Research on Development of Systems for Graduate Programs in International Cooperation and Development in collaboration with International Development Agencies

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 13490018
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 広領域
• Research Institution: HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: NAKAYAMA Shuichi Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Professor, 大学院・国際協力研究科, 教授 (30084122)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OHTA Hiroshi Kobe University, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Professor, 大学院・国際協力研究科, 教授 (50118006) ; OSADA Hiroshi Nagoya University, Graduate School of International Development, Professor, 大学院・国際開発研究科, 教授 (40233506) ; IWASAKI Hideki Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Associate Professor, 大学院・国際協力研究科, 助教授 (50116539) ; AOKI Takashi National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Professor, 政策研究科, 教授 (60251146) ; TSUJI Masatsugu Osaka University, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Professor, 大学院・国際公共政策研究科, 教授 (90029918)
• Project Period (FY): 2001 – 2002
• Keywords: International Cooperation / Human Resource Development / Curriculum Development / Graduate School Education / Fieldwork Program / Volunteer Overseas

Research Abstract

For more effective education in national graduate schools having international cooperation and development courses, we investigated how we can develop contents of graduate school curriculums along with more practical and field-based education programs, which can improve a contribution to international development field expecting more useful human resources from the graduate schools. As we realized importance of field experiences of the students to improve their competence for development work, each of the graduate schools has been trying to establish unique programs for better opportunities. However, current situation is not optimistic for the future of the programs because of many difficulties such as financial problems or burdens of preparation and coordination of the program. That is why most of the programs are still elective subjects and not so popular. Some graduate schools have started joint programs with international cooperation organizations to send students overseas. They wo uld be a good solution for the problems but there should be some conditions to make them successful. For example, when an international organization gives a field experience as an internship, it requires a certain basic skills and knowledge for an international working environment. That brings another question whether the graduate school can provide a preparatory course focusing on such practice. Although some cases in the United States show that collaboration with a volunteer service organization can be an effective way to provide long-term fieldwork including research activities in developing countries, but it also requires a graduate school to contribute improvement of quality of the service, and for that purpose the school must improve itself as a development partner in practice of development projects or research activities in the field. All these implies that graduate education in the development field must make more efforts to involve itself in practical situation both on research and instruction.