In 2011, MEXT(Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) started recruitments for graduate programs in order to foster global leaders in various fields. The following is mentioned in their application advertisement.

“The Leading Programs in Doctoral Education works to advance the establishment of university graduate schools of the highest caliber by supporting the dramatic reform of their education programs in such a way that they will institute degree programs recognized as top quality around the world. To foster excellent students who are both highly creative and internationally attuned and who will play leading roles in the academic, industrial and governmental sectors across the globe, the program brings top-ranking faculty and students together from both in and outside Japan and enlists participation from other sectors in its planning and execution, while creating continuity between master’s and doctoral programs and implementing curricula that overarches fields of specialization.”

Leading Program contains three categories; “All round category”(programs integrate such as humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering), “Composite category”(Cross-discipline programs on one of following seven themes: environment, life and health, safety and security, material objects, information, multi-culture society, or cross-sectional theme), and “Only-one category”(singularly unique worldwide programs).

Hiroshima University Leading Graduate Program for Phoenix Leader Education Program was adopted as “Composite category(cross-sectional theme)” in December 2011.