We educate students to develop creativity
for resolving various social issues from an economic point of view.
Educational philosophy of the Department of Economics
Modern society is built on economic activities connected by a vast global network linked by trade activities, such as import and export, in addition to the production and consumption of various goods and services in domestic markets. The educational objective of the Department is to teach the basics of the discipline of economics so students can understand the mechanisms underlying this complicated economic system, and develop economic views and ways of thinking. Furthermore, we endeavor to educate healthy citizens and business people capable of applying the acquired knowledge and skills of economic analysis to understand various economic phenomena occurring in ever-changing modern society, and to independently develop appropriate countermeasures.
Challenges facing the Department of Economics in the 21st century
Having experienced the rapid growth and subsequent collapse of the bubble economy, the Japanese economy has challenged itself, through free trade agreements (FTA) established between the Japanese Government and many nations, especially in Asia, to promote the free exchange of material and human resources. This indicates that the quality of university education will be questioned in the future. If Japanese higher education falls behind the standard which prevails on a global level, and if it cannot educate its students to have enough added-value to compete in global society, it is clear it will lose out in the global higher-education market. In order to enable students to compete in the global society, it is vital to educate them to develop the following two abilities, as well as provide them with opportunities to acquire proficiency in English, the standard global language:
1) The ability to take the initiative to identify and resolve problems
2) Communication skills within a group and organization
The Department of Economics offers courses with the following features to help students master these abilities:
- Field study (five courses)
- Practical training with social participation
- Internship
- Advancement to a Master’s degree program in the third year of undergraduate study (“system of grade skipping”)
Field study
With three teaching staff leading the group, students will visit countries such as America, the Philippines, Bolivia, Brazil, and China, to exchange opinions with, or interview the local residents regarding issues related to economic development, urban problems, the environment, and race. By going to places where the local people face environmental problems, and discussing these issues with local students, participants will gain first-hand experience of the problems, and search for possible solutions.
The field study is about two weeks long, and provides opportunities to improve communication skills through group living and discussions. As the participants must pay their own expenses, we endeavor to keep the expenses low. Before each field study, participants are required to take “preparatory research” to learn basic knowledge about the country they will be visiting.
A student who participated in a field study to the Philippines wrote the following:
“It was a hard but wonderful two weeks, and included writing reports and interviewing every day, surrounded by the clear, blue ocean and vast green nature. This experience changed my view of life and sense of values. I will treasure the experience for the rest of my life.” (Shirokane Report)
In addition to the field study, the Department of Economics offers the following two courses for students to become aware that they are members of society by actually participating in the society. The objectives of these courses are to teach students to acquire proficiency in communication, co-operation, the ability for self-management, the ability to take the initiative and leadership, adaptability, positive self-esteem, the ability to understand and analyze social issues, the ability to communicate ideas logically to others, and the ability to resolve issues independently.
Practical training with social participation
This is a course which requires practical training and social participation of 40 hours per semester (80 hours a year). Students will attend an orientation meeting at the beginning of the course to select their fields of interest of voluntary activity from a list of designated locations, and will volunteer outside their class hours. After 40 hours of training, the participants are required to prepare a report of their experience. This course was featured in the article, “University teaches 80 hours of volunteer activity," in Asahi Shimbun on June 20, 2004.
Internship lecture
Even though the underlying tendency of the economy is toward recovery, we are yet to see any substantial improvement in the rate of employment of young adults throughout the country, including this year’s graduates. The “NEET” (Not in Employment, Education or Training) is also a serious problem. This is a course established for second-year students, in response to the harshness of the real world, and to minimize the mismatching of the career designs of students and the needs of the real world. Specifically, each class consists of lectures on a specific theme and group discussions. Some themes include, “Jobs and the meaning of work,” “Career design and student life,” “Information gathering technology and presentation,” and “Acquiring a business manner.” In the future, we plan to complement this current lecture-only course with an “internship” to provide opportunities for students to visit companies and experience real work.
The Department of Economics’ attempt described finally below, is a challenge to the education system in response to the advancement of economics.
System of grade skipping
In this system, students who have met certain academic performance requirements by the end of their third year are eligible for admission to the Graduate School of Economics, where they complete both the undergraduate and graduate programs in a minimum of five years. The content of study at the Faculty of Economics has become very advanced, and it is difficult to learn and understand an undergraduate program in four years. This integrated education system, combining undergraduate and graduate studies, aims at educating people to have an advanced analytical ability suitable for the 21st century.
By offering these courses and cooperating with the graduate school, the Department of Economics aims at educating winners in the global society.
The type of education we offer
The first year is to learn “introductory courses” and to think about what you want to study.
The courses, "Introduction to economics,” “Introduction to economic history,” and “World economy,” are offered as introductions to the specialized courses scheduled in the second year. “Economics” is a very broad subject, ranging from the history of economics to abstract mathematical economics. The first year is allocated as a preparation period to focus on the target of your study and to select appropriate courses through these introductory courses. Modern society is an information Internet society. In this society, knowledge of computer communication technology is vital. Skills regarding computer communication technology have been incorporated into the Department’s curriculum, together with the language communication skills required in the global society.
World economy course that begins with “experience”
In the second year, courses such as “field study” and “practical training with social participation,” are offered for students to study examples of today's issues on environmental, welfare, and international problems, and experience them in the field. The curriculum is tailored so that each student can find out what it means to study economics through interaction with society, and subsequently select courses of his/her choice among broad fields of economics. We aim to teach practical economics by keeping the prerequisite of knowledge for each course to a minimum, with an emphasis on motives and following the educational philosophy to teach what students wish to study.
Public policy courses, with in-depth education where basics are emphasized
Rather than assembly-line education, students can learn economics from its basics in a small class. Students will spend two years studying the important basic courses of economics thoroughly, especially macro-economy and micro-economy. After acquiring a solid base, students will advance to applied economics, such as public finance and international economics. Main lectures will explain theories simply with familiar examples. In basic exercises offered in the second year, the instructors will lead more in-depth discussions on economics in small classes. Furthermore, an applied econometric analysis course is offered, where students will practice economic analysis using computers to learn data-based analytical methods.
Knowledge and skills you can acquire
Students can learn economics with two different methods appropriate for each student. The public policy course educates students to acquire basic knowledge for examining economic issues by studying traditional economics using the build-up method. The course also aims at mastering and retaining scholarship of orthodox and solid economics for students who intend to take various certification examinations (a licensed tax accountant, a certified public accountant, national tax officer, security analyst, and financial planner) and a civil servant examination, or study abroad. For the world economics major course we have reviewed the systematic education method by the build-up method of traditional economics, and introduced a new education method that is different from education that stresses memorization of mostly theoretical proofs. Instead, the new method emphasizes learning through practical experience, and aims to teach economics as a field and reality oriented study that identifies problems and searches for their solution.
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