- 2025 Course Guide School of Global Studies and Collaboration
Characteristics of learning and curriculum (Department of Global Studies and Collaboration)
CURRICULUM Learning Features and Curriculum
Customized learning made possible by four specialized fields
With "symbiosis" as the keyword, you will deepen your learning in four specialized fields: collaboration, economics and business, media and spatial information, and sociology.
By acquiring a broad foundation in these four areas of social science and studying them in a comprehensive manner, students will develop the ability to recognize the diversity of global society from a global perspective.
A curriculum that allows students to flexibly choose subjects according to their goals
School of Global Studies and Collaboration is a global college based on the social sciences. The curriculum is made up of social science fields such as political science, economics, business administration, media, spatial information science, and sociology. Students can choose the classes they want to study based on their interests and career goals, and by combining subjects from each specialized field, they can create their own original curriculum.
ENGLISH EDUCATION English Education
We provide intensive, academic English education with the goal of mastering English as a communication tool.
Studying abroad requires English proficiency, but at GSC we work to improve your English proficiency not just for the purpose of studying abroad, but throughout your four years at university, including your time abroad.
First, in order to thoroughly acquire the four English skills necessary for studying abroad - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - first-year students are divided into 10 levels of ability and take "Academic English I & II" (compulsory) classes taught by native speakers six times a week (90 minutes each).
The main purpose of this course is to improve the four language skills in order to improve the score of the English proficiency test (IELTS) required for studying abroad applications. In addition, students can take the IELTS test twice with assistance from the faculty, allowing them to check their own English proficiency.
In the first semester of the second year before studying abroad, students take the compulsory "Academic English (Applied Skills)" class four times a week (90 minutes each) to improve their academic skills, such as discussion skills, report writing ability, and English reading comprehension, so that they will be able to handle the English classes at their host university.
After studying abroad, students who wish to further improve their English skills in preparation for further study or employment can take workshops available from the second year onwards to strengthen their specialized English skills.
Thorough preparation for English qualification tests
Students aim to obtain the English qualification score required for undergraduate study abroad during the first semester of their first year. For students who are anxious about the test, we also offer preparatory courses as extracurricular classes, which many students take.
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IELTS
This is one of the English qualification tests used to determine the English proficiency required for studying or relocating abroad. The test is administered to all undergraduate students in the first semester of their first year, with the aim of obtaining the score required for undergraduate study abroad in the second semester of their second year.
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TOEIC®
This is a globally standardized test that broadly evaluates English communication skills. All students in this undergraduate program are tested upon enrollment and at the end of their first and third years to check their progress in English proficiency. The goal is to improve students' TOEIC® score by 100 points within one year of enrollment.
COURSE MODEL
With "symbiosis" as the keyword, we will introduce a course model for four specialized fields: collaboration, economics and business, media and spatial information, and sociology.
*The course model introduced here is just an example.
Collaboration Area
By understanding the state of economic and social development in each country, the diversity of cultures and societies, and the relationships between not only nations but also various other actors, students will explore the possibilities of international cooperation and ways of working together with people around the world, including how to tackle global issues such as widening disparities, global environmental issues, and conflict and refugee issues, and how to realize a society in which people of different backgrounds can coexist and live together on Earth.
Economics and business
Students will learn about the mechanisms of various economic phenomena, the principles and solutions to various economic problems, and the behavioral principles and realities of companies. We aim to develop businesspeople who can contribute to companies and society by working with people from diverse backgrounds in a work environment that utilizes each other's individuality, abilities, and experience.
Media/Spatial Information Area
<<Media>> Students will learn about the role that media has played historically and today, and will acquire media literacy to become responsible media professionals by understanding media ethics and intellectual property. Students will also gain hands-on experience learning about the process of news generation, as well as methods of reporting, interviewing, and news writing, and will develop the ability to communicate and disseminate information.
Spatial information - information on where events are occurring, such as where disasters are occurring, where illegal deforestation is taking place, where refugees are moving from, etc. - is essential information for solving global problems and for social scientific analysis. In the field of spatial information, students learn how to systematically acquire, manage, analyze, and communicate spatial information. This is a fundamental method that can be used in other fields as well.
Sociology
We will shed light on society from various perspectives, such as politics, religion, education, family, and culture, and consider why and how society is formed. We will also learn basic theories and empirical research methods for understanding society and different cultures, and acquire the ability to grasp and analyze the various issues and prospects of the modern world from multiple perspectives and multiple angles.
SUBJECTFeatures of major subjects
What kind of classes are offered at School of Global Studies and Collaboration? We will introduce a total of 24 courses from each field. (These courses are for students enrolled in 2019.)
Collaboration Area
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Introduction to International Cooperation
Today, international organizations, governments, and NGOs/NPOs are engaged in international cooperation for various purposes, such as development cooperation and cooperation for peace. Why is such international cooperation necessary? In this class, we will learn about the overall picture of international cooperation, as well as future challenges and possibilities, while referring to various case studies.
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Social and Human Development
Development is not just about economic prosperity. What kind of development should we pursue to address issues such as poverty, inequality, social division, and aid dependency? In this class, we will consider the unique characteristics of regions and ethnic groups, people's autonomy, and collaboration between governments and communities, focusing on areas related to the quality of life such as education and health.
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Southeast Asian Community Studies
Southeast Asia has been undergoing drastic changes in recent years due to economic development and the progress of globalization. In this class, we will look at the urban spaces of each country, which are at the center of change in Southeast Asia, from the perspectives of "globalization" and "consumer society."
