The International University of Japan (IUJ) was founded in 1982 as the first English-medium graduate school in Japan with extensive support from industrial, financial and educational communities such as the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, as well as from the local communities of Minami-Uonuma region and Niigata. IUJ’s mission is to develop future leaders in the globalized world, and for this purpose, it was initiated as the first English-medium graduate school in Japan. IUJ has accepted around 4,400 students from 129 countries and has successfully established its long-standing reputation as a unique educational and research institution known as “mini United Nations.”

The uniqueness of IUJ comes from its campus environment. On our campus, about 340 students from about 60 countries and faculty members live together in dormitories, which enable students and faculty members to create close connections and interact with each other day and night. This learning environment is truly a unique and global intellectual community, unsurpassed in the world.

IUJ consists of two graduate schools:
Graduate Schools of International Relations (GSIR) and International Management (GSIM). GSIR, established in 1982, currently offers two-year master’s programs in International Development Program (IDP), Public Management and Policy Analysis Program (PMPP), and International Relations Program (IRP). GSIM, established in 1988 as the first US-style business school in Japan, offers a two-year or one-year master’s program in Business Administration (MBA) JDS Fellows will enroll in the 2 year MBA program.

Students and Learning Environment:
IUJ campus is multinational. In any given year, about 50 overseas countries are represented within the student population. Students can learn how to work with different cultural, historical and social backgrounds in ways that are not easily possible anywhere else. One of the strengths of IUJ is that overseas students live together on campus and study with Japanese students who can introduce them to various sides of Japanese society and culture. Many of IUJ’s overseas students, not limited to JDS scholarship students, are from such entities as government ministries, government agencies, and central banks.

IUJ’s strategic location in the serene heartland of rural Japan provides a unique learning place for young men and women from all parts of the world to gather and to learn from each other and from highly qualified international faculty. Although the International University of Japan is in a small countryside city with a population of approximately 60, 000, the shinkansen (bullet train) provides very easy access to Tokyo, the journey taking approximately 90 minutes.

As of September 2018, the number of IUJ alumni has reached 4,1360, representing 129 countries including 114 from Bangladesh, 12 Bhutan, 1 Brunei, 86 Cambodia, 210 China, 2 East Timor, 166 India, 561 Indonesia, 31 Korea, 11 Kazakhstan, 60 Kyrgyz Republic, 80 Lao P.D.R., 77 Malaysia, 94 Mongolia, 202 Myanmar, 45 Nepal, 19 Oceanian Countries, 157 Philippines, 70 Sri Lanka, 20 Tajikistan, 179 Thailand, 101 Uzbekistan, 166 Vietnam and 265 from 36 African countries.

Now our graduates are all over the world and moving up professional ladders to hold higher positions which enable them to better utilize their expertise. IUJ also has a well-maintained online alumni database, and local alumni chapters regularly organize various events, some on the same day all over the world.

MBA Program of the Graduate School of International Management (GSIM) of the International University of Japan (IUJ) aims to train tomorrow’s leaders who can effectively work in global environments. Especially for foreign students, our program teaches how to tap into global resources to develop their countries by using various strategies in finance, marketing, technology, and management. GSIM has been offering MBA Program over three decades for both individuals and government officials. The cross-registration scheme for courses allows students to customize their study to meet one’s specific needs. The fact is that GSIM can attract 30% of the MBA class from government sectors in countries such as Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Kyrgyz, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Asian countries is testimony for the appeal of GSIM to government sectors.

Our program offers high quality management education based on rigorous theoretical foundation and knowledge from recent research. In the first year of the MBA curriculum, all the students learn the fundamental skills necessary to be leaders who can be effective as well as socially responsible. In the second year students selects the courses under the supervision of a faculty mentor. During second year of study at GSIM, students work closely with the research supervisor, conduct necessary field research etc., and complete their thesis. As necessary, GSIM also appoints a co-supervisor, normally an expert from outside the regular faculty to strengthen the research experience.

From February 20, 2018, the Graduate School of International Management (GSIM), IUJ has proudly obtained accreditation from *AACSB International, the world’s leading authority on quality assurance of business schools. IUJ has become one of the four AACSB accredited universities in Japan up to date, and the first accredited English-medium university in Japan, offering graduate degree programs.

MBA Program of the Graduate School of International Management of the International University of Japan aim to train true global leaders. We have successfully trained many students from Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Kyrgyz and several other countries through the JDS project and other programs. Many of them are now holding important positions in various governmental organizations as well as in private sectors, such as Central Banks, government banks, various government ministries, state enterprises, stock exchanges and other government and non-government organizations. Our extensive experience in training such students from foreign governments is our strength, and they form an important part of study environment. Our program has a global as well as emerging Asia focus. It is designed to provide students with the functional knowledge and fundamental skills necessary to be effective and socially responsible leaders.

