The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (政策研究大学院大学), or GRIPS, is a public research graduate school located in Minato, Tokyo. Funded by the Japanese government, it is the second smallest by enrollment of all the national universities in Japan. It is considered as one of the world's best public policy schools and Asia's leading institutions dedicated to policy and economics research. The school offers graduate-level and executive education programs in security and international affairs, diplomacy, international development studies, economics, political science, disaster studies, and science and technology policy, among others. Its current president is Hiroko Ōta, who assumed office in September 2023.

Overview

Locally known as GRIPS, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies is a stand-alone graduate school with an attached research center and a global reach. Spun off in 1997 from Saitama University, GRIPS is composed of academics and practitioners with expertise in public sector policy formulation and public administration. Around 20% of the faculty and 60% of students are recruited from abroad. In September 2024, IDEAS ranked GRIPS as Asia's top public policy school and 11th best worldwide in terms of research outputs and citations. During the same period, the Institute ranked second in Economics among Japanese institutions and 15th in Asia.

History

GRIPS has a history dating back to 1977, when the Graduate School of Policy Science (GSPS) was established at Saitama University. In 1997, GSPS became an independent academic institution and was renamed the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). Since then, the institute has expanded its programs and facilities. Some of the key milestones in GRIPS's history include:

Campus

The campus is located in Roppongi, close to the National Diet of Japan and other government agencies. Its building was jointly designed by Yamashita Sekkei, the Richard Rogers Design Consortium, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Construction was completed in February 2005 as the first Public-Private Partnership (PFI) project undertaken by the ministry. The National Art Center, Tokyo is adjacent to the campus's current location. Before World War II, this area served as the garrison of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army. Before its relocation in 2005, GRIPS occupied the former site of the National Tax College in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The move coincided with the development of the former sites of the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science and the Institute of Physics.

Academic programs

Located in central Tokyo, the institute offers graduate programs at both the Master's and Ph.D. levels:

Notable people

Academics

Alumni

As of May 2023, GRIPS has graduated around 6000 students, most of whom are from government agencies all over the world. Its alumni network spans over 120 countries.

Partner institutions

As of August 2024, GRIPS has partnerships with the following universities and institutions: