Dean NAGAHATA Makoto
How do you see Japan? You may think it is one of highly developed countries with well-established economy, sophisticated infrastructure, educated population, and stable society. It might be true. However, it is also another reality that Japan has been facing various urgent problems – aging society with less number of children, de-population in rural area with overconcentration to big cities, hollowed-out domestic industries, deterioration of local communities, vulnerability against natural disasters, and most recently, Covid-19 pandemic. As the country developed, it has been facing negative side of modernization. So, you can see Japan as a country with highly “advanced” social challenges.
Of course, we are not standing idly without doing anything. Rather, many actors, central / local governments, private companies, non-profits, local communities, and ordinary citizens have been practicing various activities to overcome those problems by utilizing local resources, skills, and wisdoms. Some of them have resulted with positive change in our society. One of key factors for success is “collaboration”, creating effective measures through partnership building and working together among various stakeholders.
In this modernized world, public policy cannot be formulated and implemented only by professional policy makers. Involvement of various stakeholders is an urgent issue for all of us, but how? As the title of our school “Governance Studies”, not “Government Studies” shows, the Graduate School of Governance Studies of Meiji University offers courses with wide range of topics necessary to be studied for public policy of “post modernization” societies. The courses are divided in three areas: Public Policy, International Development Policy, and Community Management. In each of these areas, major topics of contemporary world issues such as decentralization, citizen participation, sustainable development, disaster mitigation, and E-government are discussed with our faculty members who has professional experience and knowledge in both theory and practice from various background.
We would like to welcome all of you who are motivated to contribute to the society by playing leading roles in public sector. Our school also offers opportunities for mutual learning among students and teachers from all over the world even after completion of our program. Please be a member of our “Governance Family”.
Dean, Graduate School of Governance Studies - Public Policy School -
NAGAHATA Makoto