GSLS's programs earned selection by Monbukagakusho(MEXT) as one of the 2012 International Priority Graduate Programs (PGP) – Advanced Graduate Courses for International Students

The Asian Human Capital Development Program for Japan-based International Life Science Enterprises at Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of Life Sciences's programs earned selection by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) as one of the 2012 International Priority Graduate Programs (PGP) – Advanced Graduate Courses for International Students.

 

PGP, established in 2006 to support Monbukagakusho's efforts to internationalize the country's universities, makes use of the Monbukagakusho scholarship for International Overseas Students to establish Japanese universities in the international education marketplace as a structure that can "understand the precise needs of international students and their home countries, proactively and effectively recruit outstanding students, match them with universities having the relevant research and education characteristics and provide them with educational opportunities and continuing follow-up."

 

This year, 56 Universities submitted 271 programs for approval (including 20 private universities that submitted 32 programs, total), out of which 41 programs at 26 universities earned selection (including 4 programs at 3 private universities).

 

■Summary of the Asian Human Capital Development Program for Japan-based International Life Science Enterprises

This program is designed to take in students from Thailand and Indonesia, where Ritsumeikan University and the Graduate School of Life Sciences have strong cooperative relationships, serve as a nexus and bridge between the life sciences- related industries in all three countries, and use that structure to uncover and develop outstanding leaders in the field of life sciences in order to send them on to Japan-based international life science enterprises.

 

This program is clearly distinguished from previous graduate school education, and has been developed based on the following characteristics:

1. The program brings together English-based researchers from a wide variety of specialty fields in order to create a multi-perspective approach to research and to develop both research and English ability.

Like Japanese students, international students are assigned to various courses and take common subjects, major subjects, and research subjects under the  guidance of their advising professors. Based on their individual interests, students may take courses from other majors or graduate schools as well. Each of these courses, as well as research reports in students' assigned laboratories and thesis reading sessions are conducted in English.

2. Thorough Japanese language education designed to create trilingual researchers

This program includes a "Japanese for Project Presentation" language     instruction component that is designed to develop project participants' language abilities to the point that they can discuss daily affairs and topics concerning their     field of study, as well as evaluate, develop, present, and respond to inquiries as a team, with regards to the project theme they have selected from their research.

3. Internships to develop a business mindset

 Taking advantage of the university's joint research and commissioned research    connections with enterprises conducting research based in Indonesia and Thailand, the program provides internship opportunities to effectively develop a three-step business mindset: Initial research, enterprise internship, and results presentation. In addition, Shiga Prefecture offers a wide array of natural resources, extending  from water resources, to farming and the natural environment, so the program has made use of the local characteristics to create opportunities for students to pursue fieldwork, experiments, and observation.