School of Political Science and EconomicsWaseda University

The School of Political Science and Economics advocates the principle of “Philosophy, Politics and Economics” (PPE). Based on insights gleaned from empirical analysis and normative understanding that integrates political science and economics, we aim to assess actual systems and policies and explore visions for the future. To this end, we will continue to implement reforms based on our past achievements, emphasizing diversity and inclusion.
The world of today stands at a historic turning point. Looking back over the past few decades, planetary environmental problems have emerged as a new global issue. Geopolitical changes are occurring at a global scale. Widening social and economic disparities have led to rising populism and retreating liberal democracy around the world. In Japan, which has achieved its long-standing goal of a longevity society, the kind of society we want is being questioned anew as we observe clear trends toward population decline owing to a declining birthrate. In the past few years, several events have had the potential to be historic turning points, such as the global spread of COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and political tensions and humanitarian crises in the Middle East.
What should we do at such turning points? I think we should reconsider human activities in the past and present as well as discuss how to change the current situation for the future from the perspective of PPE. This is because the daily activities of “thinking, deciding, and acting” have shaped the history of humankind.
I would like to explain the main features of the education at the School of Political Science and Economics. First, we have a degree program in English and one in Japanese and thus offer classes in both Japanese and English. We also gather students from diverse backgrounds from different parts of the world. Our hope is for the students to be able to interact, learn, and broaden their horizons in a rich environment at the core of the Asia-Pacific region, which has been developed while maintaining its diversity. The school’s faculty members are active on the international stage in their respective fields, and students are free to take classes in Japanese or English according to their language ability. Students can also take courses in languages other than Japanese and English. With these settings, you can “learn in that language” rather than “learn that language.” Second, we practice active learning and create an environment where students can shape their own learning actively rather than passively and that involves, for example, presentations, discussions, and thesis writing in small-group seminars. We live at a time when it is possible to collect large volumes of information and absorb a wealth of knowledge using the Internet. Additionally, what has become even more important is to construct logic based on the obtained knowledge, explain it to others so that they understand, and then persuade them through constructive dialog. I believe that cultivating such skills is a must for university education in the future. Third, we focus on data analysis, which can be used to solve various problems related to political science and economics. In recent years, both the public and private sectors have placed greater emphasis on evidence-based discussions. I am confident that the skills students develop here, which range from basic knowledge to highly specialized methods, will be of great help to them once they head out into society.
After completing the undergraduate program, those who want to further deepen the knowledge they have gained there and continue their research can advance to the Graduate School of Political Science or the Graduate School of Economics.
At this historic turning point, the school aims to nurture human resources who can play an active role as global leaders in various fields through research and educational activities and send them out into society. Thank you for your continued understanding and support.

SHIZUME, Masato
Dean, The School of Political Science and Economics