GRIPS had the Thai Public Administration and Leadership Training Program (PMLTP) for 12 days from May 15 to May 26, 2017. The program has been held every year in response to the request from the Office of the Civil Service Commission of the Thai Government (OCSC) since 2007. In this 11^th year of the program, GRIPS welcomed ten promising government officials selected by the Thai Government.

During the program, participants attended lectures given by Professor Masahiro Horie (PMLTP Program Director; Senior Professor; Director of Executive Development Center for Global Leadership), GRIPS faculty members including Prof. Mikitaka Masuyama (Vice President), Prof. Yonosuke Hara (Adjunct Professor), Prof. Shigeru Morichi (Academic Fellow), Prof. Hiroko Ota, Prof. Hiroshi Ikawa (Adjunct Professor), Prof. Fumihiro Kabuta, Prof. Taichi Ono, Prof. Tateo Arimoto, as well as visiting lecturers such as Mr. Sugimoto Yoichi, Executive Officer, from Secom Co., Ltd., and Mr. Tsunashige Shirotori, Director, Office for the Promotion of Specialized Training College Education, from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.  

Participants learned the wide range of subjects such as Current State and Challenges of Japanese Politics, Japanese Government and Public Administration Systems of Government, Public Administration and Civil Service, their Organizations and Operations, Policy Making, Implementation and Evaluation, and Roles of Administrators, Current State of East Asia and the Relationship  between Thailand and Japan, Urban and Transport Policies, Economy and Economic and Fiscal Policies of Japan, Local Government Administration and Finance, Decentralization and Reform of Local Government, Ideal Leadership, Agricultural Policies, Declining Birthrate and Aging, and Social Security Policies, Good Governance, Administrative Reform and Innovation, Industrial Policies, Science and  Technology and Innovation Policies, and Education System and Policy in School in Japan.

Also GRIPS organized Leadership workshop with executives of leading Japanese companies and other private organizations, young officials of the Japanese government and GRIPS students from overseas and Japan. They exchanged their views and opinions and built networks. Prof. Masahiro Horie, Prof. Hirofumi Takada and Assoc. Prof. Watanabe moderated the gatherings.

In Tokyo, participants visited METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), MOE (Ministry of the Environment) and House of Representatives, National Diet. At METI, they received briefings related to Energy Policies in Japan and Relationships between Thailand and Japan. At the MOE, they were given special lectures on Aerial Environment Policy, Waste Policy, and Climate Change Policy in Japan. At House of Representatives, National Diet they learned about the history and structure of National Diet.

The PMLTP participants also made a field trip to Nara and Kyoto accompanied by Assoc. Prof. Watanabe. They visited Nara Prefectural Office, Kyoto Prefectural Office, and Kyoto City Hall to pay courtesy calls to Vice-Governors and Vice Mayor, and received briefings on tourism and environmental policies in Nara and Kyoto. They also visited OMRON Corporation, which is one of the leading-edge companies in Kyoto.

After coming back from their field trip, each participant wrote a short paper about leadership and had a presentation. Then, Prof. Horie wrapped up the two-week program at the wrap-up session. All the participants received the certificates of completion and completed this training program.