Educational/Research Objectives and Policies -  Faculty of International Relations

Policies

Diploma Policy

The Faculty of International Relations will approve the graduation and confer a bachelor’s degree in international relations to students who have followed the faculty-specified curriculum and fulfilled faculty-specified graduation requirements to ensure that students have acquired the following four qualities based on the school’s founding philosophy:

Four Qualities

  1. The ability to apply and properly understand specialized knowledge and theories about international relations to various phenomena in the present-day international community, as well as hold one’s own opinions on the subject.
  2. Appropriately acquire information regarding the various phenomena found in the present-day international community by using communication skills and information literacy, as well as analyze this information using international relations knowledge and theories, as well as logical and systematic thinking. Furthermore, in doing so, be able to identify the appropriate issues that need to be solved.
  3. The ability to bring together solutions from diverse perspectives regarding the particular issues one has identified, while cooperating with others that have different values and thinking/behavior patterns. Also, be capable of using communication skills and information literacy to share these issues and their solutions with the global community.
  4. Understanding Japanese and other countries’ traditions, histories, cultures, religions, and values, and having the ability to acquire an ethics and morality that can respect them all equally and engage in actions that fulfill one’s role in the international community.

Curriculum Policy

In order to reach the objectives outlined in the diploma policy, the department offers systematic courses of study comprised of shared subjects and specialized subjects. These subjects appropriately combine lectures, practicums, trainings, and other methods in order to provide a wide general education, as well as a foundational specialized knowledge.

1. Educational Content

The Faculty of International Relations’ shared subjects are formulated and carried out based on the university-wide policy regarding general education. They will therefore be divided into the following four categories as dictated by the university’s curriculum policy: human sciences, language, career formation support, and physical education. Instruction in these classes aims to impart a wide-ranging education fit for quality human resources that are able to be active in the international community as outlined in this faculty’s diploma policy.
In the Faculty of International Relations’ specialized subjects, three courses of study have been established based on the structures of specialized fields: international relations politics course, international relations economics course, and international relations co-existence course. Each course has a stepwise and systematic curriculum that proceeds from foundational subjects in various domains relating to international relations, followed by highly specialized subjects.

  • Students will take lecture subjects related to diverse domains. This is intended to have them acquire wide-ranging specialized knowledge and master academic methods in a way that takes advantage of the interdisciplinary nature of the field of international relations.
  • The faculty aims to have students acquire highly specialized English language abilities which are indispensable for learning specialized subjects and engaging in English discussions.
  • Qualities that contribute to the formation of students’ international careers are cultivated by increasing the number of practice-oriented subjects that emphasize on-the-ground experience in overseas businesses and international development.
  • Teachers will provide instruction in specialized fields using various educational methods in the four-year educational curriculum. Practicums will also offer instruction regarding research, presentations, and report writing in students’ specialized fields.
  • Teachers will instruct students in both their own study of specialized fields as well as studies that integrate different yet deeply related fields. This is done in order for students to respond flexibly to the various issues faced by society.

2. Educational methods

Subjects will be carried out by appropriately combining methods (lectures, practicums, trainings, etc.) according to the subjects’ educational objectives. New knowledge and theories will be systematically mastered in lecture subjects. In practicum, students will deepen their understanding of acquired knowledge and organize their own thoughts, as well as work out their own views by exchanging opinions with others. Furthermore, in subjects requiring the submission of reports or research presentations, students will acquire the ability to share their learning outcomes with third parties.

3. Learning Outcome Assessment

Learning outcome assessments in each subject will be based on the grade assessment methods established in the syllabus of each subject. Clear grade assessment criteria will be presented, and measures will be taken so that students can measure their level of knowledge and understanding.

Admission Policy

The Faculty of International Relations aims to cultivate quality “human resources that can appropriately gather information regarding new international developments, accurately grasp situations based on their specialized knowledge from the field and analyze these situations from a theoretical perspective, identify issues and work with diverse sets of people to present solutions, and can thereby contribute to the development and peace of the international community.” So that all students will grow into such quality human resources in their four years of study, an admission quota has been established and individuals with the following qualities are currently sought:

  1. An interest in the various phenomena found in the present-day international community, as well as international relations history and theory.
  2. The desire to use what one has learned in the Faculty of International Relations for the development and peace of the international community.
  3. The desire to acquire the ability to use languages, to understand the diversity of the world, and to engage in intercultural communication.
  4. The curiosity, study habits, and foundational academic abilities necessary for studying international relations and languages.

Diverse methods will be used to select applicants with the specific qualities outlined in the Kyoto Sangyo University’s admissions policy.