The number of students accepted to the School of International and Public Policy is 55 every year. We do our best to select a good balance of new graduates, mid-career students and international students, in hopes that new and innovative discussions can be facilitated on various policy issues through the exchange of opinions among different groups. One of the traditions of Hitotsubashi University is the close relationship between professors and students. We continue this tradition at the School of International and Public Policy. We feel that having small classes is a must to foster and train true professionals in policy and decision making.

The characteristic of the courses at the School of International and Public Policy is that we offer a variety of lectures both in English and in Japanese. The wide range of lectures given in English is something that you will not see in other graduate schools in public policy. Students who have been recognized to have a certain degree of English ability can register for these English courses. Moreover, our university hosts many seminars and symposiums conducted in English which anyone can participate in. They offer students an opportunity to think about policy issues in English. We hope that students actively participate in many of the lectures and seminars offered in English.

At the School of International and Public Policy at Hitotsubashi University, we take a multi-dimensional approach to various policy issues, based on the framework of law, international relations and economics. While students are required to select a major or program they wish to study in order to specialize in a particular field, they are also recommended to study and become familiar with various other approaches. As part of the curriculum the program offers subjects called "cross-program subjects" taught jointly by faculty members from different academic fields, where students and faculty members are given the opportunity to discuss policies from various perspectives.

One of the other traditions at Hitotsubashi University is the strong relations with the private sector. In line with this tradition, the School of International and Public Policy conducts education and research on policy through collaboration with not only government but also private organizations. With the help of various organizations of the private sector, the program offers relay lectures by guest speakers from private think-tanks, and provides professional training through internship or consulting projects in order to foster leaders that can analyze policies from the perspective of the private sector.

Needless to say, cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region is important for Japan. Our university has promoted activities for the establishment of an education and research centre in the Asia-Pacific region through two educational programs, "Program in International and Asia-Pacific Region" which comprises the core of the Global Governance Program, and the "Asian Public Policy Course" which comprises the core of the Asian Public Policy Program, by facilitating interaction with scholars and students from this important region. These two programs have now been integrated into the School of International and Public Policy at Hitotsubashi University, which continues to promote activities to facilitate the formation of a centre for research and education.