in economics, Public Management and Policy Analysis Program (PMPP) offering an MA in public management and an MA in International Public Policy (IPPP),Japan-Global Development Program (JGDP) offering an MBA in International Relations/Economics/International Development/ Public Management, the International Public Policy Program offers a Master in International Public Policy.
Since cross-registration is encouraged, students may select 'elective' courses from other programs to customize their graduate degree program for their individual professional goals.
All courses require athesis, with a very few exceptions that allow a research report, as part of the degree requirements.
IUJ offers two optional language programs, one inEnglish and the other inJapanese.
The English language courses are designed for non-native English speakers who wish to develop their proficiency to the level required to participate fully in the English-medium environment of IUJ. IUJ offers various English program, it includes an Intensive English Program (IEP) held in the summer and academic English courses that mostly for students to prepare their thesis writing and it held throughout the academic year.
The Japanese Language Program (JLP) offers non-native Japanese speakers the opportunity to learn the Japanese language at four different proficiency levels, from Basic to Advanced.[7]
Its Global Partnership program puts IUJ in formal relationships with over 50 companies in Japan spanning banking, consulting, trade and logistics firms. These companies, and more, take advantage of IUJ's Non-degree programs, such as theExecutive Degree program, theGlobal Leaders program, and the8-week Intensive English Program.
IUJ has establishedstudent exchange programs with more than 50 institutions across Asia, Europe, and North America. The purpose is to give students various opportunities to learn in different educational environments and to broaden their horizons. Up to ten credits earned at the host institution could be transferred to IUJ with no extra tuition paid to the host institution.
Updated lists of the GSIR and GSIM partner schools at the respective school websites.
The following are GSIR's students exchange partners:
The following are GSIM's students exchange partners:
IUJ is located inMinamiuonuma, a small city in southeasternNiigata Prefecture, Japan. It is approximately 100 km south ofNiigata City, the prefectural capital, and 230 km northwest ofTokyo.
There are three single-student dormitories each housing about 100 students, and one Married-Student Apartments (MSA) with just 18 units for married couples. Each dormitory has inexpensive coin laundry/dryer facilities. All the single dormitory rooms are well-equipped and offerLAN connectivity. MSA is unfurnished. As there is a waiting list for the units, a lottery system is used to allocate them. For those needing to bring families with school aged children, off-campus housing options are supported by an English speaking land.[8]
There is an on-campus convenience shop, Yamazaki. There are recreational and sporting facilities available to the students.
Every full-time student enrolled in IUJ is automatically a member of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO), thestudents' union of IUJ. The GSO Executive Committee is a body of elected student representatives in-charge of general student welfare and campus life activities, plus outside events.
There are a number of annual on-campus and off-campus events organized by GSO with support from IUJ office and other clubs, such as IUJ Olympics, Ski Day, inter house sports events, International Day, cultural events, Haloween, holiday parties, music nights, game nights, etc.
Two other elected student groups are the IM Council and the IR Council. These groups take care of the academic welfare of the students in their respective schools (GSIM and GSIR), and in close cooperation and communications with the Deans offices.
| Name | Period | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sohei Nakayama | 1982-1987 | Former chairman of theJapan Association of Corporate Executives, former president of theIndustrial Bank of Japan |
| 2nd | Jiro Ushio | 1987-1989 | Former chairman of theJapan Association of Corporate Executives, CEO ofUSHIO INC. |
| 3rd | Toshihiro Tomabechi | 1989-1990 | Former CEO of theMitsubishi Corporation |
| 4th | Yushin Yamamuro | 1991-1995 | Former CEO of theMitsubishi Bank, Ltd |
| 5th | Yasuma Sugihara | 1995-1999 | Former CEO of theExxonMobil Corporation |
| 6th | Sogo Okamura | 1999-2004 | Professor emeritus, theuniversity of Tokyo |
| 7th | Yotaro Kobayashi | 2004-2015 | Co-chairman of theJapan Association of Corporate Executives |
| 8th | Shoei Utsuda | 2015-2025 | Former CEO of theMitsui & Co. Ltd. |
| 9th | Fumia Kokubu | 2025- | Former Chairman of theMitsui & Co. Ltd. |
| Name | Period | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Saburo Okita | 1982-1987 | 108th minister of foreign affairs |
| 2nd | Shuntaro Shishido | 1987-1994 | Economist |
| 3rd | George R. Packard 3rd | 1994-1998 | Former Dean of the Johns HopkinsSchool of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) |
| 4th | Satoyuki Otsuki | 1998-1999 | Economist |
| 5th | Takumi Shimano | 1999-2002 | Economist |
| 6th | Yasuma Sugihara | 2002-2003 | Former CEO of theExxonMobil Corporation |
| 7th | Ippei Yamazawa | 2003-2008 | Economist |
| 8th | Yasuma Sugihara | 2007-2009 | Former CEO of theExxonMobil Corporation |
| 9th | Masakatsu Mori | 2009-2012 | Former CEO of theAccenture public limited company |
| 10th | Shinichi Kitaoka | 2012-2015 | Political scientist, former Japanese ambassador to theUnited Nations[9] |
| 11th | Kimio Kase | 2015-2017 | Economist |
| 12th | Hiroyuki Itami | 2017-2023 | Economist, Emeritus Professor of Hitotsubashi University |
| 13th | Takeo Kikkawa | 2023- | Economist and Business Historian, Emeritus Professor of University of Tokyo and Hitotsubashi University |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
