Study Abroad

The Shibusawa Scholar Program seeks to cultivate individuals who embody the paradigm of “Global Captains of Industry” and are capable of contributing to economic development in Japan, Asia, and across the globe. The onset of globalization has enabled people, goods, money and information to cross national borders with ease, and made it more important than ever to for us to respect differences in cultural background and values and to work in cooperation with a diverse range of people. It is essential to develop a “global mindset” in the sense of a capacity to engage in robust and harmonious dialogue and debate and communicate one’s own position effectively, regardless of the other party’s language, nationality, and cultural and regional background. A global mindset is one that does not treat the problems confronting Japan as Japan’s problems alone, but rather appreciates the global context for those problems and uses them as a basis for comprehending problems faced by other parts of the world.

It is only when one steps outside Japan that it is possible to perceive this country’s problems more clearly, and to understand what Japan is capable of contributing to the rest of the world. We believe that study abroad provides the ideal opportunity to become aware of these kinds of wider challenges and one’s own capacity to act on them. Study abroad is not just about learning a language. Language is certainly important, but the study abroad experience becomes far more meaningful when one begins to appreciate the differences in historical background, culture, and value outlooks that lie behind communication itself.

At Hitotsubashi University, we send and receive exchange students under partnership agreements with renowned universities around the world. For example, the Hitotsubashi University Student Exchange Program enables some 400 students to undertake study abroad at 45 different partner institutions overseas. From the 2011 academic year, Hitotsubashi has also been offering a Global Leader Development Program and scholarship for study abroad.

There are many other study abroad experiences available at Hitotsubashi, including short-term training programs overseas. Students can access a wide range of programs that provide them with intercultural experiences and develop their intercultural understanding incrementally from their first year of study right through to graduation.

As of November 2022, we have a number of partner schools worldwide for student exchange.

• Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota (U.S.)
• Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina (U.S.)
• The School of Management and Business, King's College London (U.K.)
• Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Groningen (Netherland)
• Business School, Korea University (Republic of Korea)
• Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Lausanne (Switzerland)
• School of Economics & Management, Lund University (Sweden)
• Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)
• Faculty of Economics and Management, Leibniz University Hannover (Germany)
• School of Business (Mikkeli Campus), Aalto University (Finland)
• ESSEC Business School (France)
• Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
• Faculty of Economics and Business (Leuven and Kortijk Campuses), Leuven Catholic University (Belgium)