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Global Studies Program (GS Major)

Global Studies Program

Think critically about today’s interconnected world. Reach out to others.

At the core of Global Studies is the perspective of interpreting "connections." In recent years, with major reports on events such as war, pandemics, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, and climate change, some may feel anxious that the lives of distant people and our daily lives are more closely connected than we imagine. At the same time, such events have clearly demonstrated how important accurate communication and collaboration are across language and cultural differences. Responding to these crises is not just a problem for specific countries or regions, but a shared responsibility. Even in an era said to be slowing economic globalization, the world remains deeply interconnected through networks of people, goods, and ideas.
The phenomenon of social movements spreading across borders in a short period shows that common issues can resonate across different societies and cultures. Issues such as class, race, gender, sexuality, environmental security, and social justice mobilize people on a global scale and shape new solidarities and identities that transcend national boundaries. Furthermore, writers and artists have always been deeply involved in these movements as beings who reconsider old hierarchies and values that have been taken for granted and generate the power to change society.
The challenges brought by globalization are not the responsibility of politicians and diplomats alone. Policy is also shaped by individual creativity and commitment, and change is realized when people connect with one another, recognize their responsibilities as citizens of their own countries while also global citizens, and act accordingly. The GS Program provides a warm and supportive learning environment where you can explore these themes with peace of mind. We aim to steadily nurture your confidence, independence, cultural understanding, and practical communication skills so that you can take initiative in today's interconnected world.
Global Studies Program Academic Director
Paul Minford
 
 
  • Think critically about today's interconnected world. Reach out to others.

    At its heart, Global Studies is about. The news stories about wars, pandemics, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and climate change that have dominated headlines in recent years may have stoked fears about how closely our lives are linked to those of distant others. But such stories have also clarified the importance of effective communication and cooperation across language and cultural divides: addressing crises like these is a shared responsibility. Even if economic globalization has slowed, today's world remains deeply interconnected through networks of connections of people, products, and ideas. The rapid spread of social movements demonstrates how shared problems resonate across different societies and cultures; issues of class, race, gender, sexuality, environmental security, and social justice mobilise people around the world to form new allegiances and identities that reach beyond national borders. Writers and artists working in multiple media have always been intimately involved in these movements, questioning the hierarchies and orthodoxies of the past and generating pressure to transform societies. The challenges accompanying globalization are not the business sole of politicians and diplomats; policy is shaped and change effected through the creativity and commitment of individuals, connecting with each other and alive to their responsibilities as citizens not only of their nations but also of the world. In the GS program, we strive to provide a friendly and supportive space where you can explore such issues while building the self-confidence, independence, cultural knowledge and communicative skills to act effectively in today's inter-connected world.
    Academic Director of GS Program
    Paul MINFORD

Key Features of Global Studies Program

POINT 1

A diverse community of faculty and students
Our faculty members come from a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds and work with students in small classes to foster their academic curiosity. We provide a warm, supportive academic learning environment to help students gain confidence in academic learning and communicating in English.


POINT 2

Active learning and emphasis on student autonomy
The curriculum, which is centered on seminars but also incorporates practical and extracurricular learning opportunities, and the support system tailored to each individual, are designed to encourage independent academic learning and a spirit of inquiry, allowing students to take responsibility for their own academic learning and acquire the skills to achieve their future goals.


POINT 3

Capstone Project (graduation thesis, portfolio creation, advocacy campaign) to foster creativity and initiative
In the Capstone Project, students can choose from three formats that best suit their needs: a traditional academic paper, a portfolio of art, video work, essays, novels, and an advocacy campaign to solve social problems. In consultation with their supervisor and other seminar students, students will develop their creativity and autonomy through the process of completing the Capstone Project in line with their academic interests and future plans.

A diverse liberal arts curriculum to solve global issues

A flexible curriculum linked to diverse subjects enables interdisciplinary exploration of cross-border themes. Centered on specialized fields such as "History and Politics," "Language and Representation," and "Society and Culture," students deepen their learning according to their interests and develop them step by step.

Scholarships for Global Studies Program

Faculty