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Conflict, Refugees, and Peacebuilding
Conflicts continue to occur all over the world. Why do conflicts occur? How can they be resolved? In this class, we will not only learn the theory and history of international conflict studies, but also analyze the causes of conflicts, the process of conflict resolution, and the current state of peacebuilding, and discuss the challenges and possibilities.
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Multicultural Coexistence
To realize "coexistence," it is necessary to understand different cultures and values. In this class, we will look at different cultures from multiple perspectives, such as philosophy, history, and folklore, and study examples of "multicultural coexistence" both in Japan and overseas to pursue paths to coexistence and co-creation.
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Sports and Community
What role does "sports" play in building relationships between people? In this class, we will conduct empirical research citing cases from Japan and abroad. With an internationally active athlete as our lecturer, we will learn the role that "sports" should play based on his experience.
Economics and business
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International Economics
International economics deals with the economy not being confined to one country, but as a set of interrelationships between multiple countries. This class will focus on theoretical aspects such as the theory of the Mundell-Fleming model, which explains the determination of national income in a multi-country model, and international finance, which explains the determination of exchange rates.
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International Finance
In this course, you will learn about the mechanisms and basic theories of finance that can be used in global business and international trade. In particular, you will learn about the mechanisms of exchange rates, which are essential for business overseas, and the relationship between trade transactions of various industrial products, agricultural products, and services and money (finance).
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International Business Strategy
What is needed to succeed in business overseas? In this course, we will discuss the overseas business strategies of multinational corporations, and learn about market factors (such as market demand) and non-market factors (systems and culture) of international business strategies using examples from Japan and overseas.
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Tourism Management
The international tourism industry is an important export industry for any country. In this class, we will study how to manage tourism-related elements such as "tourist destinations," "tourist information," "transportation," and "tourists" to revitalize the region, and learn about the benefits and current status of tourism.
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Management Organization Theory
Organizational theory is one of the core subjects in business administration. In this class, students will learn about the characteristics and problems of real-life organizational management through understanding human behavior within organizations, the principles and mechanisms of collaboration, and organizational management, while also relating it to strategic theory.
Media/Spatial Information Area
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Introduction to Information Impact Theory
The emergence of information and the various media that transmit it has had a major impact on society. In this class, we will trace the history of media such as newspapers, photographs, music, radio, and television, and learn the theories of how our predecessors thought about the relationship between information, media, and society.
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Media Law and Ethics
This class is roughly divided into two parts. In the first part, students will learn about media-related laws such as freedom of expression, defamation, privacy rights, publicity rights, the Freedom of Information Act, and copyright. In the second part, students will discuss and consider media ethics such as life or news (for example, "Should news helicopters help disaster victims?") and reporting real names.
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Interview practice
In this class, you will first learn the basics and theory of interviews. You will then experience both sides of the interview process, both as the person conducting the interview and the person being interviewed, and gain practical experience. You will also learn the English and gestures necessary to obtain information across cultures through interviews.
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Introduction to Spatial Information Systems I
Do you know what a Geographic Information System (GIS) is? It is a technology that manages and processes data that contains geographical locations and information about those locations, and enables advanced analysis. In this class, you will understand the concept and overall picture of GIS and practice map making.
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Introduction to spatial information systems Ⅱ
You will learn how to utilize spatial information that can be used worldwide. You will learn how to exchange location information between countries with different address systems, how to deal with areas where map information is not available, and other spatial information communication techniques that can be used overseas where there are many restrictions.
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Spatial information expression technology
In this class, you will learn techniques for visualizing acquired spatial information using a geographic information system called GIS. You will learn a wide range of fascinating spatial expression techniques, including how to combine several pieces of spatial information and how to add further value to a single piece of data.
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Spatial Analysis
In this class, you will learn how to analyze "where" and "what" happened on Earth. The ability to perform statistical analysis is a skill that can be used in various social sciences. The class will begin with an introduction to the basic concepts of spatial statistics, and then you will learn basic statistical methods.
Sociology
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Introduction to Sociology
Sociology is an academic field that seeks to elucidate the reality of social phenomena and why they occur. Here, you will learn how to collect and analyze social facts, develop an eye for looking at society, and learn how to apply this knowledge to grasp specific social phenomena while also analyzing the realities of Japanese society, such as family issues.
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Sociology of Globalization
Globalization is the movement of people, goods, money, and information overcoming national and regional boundaries. This class will introduce recent trends in globalization research, trace the ongoing political, economic, social, and cultural transformations, and examine the various issues that arise.
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Sociology of politics
When we think of politics, we may think of elections, the Diet, and government activities. However, in fact, power and control, dialogue and cooperation are always occurring in families, schools, and companies. In this class, we will learn theoretical perspectives for interpreting such "politics in society."
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Sociology of Coexistence
As globalization progresses and international mobility increases, there is a need to build a society based on diversity. In this class, we will introduce research trends, case studies, and various issues in education, and explore the possibilities of building a society based on coexistence.
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Sociology of Culture
The concept of "culture" and how it is perceived have changed over time. In this class, we will trace the changes in the subjects and methods of studying culture in relation to historical, political, and social changes, and we will take up several specific topics and learn how to analyze them from multiple perspectives.
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Contemporary Social Theory
As we enter the 21st century, nationalism and other trends that aim for multipolarity are on the rise around the world. In this situation, we must reconsider how to create a society in which different cultures can coexist. In this class, we will learn about the various trends in social thought, look at the problems that modern society faces, and explore ways to solve them.
ACADEMIC CATALOG Course Guide (Subject List)