Message from the President
The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), a policy-focused research and higher education institution in Tokyo, provides graduate-level programs in fields that address critical policy issues. We have over 400 students from diverse professional backgrounds, including government, media, international organizations, and business. In this thoroughly international environment, two-thirds of our students come from overseas. These young leaders from over 50 countries study together and build global human networks. We are proud of our more than 6,000 alumni from over 120 countries, who, in their work, are applying the knowledge and experience they acquired at GRIPS to contribute to peace and prosperity around the world.
GRIPS offers a full range of graduate programs: one- and two-year master’s degree programs in public policy, economic policy, security and foreign policy, science and technology innovation, and disaster management; and three-year Ph.D. programs and five-year combined master’s and Ph.D. programs in the fields of international development, public policy, public economics, international relations, science and technology innovation, and disaster management.
GRIPS faculty members bring a wide range of expertise, spanning fields such as economics, public administration, international relations, politics, and civil engineering. Many also possess extensive professional experience in national and local governments, as well as in international organizations; this empowers our students to conduct in-depth interdisciplinary research on issues of both scholarly and real-world significance.
In addition to its degree programs, GRIPS offers a variety of practical, short-term education and training programs designed for emerging policy leaders and professionals. These programs are tailored to meet the specific interests and needs of each client and typically include guided study tours.
In recent years, the importance of data-driven policymaking has been increasingly recognized worldwide. To promote evidence-based policy research, GRIPS established its Center for Data Science in 2022. The Center provides an environment where students can acquire a broad range of skills—from programming to applied analysis—using statistical and machine learning methods. Each student who completes all required coursework in data science receives a certificate in Data Science for Policy Research.
Government agencies are no longer the sole actors addressing complex social challenges such as response to global environmental change and optimum development of social infrastructure. Today, private companies are also playing increasingly vital roles. In that light, GRIPS aims to become a hub for collaboration among academia, industry, and government for efforts to meet these urgent issues. To support this mission, in 2024 GRIPS launched a new course focusing on case studies of Japanese private companies tackling social challenges abroad. Through group discussions, students explore and develop innovative policy approaches to meeting those challenges.
Today’s world faces unprecedented challenges in a wide variety of areas—from rapid digitalization to environmental sustainability, from rising geopolitical risks to fragmentation of the global economy. As Japan’s leading institute for policy studies and education, GRIPS remains committed to working collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders to tackle the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.
Hiroko Ota
President
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
