In 2014, Waseda University was selected as a top type of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Top Global University Project. Since then, Global Japanese Studies has been building a network with leading overseas universities by accumulating joint research projects and inviting outstanding overseas researchers, to promote international research and education in the humanities, with a focus on Japanese literature, theatre, film, media and history.
In addition, we have continued to train graduate students and support the international development of early career researchers. In particular, the establishment of the Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program (JCulP) in the Transcultural Studies, the School of Culture, Media and Society and the Global Japanese Literary and Cultural Studies (Global-J, Master’s and Doctoral courses) in the Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences as part of this project has provided a foundation for the development of truly global human resources.
Although the Top Global University Project ended at the end of March 2024, the wide-ranging relationships built up between the Global Japanese Studies, overseas universities and other institutions must be continued. It was therefore decided to maintain the successor sites beyond 2024. In particular, we will continue to offer educational programs and jointly organize research conferences with Columbia University, UCLA, Stanford University and the University of British Columbia in North America to foster globally applicable Japanese studies researchers. In addition, we are committed to deepening our ties with universities and research institutions in various countries and regions, including China, South Korea and Europe, where we have had many research exchanges in order to foster globally applicable researchers.