Message from the Dean
The word for “economics” in Japanese, keizai, is said to come from a phrase in the Chinese classics: keisei saimin, meaning “to govern the world and save the people.” To study economics, then, is to work toward a better society and the well-being of the people who live in it. Our Graduate School and Faculty of Economics build on this spirit of keisei saimin while placing particular importance on contributing to the solution of the many social challenges we face today.
Modern society confronts a wide range of issues: economic inequality, environmental problems, a declining birthrate and aging population, and the changes that artificial intelligence is bringing to the world of work. Economics is the discipline that addresses these issues by analyzing, on the basis of data, how individuals, firms, and governments make decisions and how society as a whole is organized, and by proposing effective solutions.
We are committed to both cutting-edge research and high-quality education, and we bring the results of our research directly into the classroom. One of our defining features is that students can study both economics and business administration in a systematic way. In economics, students analyze how society works through fields such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, public finance, labor economics, and behavioral economics. In business administration, they learn how firms and organizations make decisions through subjects such as corporate strategy, accounting, corporate finance, and marketing. Our faculty also includes specialists in economic and business history, offering a historical perspective, and we engage in practical research aimed at solving real-world social problems.
In our teaching, we place great value on small-group instruction. Every student belongs to a seminar (zemi), where close dialogue with faculty members helps them develop genuine expertise. Our structured curriculum allows students to build their knowledge step by step, and we also offer practice-oriented courses developed in cooperation with companies as well as specialized courses taught in English. In addition, exchange programs with many universities abroad and an internationally diverse faculty give students the opportunity to study economics and business from a global perspective.
Our Graduate School and Faculty will continue to build knowledge in the service of solving social problems and to contribute to society through education and research. If you are a student who wants to learn on your own initiative and take on a wide range of challenges, we would be delighted to welcome you here.