Graduate School of International Development

A Brief Introduction to GSID

Nagoya University’s Graduate School of International Development (GSID) was established in 1991 as the first graduate school in Japan specializing in international development. GSID offers Master’s and doctoral programs.

Having celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2021, GSID continues to strive for excellence in research and education on a wide range of development issues, with aim to contribute to Nagoya University’s commitment to the realization of well-being and happiness of people through research and education and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the international community in 2015. In February 2022, as its 30th anniversary events, GSID organized a series of seminars and an international symposium titled “Development Research and Teaching in the Post COVID-19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities,” though online due to the pandemic, attracting over 400 participants from 40 countries.

Over the last thirty years, many developing countries, particularly those in Asia, have achieved remarkable economic growth. Globalization has accelerated, with a rapid increase in trade and investment to developing countries. Many producers and firms from developing countries have increasingly become involved in global value chains, with greater competitiveness. On the other hand, various issues still persist not only in developing countries but in developed countries: poverty, inequality, malnutrition, poor health, poor quality of education, increased natural disasters, climate change, regional conflicts and wars, violence and terrorism, weak governance, lack of employment and delayed industrial development, and so on. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious economic and social effects on people around the world. The role of development professionals is more important than ever to solve these diverse and complex global issues.

GSID pursues a mission to promote understanding of the problems we face in the globalizing world and to create a sustainable society by contributing to policy-making and implementation by international organizations, governments, and civil society organizations. In order to find solutions to contemporary problems, technical approaches are often not enough. We need to understand the existing policy frameworks and apply innovative thinking based on social science perspectives. GSID thus attempts to cultivate courageous intellectuals capable of finding such solutions by promoting policy-oriented, interdisciplinary research and teaching in cooperation with a network of academic and research institutions and implementing agencies. Our objectives are as follows:

1. Promote empirical research based on social science theories and methods that can inform the policy-making and implementation processes of the international community, governments, and civil society;

2. Train professionals who can contribute to state- or community-building cooperation with the international community and with a full understanding of national and local realities;

3. Expand our worldwide network with governments, universities, and international organizations through research and teaching in order to realize sustainable development and just societies on the global level.

To develop highly professional human resources to become engaged in international development and cooperation, GSID offers five Master’s degree programs: (1) Economic Development Policy and Management; (2) Education and Human Resource Development; (3) Inclusive Society and State; (4) Peace and Governance; and (5) Poverty and Social Policy. In addition, it offers two special programs: One is the Special Program for Global Business Professionals, which is a one-year Master’s program for mid-career business professionals in the private sector and governments who are expected to work in developing countries in future. The other is the Global Leader Career Course (GLCC), which is designed for students who pursue their careers at international organizations such as UN agencies, international financial institutions, and international NGOs.

At GSID, all the classes are taught in English, and international students account for about 70% of the student body. So far, more than 2,300 students from over 100 countries completed their Master’s and/or doctoral degree programs. Many of them returned to their home countries after earning their degrees, and have developed their careers as leading professionals in government, international organizations, and international NGOs.

For details, please see the following website:

https://www4.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/

Message from the Dean

We asked 5 questions to Dean Yuzuru Shimada.

1. Would you mind telling the strengths of the Graduate School of International Development (GSID)?

Since established in 1991, The Graduate School of International Development, GSID, is a pioneering and leading graduate school specialising in international development. Over more than thirty years since then, GSID has engaged in research and education in international development in developing countries, focusing on a wide range of issues that constrain the promotion of socioeconomic development, such as poverty, inequality, conflict and the lack of good governance, and proposing various strategies for solving these issues. GSID offers a top-level international teaching environment in Japan. All classes are conducted in English, and more than 80% of students come from countries other than Japan.

2. How do you want your students to grow through their university life?

As I just mentioned, 80% of the students in the Graduate School of International Development are international students. So far, students from over 100 countries including Japan have studied here. Out of about 2,400 graduates, about 1,400 are international students. Even now, the students come from 45 countries, and 168 of the 198 enrolled students are from overseas. Therefore, not only in classrooms but also in daily communication with classmates, students have to use foreign languages, mainly English, which may be stressful and cause anxiety, especially, for Japanese students. However, intercultural and multicultural exchanges are inevitable for students living in this globalizing world. The Graduate School of International Development is exactly such a place, and I want students to quickly experience overcoming such stress and anxiety.

Furthermore, international development cooperation is about dealing with the problems of people who are in very different economic, social, and cultural environments from us who have fortunately economic and educational conditions to have higher education. In that regard, even though the countries and languages are different, the students in GSID are still a group with a high degree of identity. Thus, I hope that they will not be satisfied with just the experiences within the group in the GSID, and will challenge themselves in further new places and experiences.

3. Would you mind telling the vision of the Graduate School of International Development (GSID)?

The GSID pursues a mission to promote understanding of the problems we face in the globalizing world and to create a sustainable society by contributing to policy-making and policy implementation by international organizations, governments, and civil society organizations. To find solutions to contemporary problems, technical approaches are often insufficient. We need to understand the existing policy frameworks and apply innovative thinking based on social science perspectives. Thus, GSID attempts to cultivate professionals and academics capable of finding such solutions by promoting policy-oriented, interdisciplinary research and teaching in cooperation with a network of academic and research institutions and, national and international organizations. Our objectives are as follows:

(1) Promote empirical research based on social science theories and methods that can inform the policy-making and implementation processes of the international community, governments, and civil society;

(2) Train professionals who can contribute to state- or community-building cooperation with the international community and with a full understanding of national and local realities;

(3) Expand our worldwide network with governments, universities, and international organizations through research and teaching in order to realize sustainable development and just societies on the global level.

4. What is the most memorable lecture when you were a student?

I enrolled in the master's program of GSID in 1993. It was the third year of GSID since its establishment. Especially the department of my major was in its second year of establishment, and I felt that various things including education were groping and experimental. Among various innovative subjects, "Overseas Fieldwork", we call the OFW, which continues as a banner class of GSID even now, had the planning and implementation of field survey, including themes, visit destinations, questions, schedules, etc., entrusted to the students. I think it was very valuable to be able to design a research project in developing countries from scratch as soon as I entered graduate school. In my time, I stayed in Thailand for a full month. Now, it has become two weeks due to curriculum circumstances, but the basic style has not changed.

Although it is not about a specific subject, the GSID had faculty from many research fields such as economics, education, sociology, law, political science, and humanities, so I was able to learn diverse views on one phenomenon in different subjects. For example, I graduated from the Faculty of Law, but the view of society I learned in economics and history classes was very fresh.

5. Please give some words to those who are interested in joining.

Currently, we are facing the complex challenges of whether the goal of international development cooperation can be achieved. The international community has not been able to act in unison against wars and destruction, as seen in Ukraine and Palestine. The distribution of wealth and resources in the international community is becoming increasingly unequal, yet governments continue to lean towards the "Our People First" policy. It is not rare for state leaders to openly criticize or even despise human rights and tolerance. As a result, social and economic minorities are being increasingly excluded from the benefits of growth and development. Naturally, there is no panacea or correct answer to the various challenges the current world faces. However, we need to understand as accurately as possible what is happening and what causal relationships might exist through various methods. We also need to share our insights and think with many people about what can be done and what outcomes can be achieved.

We strongly hope that people who sympathize with such goals will join the GSID.

(June 20, 2024)

• Japanese version: 国際開発研究科

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Graduate School of International Development