Graduate School of CommerceWaseda University

Dean, Graduate School of Commerce Masashi Okumura

The Graduate School of Commerce (GSC) was founded in 1951 and is now one of the leading graduate schools of commerce in Japan in terms of both quality and scale of research and education. Since its inception, the GSC has been providing high-quality educational programs for students who are interested in business research and producing many researchers and high-level professionals with an advanced level of specialized knowledge and skills.

As in the past, the GSC will continue to train researchers and high-level professionals. It should be pointed out that the two groups are homogeneous in that both have acquired business research skills. The GSC fosters students by allowing them to experience high-quality business research in their courses. Through the coursework all the students obtain research skills and intellectually inquiring minds, and after their acquisition some students become researchers and others become active in the business world. Thus, the GSC contributes to the academic world and business world by producing talented persons with business research ability.

Faculty members with diverse specialties (Management; Marketing and International Business; Finance and Insurance; Accounting; Theoretical Economics and Quantitative Analysis; Public Policy and the History of Economics) carry out their research from a multifaceted perspective to support management decisions. Diverse expertise is one of the GSC’s characteristics, and this enables its members to conduct interdisciplinary research. From an educational aspect, such a broad coverage of specialties constructs an appropriate base of education. Therefore, students can learn and conduct their research appropriately and effectively. When research and education are operated integrally, it can be expected that both will be more efficient, and each will be able to achieve high performance.

Several important factors, such as the advance of globalization, the development of information and communication technology, and demographic change have structurally changed society and the economy. In addition, various calamities (including Covid-19) have accelerated those changes. In such circumstances, management presents challenges and opportunities in business, but it is more difficult for management to find the best means of decision-making than ever before.

Similar to management, the GSC is studying constantly through discussions in formal committees and informal communications in order to build the best research and education environment for the current situation. Various changes are continuing, and perhaps major changes may occur in the future. To continue to cultivate people who can compete on a global level and acquire irreplaceable knowhow that is difficult to reproduce elsewhere, the GSC will continue to improve and progress in research and education ceaselessly.