Details of the Joint Program under the Agreement

Name: Global Culinary Arts and Management Programme
Eligibility: Students of the College of Gastronomy Management (16 students per academic year; to be applied after entering the university)
Educational content:
- Business administration and marketing in the hotel and food-related businesses
- Lectures and practical studies in culinary arts and gastronomy provided by Le Cordon Bleu instructors
- Visits to companies in the hospitality industry, and long-term internships at such companies

Distinctive features:
- An internationally recognized qualification can be received
(In addition to a bachelor’s degree from Ritsumeikan University, graduates are also awarded an Advanced Diploma of Culinary Arts and Management issued by Le Cordon Bleu La Fondation)
- Enhanced practical educational curriculum, including culinary arts and gastronomy, as well as internships - Greater range of potential career paths upon graduation
(Graduates will be eligible to become part of the global network of Le Cordon Bleu alumni)

Comment by Mikio Yoshida, Chancellor, the Ritsumeikan Trust

The College of Gastronomy Management aims to develop gastronomy as a new academic discipline and become a center for education and research in the gastronomy field. The college educates students to comprehend food from a diverse range of perspectives and contexts, enabling them to lead the way in solving food-related issues, not only within Japan, but at the global level.

Comment by Charles Cointreau, Asia Representative Director of Le Cordon Bleu International

Le Cordon Bleu, as an international institution specializing in culinary and hospitality education, is very honored to be able to contribute to nurturing future generations in Japan as well by applying global-level knowledge to the markets related to the food business that is grabbing attention along with tourism.

The college will aim to train the highly-capable management professionals who will learn about food holistically and comprehensively through the main academic pillars of management, culture, and technology focusing on the disciplines of economics and management.

Name of college: College of Gastronomy Management
Name of department: Department of Gastronomy Management
Name of degree: Bachelor of Gastronomy Management
Language of instruction: Japanese
Starting: April 2018
Location: Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture)
Student quota: 320
Main curriculum content:
Subjects will cover a wide range of academic fields.
Food management - This is the area where students explore how food supply and consumption are related and the roles played by the local community. The topics also include the types of organizations and companies in the food industry and their business management styles with social optimality and sustainability.
Food culture - This is the area where students examine the food-related behavior and values in Japan and elsewhere in the world from the perspectives of cultural, geographical, and historical backgrounds.
Food technology - This is the area where students look into the process from ingredients to ingestion of food, mechanisms by which foods react to the body as well as with cognition and behavior.

Potential career paths envisaged:
Employment could be expected as a professional in a product development or corporate planning department, a manager in the hospitality industry (tourism, accommodation, food and beverages, transportation, etc.), an official in government or in a public institution such as a nongovernmental or nonprofit organization, an employee in the international department of a trading or manufacturing company, an employee of a foreign company in Japan, or as a journalist or entrepreneur.

• College of Gastronomy Management Website (Japanese version only)

Founded in Paris in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu is the leading global network of culinary arts and hospitality institutes with over 35 institutes in 20 countries and 20,000 students of over 130 nationalities trained every year. Le Cordon Bleu combines innovation, creativity, and tradition through its certificates, diplomas, and bachelors and master degrees, including an online degree in gastronomic tourism. It also collaborates with institutions of higher education, and has forged educational partnerships in countries worldwide, including the UK, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India.

Le Cordon Bleu Japan operates schools in Tokyo and Kobe, offering programmes that combine both theory and practice for students of all levels, novice to professional. Derived from the same educational system in Paris, both schools offer professional culinary diplomas and certificates in French cuisine, pastry, and bakery, as well as various short courses, including ingredient lectures, skill-development classes, and one-day lessons designed for beginners.

• Le Coldon Bleu Website