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Graduate School of Economics (Major examples of research)

Major examples of research projects underway at the Graduate School of Economics
The Graduate School is currently carrying out a variety of world-class research activities.

Environmental Economics

The faculty of the Graduate School of Economics of Doshisha University includes many researchers specialized in natural resources, energy, environmental issues, and environmental policy. Engaging in research on an international scale, their research activities also exert significant influence over academic societies and policy-making institutions. Consequently, the Graduate School offers excellent opportunities for students to engage in well-balanced research that covers the fields of both natural science and social science.

Trends in Studies at our School :
Emissions trading

The rapid economic growth of China and Russia has resulted in the consumption of enormous amounts of natural resources and energy and increased environmental stress. Given this situation, it is more urgent than ever that we apply the collective wisdom of the human race to address global environment issues and conserve natural resources and energy. Using gains from emissions trading, these countries are now stepping up the introduction of higher energy-efficiency production facilities to replace conventional low efficiency facilities. The emission trading mechanism is an example of a theoretical framework derived from an analytical environmental economics model.

Income Inequality

The Graduate School of Economics is known as one of the world's centers of research on income inequality.
Because the study of income inequality is closely associated with such subjects as social policy, social security, public economics, fiscal policy, and labor economics, students can enhance their studies by taking several topical seminars offered by the Graduate School. With a faculty of nearly 50 researchers who together cover an extensive range of areas of economics, the Graduate School facilitates in-depth exploration of the issue of income inequality.

Trends in Studies at our School :
Disparity in opportunity and disparity of outcome

As the term "society of widening disparity" is now frequently used by mass media, there is a need to define what this term exactly means. Some researchers point to the fact that family income directly affects children's access to higher education, thus causing disparity in educational opportunity. Others emphasize differences in the outcome created by income disparity, which is best represented by the group referred to as the "working poor." However, it is certain that there is a close linkage between disparity in opportunity and disparity of outcome, and the mechanism behind this linkage should be explored.

Policy Evaluation

Faced with an increased budget deficit, the Japanese government is now pressed to curtail expenditure without lowering the quality of administrative services. Policy evaluation is a very efficient tool for enhancing the kinds of administrative services that are truly necessary for the public as well as for identifying less needed services, and the national government and local administrative bodies are already applying this tool. The Graduate School of Economics has been working with a number of local administrative bodies to evaluate a wide range of governmental policies.

Trends in Studies at our School :
Cutting waste in the use of taxpayer money

One example of policy evaluation is an input-output analysis of the economic impact of urban redevelopment projects. Also, cost-benefit analyses are conducted in a variety of fields including the development of infrastructure such as international conference halls, public services such as nursery centers and library services, municipal mergers, natural environment conservation, international cultural exchange activities, and many others.

Cultural Economics

It has been said that culture and economy are as incompatible as oil and water, but is this really the case? On the contrary, cultural factors today take on such great importance that they even affect national economic power. Therefore, students who acquire economic analytical skills in conjunction with a wide range of cultural topics will be fully prepared to play a leading role in today's society as specialists in both culture and economics.
Located in Kyoto, the cultural center of Japan, the Graduate School offers curriculum designed to equip students with skills in policy evaluation and advanced econometric analysis in all fields of studies where culture and economics are closely related, including: historical and traditional culture such as festivals and traditional performing arts; media and content industries; relations between multimedia society and arts, films and music; support for cultural activities by business and industry (philanthropic activities); and culture and religion.

Trends in Studies at our School :
Specialists with the ability to "translate" between arts and brands

Our goal is to inspire the people of our society to recognize the value of human achievements, as distinguished from natural phenomena, both tangible and intangible as well as material and spiritual. In this connection, how should we assess value and evaluate policy? Clearly, general textbook knowledge can be of little help for this purpose. Applying the approach and analytical methods of economic and social sciences, however, we can "translate" arts, brands, images, and religions into something economic administrative and manageable. How well this "translation" works depends on the individual's ability to integrate. Specifically, we can assess the hypothetical market of aesthetics, evaluating the value of brands and amenities, and of course, conduct direct cost-benefit analysis of assets, both tangible and intangible.
Kyoto, a town of arts and brands characterized by sophisticated sense and sensibilities, is an ideal place to develop the ability to translate human emotions through the process of value assessment and policy evaluation, which is the most needed core quality in the 21st century's society and economy, both in Japan and the world.

Traditions and the Regional Economy

Studies of traditions and regions are important because they help us to rediscover their diversity and uniqueness. At the same time, we should be able to ascertain the factors contributing to their uniqueness and the essence of their claim to be the "only one" in the world by the comparative method based on theoretical, philosophical, and historical studies.
What makes the "merchants' road in Naniwa" economically unique? Why does today's cozy urban lifestyle date from the 19th century England and how has it been established as the world's standard mode of living? How were the traditional townhouses of Kyoto associated with local industries?
The Graduate School of Economics aims to train personnel, who, with the ability to appreciate both universal and indigenous values, can play leading roles as competent globalists and specialists at home and abroad.

Trends in Studies at our School :
The strategic value of being "the one and only "!

By adding a temporal axis (intertemporal view) and a spatial axis (international and regional comparison) to the stereotypes of society and research, we can depart from ambiguous ideas and develop our career capitalizing on the strategic value of being "the one and only " of our kind. Kumazawa Banzan, an economist active in the early Edo Period (17th century) said that what is marvelous about research is that it enables us to absorb three dimensions, namely, time, place and social perspective. Indeed, by using an economic approach to compare the value of being "the one and only" in qualitative and quantitative terms, students can develop strategic strengths that will be effective both at home and abroad. Students who have explored the meanings of time, place and social perspective during their study of economics at the Graduate School are active at all levels of society, both internationally and locally.