Our program is composed of various modes of training: lectures, individual supervision, practicum, and field trips. We believe that a mix of different modes of training helps enhance our program by helping students learn by themselves and from each other.
- Lectures: Most courses are given in the form of lectures. Our lecture classes (modules) run with an average of five students – small enough to encourage questions and discussions.
- Individual Supervision: This is an essential training mode for thesis preparation, with required Thesis 1 (A) and (B) courses, as well as optional meetings held outside regular classroom hours by appointment.
- Practicum: The customs practicum features lectures, workshops, and seminars, and involves visits to regional customs, policy implementation/enforcement, examination, and other management issues. The practicum also involves the presentation of a paper and an additional opportunity to attend workshops led by the Japanese Customs Administration teaching staff. AGU houses the WTO Research Center (WRS) for international trade and WTO issues, which was established in 2003 and is located on Aoyama Campus. WRS studies the benefits of trade as it relates to safety, environment, and cost/price issues in the context of the world economy. This center is open to scholars pursuing WTO, FTA/EPA, or other related issues to enhance their research work.
- Field Trips: During the field trips, scholars visit private firms, public offices, and cultural sites to acquire practical knowledge and a feeling for the Japanese economy and society. In the program, we try to present scholars with the contrasting realities of the Japanese economy.
The following courses are offered during 2019-2020. Please bear the notes in mind as follows;
1. A minimum of 30 credits is required to graduate.
2. Master's Thesis I (A) & I (B) are compulsory to write the thesis under a supervisor whom students are required to choose from the full-time faculty members (Hiroshi Yasuda / Jiro Usugami / Sean M Hackett / Chie Yorozu) upon respective research themes.
3. Japanese language courses (non-credit) are offered both in Spring and Autumn semesters.
| Course Title | Credit | Semester | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Management | |||
| Competitive Strategy Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Hiroshi Yasuda |
| Competitive Strategy Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Hiroshi Yasuda |
| Management Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Jiro Usugami |
| Management Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Jiro Usugami |
| Organizational Management Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Chie Yorozu |
| Organizational Management Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Chie Yorozu |
| Multinational Financial Management Ⅰ | 2 | Autumn | Akinori Tomohara |
| Innovation Management I | 2 | Spring | Sean M Hackett |
| Innovation Management II | 2 | Autumn | Sean M Hackett |
| Intellectual Property Rights | |||
| Intellectual Property Rights Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Yuichiro Shinma |
| Intellectual Property Rights Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Yuichiro Shinma |
| IPR Enforcement at the Border | 2 | Spring | Kazunori Umekado |
| Copyright Law | 2 | Spring | Hiroko Yamamoto/Atsushi Okada |
| Customs Administration | |||
| Practicum in Customs Administration | 2 | Autumn | Takashi Matsumoto |
| Customs Law | 2 | Spring | Hiroshi Imagawa |
| Customs Tariff Law | 2 | Spring | Hiroshi Imagawa |
| Customs Reforms & Modernization | 2 | Autumn | Daisuke Nagano/Toru Tanaka |
| Research Methodology | |||
| Master's Thesis Ⅰ (A) *Required | 2 | Spring | Yasuda/Usugami/Hackett/Yorozu |
| Master's Thesis Ⅰ (B) *Required | 2 | Autumn | Yasuda/Usugami/Hackett/Yorozu |
| Statistical Analysis | 2 | Spring | Michiko Miyamoto |
| Academic Writing | 2 | Spring | Saori Schulte |
| Japanese language | No credit | Spring & Autumn | Yuko Takami |
2019-2020 Academic Year
Spring
- Date
- Event/Deadline
- April 1
- Entrance Ceremony/Academic Orientation/Master Thesis Orientation
- April 1-5
- Japanese Class/Medical Check-up/Fitness Center Orientation
- April 6
- Spring Semester Begins
- April 15
- Course Registration
- August 3
- Spring Semester Ends
- August 5 - September 19
- Summer Break
Autumn
- Date
- Event/Deadline
- September 20
- Autumn Semester Begins
- End of September
- Interim Presentation
- September 30 - October 2
- Modifying The Registration of The Second Semester
- November 1 - 3
- Aoyama Campus Festival
- December 25 - January 4
- Winter Break
- January 6
- Autumn Semester Resumes
- January
- Submission of Master's Thesis
- February 3
- Autumn Semester Ends
- February 4
- Spring Break Begins
- Late February
- Final Presentation and Defense
- March (Tentative)
- Farewell Party
- March 25
- Graduation Ceremony
For your reference, the following is a list of thesis titles during the academic year 2018-2019.
- Improvement of the Strategic Management of Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Border Enforcement: The Case of Azerbaijan Customs
- A Holistic Approach for Strengthening IPR Border Enforcement in Bhutan
- Strengthening the IPR Border Enforcement by the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE)
- Implementation of Institutional Approach, Utilizing Key Performance Indicators Towards Enhancing Motivation in Directorate General of Customs and Excise
- Lao Customs Officers and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC): Information gap and its staff’s level of readiness
- Effect of Knowledge Culture on Maldives Customs Service’s Performance
- Exploring the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): Measuring the Intention of Customs Officers to Adopt Blockchain Technology to Help Combat Counterfeits and Facilitate Legitimate Trade
- Employee Engagement and Organizational Performance In The Public Sector: The Case Of The Namibia Ministry of Finance
- Modern Management of Intellectual Property in Internal Organisation and External Exploitation
- Factors Hindering Female Representation in Top Management Positions in Tanzania: A Study of Cultural, Organisational and Behavioural Issues and their Interplay in Creating Barriers