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The GraduateSchool for International DEvelopment and Cooperation (IDEC) at Hiroshima University was established in April 1994 for the purpose of actively nurturing expertise in various challenging issues facing developing countries through research and education. IDEC has been accepting many Japanese and foreign students, with the latter constituting the larger population; about 70% as of 2010. The foreign students (233) come from Asian and African countries (41). In such ways IDEC provides a broadly-based international environment.
IDEC gives great emphasis to the importance of broadening the students' opportunities in developing countries by providing several internship programs. In 2001, an internship program was launched under the sponsorship of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Currently, another internship program known as the G-ECBO Program is being conducted. This program is also supported by MEXT. IDEC staff members have been involved in various international cooperation programs coordinated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Through these projects, students can be provided with rich international opportunities.
IDEC conducted a MEXT-supported 21st century Center of Excellence (COE) program from 2003 to 2008 entitled Social Capacity Development for Environmental Management and International Development. We succeeded in fostering a COE for global research and education in the field of
international cooperation within IDEC. Presently, a new blueprint is being developed for further steps in global COE. In 2008 we have launched a new MEXT supported program Global Environmental Leader Education Program for Designing a Low Carbon Society.
After the demolition of the Berlin Wall, it was presumed that the world would become more peaceful and calmer. Unfortunately, conditions merely became more unstable. There is now an even bigger gap between the poor and the rich. There exist many complicated and serious problems such as poverty, disease, poor environment, poor education and conflicts, particularly in underdeveloped countries. These problems might be solved through inter-disciplinal grappling research beyond established disciplinal frameworks; hence IDEC enhances a systematic and integrated curriculum with a highly interdisciplinary approach and a global perspective.
IDEC is devoted to accomplishing its goals through a specified three-pillared approach: international environmental cooperation; international educational cooperation; and international peace cooperation. These three areas are intertwined and complement each other. Together, these can lead to advancements in developing countries.
As of April 2011, 1,091 IDEC students have earned their master's degrees, 564 of whom were foreign (39 countries) students; while 202 obtained their doctoral degrees, 128 of whom were foreign (29 countries) students. The majority of these graduates has returned to their home countries and began their activities as highly competent professionals and researchers. Hiroshima University has a long history of accepting foreign students from Southeast Asian underdeveloped countries. This commenced before World War II with some of the students employed as high government officials devoted to the development of their home countries. International cooperation is a long-term effort, but we firmly believe that our mission is to continually develop in order to create distinctiveness in history. We hope that you will join us and help us to contribute to the field of international cooperation.
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