GSIM is pleased to have students sponsored under JDS project from Vietnam. Currently it has JDS Fellows coming from several countries. Some JDS Fellows are relatively weak in quantitative analysis, which is an important component of the key courses in our program such as Finance, Accounting, and Statistics. This may be due to the difference in the education systems of the home countries. Faculty members always pay due attention to those in special need for quantitative and analytical skills from the basics. Tutorial or follow-up sessions are conducted as needed.

In addition, when JDS Fellows enter the program, one GSIM faculty member is assigned to each JDS Fellows as academic mentor. In this approach, each JDS Fellows can consult with their faculty member from the beginning about the academic issues such as courses to take and research topics to work on as well as social issues that they may face during their stay in Japan

To well prepare JDS Fellows for their advance study in Japan, GSIM also offers pre-enrollment program in Japan before the first academic term starts. It also offers various field trip opportunities in Japan as well as various special lectures and seminars conducted by specialists from academics, government and corporations.

The core values of the MBA program include:

• (1) Acquire knowledge about banking and corporate finance required to establish financial and economic policies.
• (2) Learn the theoretical bases of management strategy and organizational behavior in order to develop industrial policies related to finance and investment.
• (3) Acquire practical problem solving skills in management strategy including investment strategies for firms, including small and medium enterprises (SME).
• (4) Acquire knowledge about management strategy, marketing, and finance in order to realize corporate value maximization, which is important after implementing a market economy structure.
• (5) Writing a thesis on a topic relevant to practical aspects of policy making.

GSIM student body consists of about 20-30% Japanese corporate sponsored students; they come from renowned Japanese companies involved in doing business in Asia, especially ASEAN. This offers a unique opportunity for JDS scholars to interact and network with Japanese corporations that would become useful to attract Japanese investments to their country.

In the first year, JDS Fellows will mainly take the core courses to acquire basic knowledge needed for government officials without biasing to the specific field and train themselves to have an overall view. From the third term on, students choose a specializationarea from the 4 areas including Finance, Marketing, Management, IT/Operations Management suitable for their future careers and for solving the problems the country is facing. Students can take related courses as well as the Advanced Seminar to write the thesis before graduation.

GSIM students must register for an Advanced Seminar to complete the requirements for the degree during the first term in the second year (MBA program). The Advanced Seminar are designed for guiding students to develop and complete the graduation theses. Students will also have their supervisor by the end of third term in the first year (MBA program) based on their research interest.

The Advanced Seminar is conducted on a tutorial basis by the chosen supervisor and the graduation thesis is individually written by the student in consultation with the supervisor. The student will works closely with the supervisor, conduct necessary field research etc., and complete the thesis. GSIM’s students and faculty are from diverse background, which provide an immersive, multicultural, multi-ethnic environment. Their academic and professional background is diversified as well. These opportunities and environment make students to practice competencies in problem solving and develop leadership skills that are required for global leaders.

Table 1: Course list for MBA Program

Credit Requirement for Graduation: 40 credits
Refer to Table 2 for Credit requirements for each course category

Table 2: Credit requirements in each course category

Table 3: Language Courses

Table 4: GSIR Courses

At the time of enrollment, a faculty consultant will be assigned to each JDS fellow to help with studies and research until the end of the second term when the fellows find their own supervisors. An academic supervisor will be determined based on students’ thesis topic. The supervisors give participants appropriate guidance in selecting courses useful for their research and writing a master’s thesis. The thesis writing gives the participants a crucial opportunity to learn how to discuss and analyze their research topic in depth by integrating the concepts and methods that have been acquired during the entire two-year program as well as the knowledge that had been developed in their previous professional careers. All professors at IUJ are all capable of supervising students in English and following faculty members are capable of supervising JDS Fellows.
Information on the faculty members: https://www.iuj.ac.jp/gsim/im-faculty/

All faculty members marked with ◎ listed below can supervise the JDS Fellows and faculty members marked with ○ can co-supervise with another full-time faculty member.

All facilities at IUJ, including student’s dormitories, faculty’s housing, classrooms, computer rooms, library, gym, cafeteria, school shop etc., are within 5-minute walk. As the official language is English at IUJ, all administrative offices including Admissions, Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Student Services, Accounting, Library, are staffed with English speaking staff.

