GRIPS conducted the Thai Public Administration and Leadership Training Program (PMLTP) between May 18 and May 29, 2015. The program has been a yearly event since 2007, originally in response to a request by Thailand’s Office of the Civil Service Commission. Now in this, the ninth year of the program, GRIPS welcomed 14 promising government officials selected by the Thai government and one officer from OCSC acting as an observer.

During the program, participants attended lectures given by Professor Masahiro Horie (PMLTP Program Director, GRIPS Senior Professor and Director of Executive Development Center for Global Leadership) as well as lectures given by GRIPS faculty members including Prof. Yonosuke Hara (Academic Fellow), Prof. Mikitaka Masuyama (Vice president), Prof. Hiroshi Ikawa, Prof. Hiroko Ota（Former Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy）, Prof. Shigeru Morichi (Academic Fellow), Prof. Junya Hoshida (Special Assignment) and Prof. Hiroshi Nagano (Former Professor of GRIPS). In addition, lectures and seminars were given by Prof. Hideaki Tanaka (Graduate School of Governance Studies, Meiji University), Mr. Kyosuke Tsuji (Deputy Director to the Counselor, Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs), Mr. Youichi Sugimoto (Executive Officer of SECOM Co., Ltd.), and Mr. Masaki Nishimura (Former President of Board of Audit).

The participants learned about a wide range of subjects including introduction to Japanese government and public administration, administrative reform, enhancing public trust and governance through innovative administration, future of East Asia and roles of government, Japan’s electoral system and party politics, Japanese politics: current State and challenge, local government and decentralization in Japan, Japanese economy and economic and fiscal policies, urban transport policy, science and technology policy in Japan, declining birth rate and aging population, and social security policies, public expenditure management, national public service system and personnel management in Japan, ideal for leaders, and characteristics of Japanese public administration and qualities needed by senior civil servants.

Two leadership workshop sessions at GRIPS brought young executives from the public and private sectors together with GRIPS students for an exchange of ideas and network building. Prof. Horie, Prof. Yokomichi and Prof. Takada acted as moderators.

In Tokyo, the participants visited METI (the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and MOE (the Ministry of the Environment). At METI, they received briefings related to economic growth strategy and financial policy for SMEs in Japan, and engaged in an exchange of views. Special lectures at MOE addressed water environment administration and measures for preventing global warming in Japan.

On a field trip to Nara Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture and Kyoto City, the PMLTP participants paid courtesy calls and received briefings on tourism and environmental policies in Nara and Kyoto. They also visited Shimazu Corporation, a cutting-edge company in Kyoto.

Participants completed the training program by writing and presenting concept papers on “Leadership in Decentralization,” “Effective Leadership for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Thailand,” and “Energy Crisis: Energy Consumption Reduction.”