Dear Incoming Students,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to GRIPS at the beginning of the fall term.  I am writing to assure you that GRIPS will deliver all classes as scheduled to all of our students, by means most suitable to this difficult and challenging time.

The past year was a remarkably difficult time, in which we all faced the unprecedented Covid-19 situation. Strict border controls were implemented in Japan, and while most of our international students were allowed entry, a number of them were delayed due to cancellations of international flights. Unfortunately, the emergence of new variants is making it ever more difficult to contain this pandemic, and as a result we still have some border controls in place. However, I encourage you not to worry. Even if you cannot come to Japan physically for some Covid-19 related reason, we are fully prepared to provide you with a GRIPS education regardless of your whereabouts. If you are unable to travel to Japan, we will provide on-line classes, which we have developed and refined this past year in response to the pandemic. For those who are in Japan, we will provide classroom lectures—or perhaps hybrid classes in both face to face and remote formats. No matter where you are located, we will make sure that, as promised, you will receive your GRIPS education and the extensive guidance offered by our university, just like that received by our current students and our graduates before them.

Needless to say, we hope you will be able to come to Japan as soon as the situation allows, since studying at GRIPS is not simply a matter of gaining knowledge and new skills, but also involves the benefits of interacting with colleagues from all over the world, and of getting to know about the culture of Japan through direct experience. 

The procedures required for entry to Japan remain complicated, and with that in mind we have put in place protocols to take care of you throughout the compulsory self-quarantine period. Detailed information and instructions will be sent to you to help you prepare for your journey to GRIPS; for now, please refer to the GRIPS Arrival Guide.  

All of us at GRIPS, faculty members and staff, and your fellow students currently studying here, look forward to welcoming you in person. Until then, please take care and stay safe.

Akihiko Tanaka

President

National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies