The Faculty of Policy Studies was established on the Senriyama Campus in April 2007. The purpose of this new faculty is to produce graduates who have an ability to spot problems by themselves and then to find appropriate solutions within given conditions. The problems we are talking about here are not theoretical or academic ones but those could be easily found in a real world. The word ‘policy’ in our faculty name does not only mean public policies set by various government officials. It rather means wide-range of plans of action to solve any kind of problems and to break through an impasse.
  We are now living in an era of extreme uncertainties. Especially here in Japan, we are facing serious and impending problems in almost all corners of our society. In such circumstances, people tend to become more pessimistic and to stick to established conventional ideas and institutions, which is precisely opposite direction to be taken. What we need to survive are people of innovative spirits with optimism based on solid grip of the current state of affairs. This kind of people are exactly what this faculty wants to produce.
  In order to gain such abilities first to create and then to realise innovative and effective plans to change the problematic status quo, students have to have wide-range of balanced social scientific knowledge to analyse it accurately, and they also need practical experiences in real world not to be out of touch. This faculty offers both of the essential trainings to our students through four courses bellow. In addition to it, the faculty offers highly praised first-rate foreign language programmes that provide another essential skill for those who wish to work in the globalised societies.

1. International Studies Course

  This course is aiming at developing human resources that are capable of building up a symbiotic relationship within and among globalised contemporary societies. The course is designed for students to analyse complex causes that drive international politics and economics today. In doing so, students are expected to gain abilities to solve problems in various transnational organisations with sensitive understanding of cross-cultural issues. This course has a strong emphasis on politics and economics.

2. Politics and Public Policy Course

  This course is aiming at developing human resources that are capable of contributing to a creation of new public spaces in the 21st century. The course is designed for students to analyse various aspects of the contemporary social life in Japan, such as the nature of political decision-making process, a relationship between law and social life, and changing functions of the media. In doing so, students are expected to gain abilities to analyse public policies from various angles.

3. Local Governance and Regional Issues Course

  This course is aiming at developing human resources that are capable of contributing to build autonomous and sustainable local communities. The course is designed for students to explore various contemporary problems which local governments and communities are facing to solve. In doing so, students are expected to gain ability to design appropriate forms of local administrations and services that are fit to solve unique problems of each place. This course has a strong emphasis on practical hands-on education conducted in collaboration with various local governments and organisations in Kansai region.

4. Organisation Management Course

  This course is aiming at developing human resources that are capable of creating a better relationship between individuals and organisations. Here we do no only deal with both private and public sector organisations but also with voluntary organisations. The course is designed for students to understand various complex conditions to run organisations, such as laws, decision-making processes and inter-organisational networks. In doing so, students are expected to gain abilities to make practical proposals to solve diverse problems contemporary organisations are facing. This course has a strong emphasis on both legal aspects and social responsibilities to manage organisations.

  Students have to choose one of the above four courses when they start their second year. However, our aim is to create graduates with balanced and broad knowledge of social science. So that, students are required to take some lectures from all of the four courses while they are building up specialist knowledge in their chosen courses.