Computer Rooms (Open 24 hours):
Two computer rooms, offering PCs with Windows operating systems in English, are available.

Library (Open 8:30 AM – 24:00):
Matsushita Library and Information Center (MLIC) was built in 1988 with donations from “the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.”(“the present day Panasonic”). The library holds about 100,000 books (80% Non-Japanese), about 34,500 titles of full text electronic journals, and a variety of databases to check world-class financial and macro data for various countries, which enable students to access real time information on business and market movements.

Study Rooms (Open 24 hours):
A wireless LAN is available, so students can connect their PCs to the campus LAN from anywhere in computer rooms, Library and Study Rooms.

Student Dormitories:
There are three single student dormitories (SD1, SD2 and SD3 with communal kitchens) and one married student dormitory (MSA). Each single room is furnished and has a private Western-style bathroom and the internet through WiFi or cable access for connecting to the campus LAN. The dormitories also boast computer lounges, numerous meeting rooms, group kitchens and washing machines, TV lounges with satellite broadcasts, a billiards room, a tatami room, a prayer room, and storage facilities. At least one English-speaking dorm staff is stationed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week including weekends and national holidays.

The Campus Cafeteria (Shokudo):
Lunch and dinner are provided. Meats served are halal.

School Shop:
A limited range of groceries, snacks, drinks and a selection of stationary goods are sold here. Services available through the school shop are; dry-cleaning, postal services and parcel delivery service.

Gymnasium and Sports Facilities:
A full-sized gymnasium and a work-out room are very popular places. Students gather nightly in the gym for that evenings’ sport or work out on the universal gym. Outdoors, IUJ has 4 tennis courts, two of which are lit for night-time tennis.

Counseling Room
Counseling services in English are available on campus. A well-experienced counselor with an international background is stationed to support your campus life with private and confidential consultation on a wide-range of issues including stress managements, anxiety, personal issues, interpersonal issues, etc.

From University:

The Graduate School of International Management (GSIM) of IUJ was established in 1988 in collaboration with the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, USA, becoming the first U.S. style business school in Japan.

We have one of the strongest faculties in the field of Business in Japan. Since the establishment, our faculty has drawn on their passion for teaching based on their research and professional experiences. We are committed to provide education and research programs that reflect the realities of the marketplace. Case studies used in classroom, which include cases from emerging countries as well, replicate actual business situations. Students work together to learn how to make most suitable or strategically best decisions under typical management conditions, including lack of complete information, and complex tradeoff situations.

IUJ currently has 23 students from Vietnam. GSIM has successfully trained many students from Vietnam and several other countries from where JDS sponsors students to study in Japan. Especially for Vietnam, many GSIM-IUJ graduates are now holding important positions in various organizations such as Ministry of Trade and Industry, various banks and private sectors. As a world-ranked business school, GSIM-IUJ is uniquely qualified to train JDS Fellows from Vietnam who are intended in managing state enterprises and creating suitable policies for them to create new opportunities for young Vietnam students by learning market economy strategies that GSIM-IUJ would teach in the MBA program.

Our faculty members always pay attentions to students who are in the special needs to obtain quantitative and analytical skills from the basics. Tutorial or follow-up sessions are conducted as needed. Upon arrival before the regular classes start, GSIM provide orientation courses, which cover basic mathematics, statistics, economics data modeling, case method teaching, etc.
GSIM have dedicated committee to oversee JDS Fellows’ needs and organize field trips, special guest lectures and several engagement activities.

*AACSB

Founded in 1916 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools, connecting educators, students, and businesses to create the next generation of great leaders. AACSB International is the world’s largest business education alliance.

AACSB accreditation is widely regarded as the highest level of accreditation for business schools, a “hallmark of excellence“ in business education, and synonymous with the highest standards of quality. AACSB Accreditation has been earned by less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools.
To learn more about AACSB, please visit www.aacsb.edu

From JDS Alumni/Fellow:

Ms. Doan Minh Tram, JDS 2017-2019, State Securities Commission of Vietnam, Ministry of Finance

On a trip to Kyoto

“Being a JDS fellow gave me the great opportunity to study MBA at the International University of Japan (IUJ), which is by far one of the most valuable experience I ever had in my life. With international students from more than 60 countries, IUJ has become a place where the world gathers inside Japan. Having the chance to enjoy different cultures in IUJ as well as Japanese culture actually broadened my mind. Moreover, the MBA program in IUJ also provides practical knowledge in different fields through typical case studies from all over the world, which helped to enrich my knowledge and shape my way of thinking. I believe that this scholarship is a good preparation for me and my career in the future.”