Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program

Education

Program in brief

This program equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to effectively handle a wide rage of maritime challenges.

Program Director: Associate Professor Matthew Brummer
Degree Offered: Master of Policy Studies
Language of Instruction: English
Time Schedule:
- Program duration…1 year
- Enrollment…October
- Graduation…September
Financial Support
- Applicants who belong to a maritime safety and security related organization in eligible countries can apply for financial support from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency).

ow to Apply

For applicants from countries eligible for JICA scholarship, please apply as a participant of JICA's Knowledge Co-Creation Program.
JICA office: Click here (JICA offices in Asia)
JICA Chugoku Center: (mail to) cicttp@jica.go.jp

Fo externally funded or self-financed international applicants:
MSP brochure Click here
Online Application Click here

The Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program (MSP) is a collaborative program designed and administered jointly by GRIPS and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). The program makes it possible for students to benefit from the resources of both institutions in the fields of public policy, security studies, maritime safety, and maritime security. The students will have the opportunity to acquire professional knowledge, analytical skills, and communication skills relevant to their work while becoming members of a network of future coast guard leaders from around the world.

Students study in Tokyo at GRIPS during the first half of the academic year and in Kure, Hiroshima at the Japan Coast Guard Academy (JCGA) during the second half.

Study at GRIPS
Students take required and elective courses at GRIPS from October through March. Required courses include International Relations, International Security Studies, International Law, International Relations in East Asia, and International Law of the Sea. The diverse elective courses enable students to deepen their knowledge in theie individual fields of interest. Students will develop analytical skills necessary to conduct robust study of a wide range of maritime policy issues.

Study at the JCGA
From April through July, the students will take courses and participate in practical training and educational programs at the JCGA. The required courses are Policy for Search and Rescue, Salvage and Maritime Disaster Prevention, and Maritime Police Policy. Students can further enhance their ability to effectively execute their duties as coast guard leaders through the study of a wide range of elective subjects designed to further develop knowledge of technology, investigations, and best practices for maritime law enforcement agencies.

Research Paper
During the course of one year, students write a research paper on issues relevant to the study of maritime safety and security. In order to do so, the student will work together with two academic advisors—one from each GRIPS and the JCGA—to complete the paper before graduation.

Target Group

Junior coast guard officers from Japan and overseas who have more than 3 years of work experience and who are under 46 years of age as of October 1, 2026.

Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program Curriculum 2025/2026

(as of October 2025)

CATEGORY	COURSE NAME	INSTRUCTOR
I REQUIRED COURSES	Independent Study	Various
	International Relations in East Asia	Takagi
	International Relations	Iwama
	International Security Studies	Michishita
	Maritime Police Policy	Okuzono
	International Law	Shimoyama, Iwatani
	International Law of the Sea	Furuya
	Case Study on Maritime Safety and Security Policy I	Furuya
	Case Study on Maritime Safety and Security PolicyⅡ	Furuya
II RECOMMENDED COURSES	Essential Microeconomics	Kurosawa
	Essential Macroeconomics	Yokoyama
	Economic Development of Southeast Asia	Kudo
	Government and Market	Okamoto
	Development Economics	Kijima
	East Asian Economies	Kudo
	The Making of Modern Japan	Pressello
	Government and Politics in Japan	Masuyama
	International Political Economy	Chey
	Comparative Politics	Takenaka
	State and Politics in Southeast Asia	Lim
	Non-Traditional Security	Cross
	Analysis of Great Power Politics	Iwama, et al.
	Comparative Political Economy	TBA
	International Development Policy	Ohno
	The World and the SDGs	Kudo
	Introduction to Quantitative Methods	Morohosi
	Introduction to Oceanography	Horiuchi
	Marine Environment and Pollution	Kawamura
	International Comparative Criminal Law	Shintani
	Contemporary Japanese Maritime Gray Zone Securiy Policy	Furuya
	Safety Management Systems I	TBA
	Safety Management Systems Ⅱ	Yamada
	Policy for Search & Rescue, Salvage and Maritime Disaster Prevention	Yamaji
	Ship Maneuverability and Practical Operation	TBA
	Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Engineering	Kanki
	Information Management System I	Yamanaka
	Information Management System Ⅱ	Isozaki
III ELECTIVE COURSES	Selected Topics in Policy Studies I -IV
III ELECTIVE COURSES	Courses not listed in this table
X OTHERS	Describing Tables and Figures	TBA
	Thesis Writing for MSP	O'Neill
	Qualitative Writing	TBA
	Introduction to Academic Research	Petchko
	Introduction to Academic Writing	O'Neill
	Other courses offered by the Center for Professional Communication

