Undergraduate and Graduate Education

Undergraduate education (Department of Asian Cultures, Faculty of Foreign Studies)

At our university, as an Asian research base for the Society of Jesus, multiple organizations are formed for the purpose of promoting Asian studies. Just as IAAMES is responsible for research, the Department of Asian Cultures is responsible for undergraduate education.

The Department of Asian Cultures comprises nine professors on the Faculty of Foreign Studies that also serve as Institute Fellows of IAAMES. Together with other professors and a number of part-time lecturers, the department offers a wide variety of courses which are also taught to students in the Faculty of Foreign Studies as well as other students throughout the university.

Students can learn about Asia at various levels based on their interest, with 11 general education classes for first year students, over 50 Area Studies courses (Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and cross-regional studies) for second year and above students, and nine seminar courses for third year and above students. Students are encouraged to submit a graduation thesis or graduation research to the Department of Asian Cultures. In addition, nine Asian language courses are offered as part of the foreign language curriculum.

For students of that systematically complete courses offered by the Department of Asian Cultures, fulfill certain conditions, and submit a graduation thesis or graduation research, a Certificate confirming completion of Asian Cultures Studies Course is issued.

The cutting-edge research conducted by IAAMES is constantly being incorporated into the undergraduate education of the Department of Asian Cultures, and many of those who have taken the initiative to learn Asian studies through this program have gone on to be active as researchers or highly-specialized professionals. These alumni active in various fields serve as an important force in the further expansion of the university's Asian research and education.

Graduate education (Program in Area Studies, Graduate School of Global Studies)

All of the Institute Fellows of IAAMES serve as professors of the Graduate Program in Area Studies. The areas covered by the Program include Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe (esp. France and Spain). Institute Fellows offer classes dealing with the regions of Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa.

The aim of the Program is to develop capabilities of students to actively involve themselves in scholarly pursuit and other activities in the society as researchers, educators, public intellectuals and informed citizens equipped with comprehensive knowledge of a particular geographical area and its people as well as an integrated understanding of global issues. Students are led to individually conduct at their own initiative in-depth research on particular issues, such as history, culture, politics, economics and religion in the area they choose to specialize in, while at the same time, placing these individual issues in a broader and more general context and considering them in a global context.