Message from the Dean

Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of Technology Management (Ritsumeikan Innovation School) was established in 2005 and has more than two decades of history in advancing research and education in Management of Technology (MOT). To date, more than 1000 graduates—including masters and doctoral alumni—have contributed to academia, industry, and policy, reflecting the sustained growth and academic maturity of the program.

The doctoral program at Ritsumeikan Innovation School is offered exclusively as an English-based program, designed for students who seek to engage in rigorous research within an international academic community. The PhD program is not an extension of professional training, but a research-oriented program that aims to cultivate scholars and practitioner-researchers capable of producing original contributions to innovation and technology management studies.

From 2025, Ritsumeikan Innovation School introduced a newly redesigned curriculum for the master’s program, positioning “Futurepreneurship” as its core educational concept. This concept addresses the growing need for future-oriented value creation under conditions of complexity and uncertainty, and emphasizes the ability to envision desirable future societies and design pathways toward their realization.

While Futurepreneurship is formally embedded in the master’s curriculum, its underlying intellectual foundation—future-oriented reasoning, system-level thinking, and responsibility for societal impact—also informs the research environment of the doctoral program. At the PhD level, these perspectives are not taught as a structured curriculum, but are expected to be critically examined, theoretically refined, and advanced through independent research.

Doctoral research at Ritsumeikan Innovation School is characterized by three defining principles.

First, we emphasize research autonomy and originality. PhD candidates are expected to formulate their own research questions based on a deep understanding of existing literature and a clear awareness of societal and technological challenges. Rather than focusing solely on retrospective analyses of past cases, doctoral research is encouraged to address long-term structural issues and emerging transformations in socio-technical systems.

Second, we foster a diverse and international research community. Doctoral students come from a wide range of disciplinary, professional, and cultural backgrounds. Through seminars, joint supervision, and scholarly exchange, students are exposed to multiple perspectives that challenge assumptions and strengthen theoretical rigor. Innovation research, as Joseph Schumpeter famously argued, advances through new combinations—and this principle is equally vital in doctoral scholarship.

Third, the doctoral program values the connection between theory and societal relevance. While academic rigor is paramount, doctoral research at Ritsumeikan Innovation School is expected to engage with real-world challenges faced by industries, organizations, and societies. Whether graduates pursue academic careers or leadership roles beyond academia, they are expected to contribute knowledge that informs future-oriented decision-making and responsible innovation.

Pursuing a PhD is a demanding intellectual journey that requires sustained commitment, critical thinking, and perseverance. At the same time, it offers a unique opportunity to step back from immediate practical pressures and to engage deeply with fundamental questions that shape the future of technology and society. Ritsumeikan Innovation School aims to provide an environment in which doctoral students can develop scholarly independence, international academic competence, and a strong sense of responsibility for the implications of their research.

We invite you to join our English-based PhD program and contribute to the advancement of innovation and technology management studies in a global context.

Nobuaki MINATO