Career Destinations

Graduates of MSP Program are expected to take core positions in their coast guard agencies. While executing their duties, they also have an opportunity to disseminate the knowledge they have gained from GRIPS and the JCGA to their agencies and beyond. In addition, graduates are in a unique position to play a central role in their organizations’ international negotiations by drawing on the human networks cultivated in the program.

MSP Alumni and Currrent students list

AY2015 1st batch		Ahmad Fathoni DGST (Directorat General of Sea Transportation)
		Ahmad Kamil bin Abdul Halim MMEA (Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency)
		Budhi Asti BAKAMLA (Indonesia Coast Guard)
		Bui The Duong VCG (Vietnam Coast Guard)
		Do Van Minh VCG (Vietnam Coast Guard)
		Glen Barsanas Daraug PCG (Philippine Coast Guard)
		Jay Tristan Tarriela PCG (Philippine Coast Guard)
		Mohamad Shukri bin Khotob MMEA (Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency)
		小野寺　寛晃 / Hiroaki Onodera 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard
		米沢　夏希 / Natsuki Yonezawa 外務省 / MOFA (Ministry of Forein Affairs)

AY2016 2nd batch		Chandra Kresna Riyanto National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia (BASARNAS)
		Hizam bin Zulkifli Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/ Malaysian Coast Guard
		Jaybom Japay Calica Philippine Coast Guard
		Lejanie Tampoc Dy Philippine Coast Guard
		Radzil Allexender bin Raphael Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
		半沢　優 / Yu Hanzawa 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard

AY2017 3rd batch		Abd Hafis bin Hussin Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)
		Adzizul Bin Latip Abu Bakar Maritime Base (Middle Rock)
		Tony Rajinda Daniel Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG)
		Eleizer Gonzales Ibarrientos Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
		Mohd Noor Haidzir bin Mohd Fauzi Marine Department Malaysia
		梶屋　優一 / Yuichi Kajiya 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard
		野原　昌子 / Masako Nohara 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard

AY2018 4th batch		Buddhika Ajith Godakanda Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG)
		Dhanapandian Manoharan Indian Coast Guard
		Hernandez Rodel Bocalan Philippine Coast Guard
		Mahantha Mulla Gamage Uditha Roshan Gamage Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG)
		Mohd Nizam Bin Mohd Yasin Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)
		Muhamad Izuar Bin Zainudin Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)
		Tran Nam Phuong Vietnam Coast Guard
		奥村　太 / Futoshi Okumura 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard
		赤木　貴法 / Takanori Akagi 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard

AY2019 5th batch		Panupong Jamruenvong Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center Jamruenvong
		Jude Greanata Dollesin Philippine Coast Guard
		Mohd Nashrul Bin Nashahar Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
		Niranjan Pratap Singh Indian Coast Guard
		Senevirathna Asanka Prathap Sri Lanka Coast Guard
		Mudiyanselage Wijitha Mahanama Sri Lanka Coast Guard
		佐々木　慧 / Kei Sasaki 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard
		坂上　悠 / Yu Sakaue 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard

AY2020 6th batch		Rangana Athukorala Sri Lanka Coast Guard
		Noemie Guirao-Cayabyab Philippine Coast Guard
		Kalukapuge Chinthaka Kumara Kalukapuge Sri Lanka Coast Guard
		Perez Jeremiah Marquez Maritime Industry Authority
		Poolperm, LT. Worawit The Royal Thai Naval Special Warfare Command / Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center
		安藤　美緒 / Mio Ando 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard
		髙城　陽平 / Yohei Taki 海上保安庁 / Japan Coast Guard