Global Studies in Asia Program（GSA）

The Global Studies in Asia Program (GSA) provides a curriculum in English consisting of courses related to Japan. The Program, based at the Komaba Campus, is run by faculty members at the College of Arts and Sciences and is designed for international students who are interested in learning about, experiencing, and analyzing Japan from a variety of perspectives. The program offers courses in a number of areas, including cultural studies, history, literature, geography, politics, peacebuilding and environmental sciences. Students who register for the Global Studies in Asia Program will be given plenty of opportunities to interact with local students inside and outside of the classroom, especially students of the Global Studies Program (GS) which is the sister program of GSA. Upon acquiring the required credits in language learning and specialized courses, GSA students will be awarded an official certificate of completion issued by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

＊The requirements for completing GSA will be changed effective October 2026.
To check/compare the old and new requirements, go to "Credit Requirements for Completing the Program."

【Guidance of the GSA Program】
The guidance for 2026A Semester is scheduled ONLINE as follows:

Date & Time: October 6 (Tue) at 12:20 - 12:50
Venue: on Zoom
Eligibility: USTEP and KOMSTEP undergraduate students
Details and Registration:
https://www.globalkomaba.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/event/nid00002313.html

Eligibility and Registration

Only students enrolled in the University-wide Student Exchange Program (USTEP TypeU) or the College of Arts and Sciences Senior Division Exchange Program (KOMSTEP) are eligible to apply for the program.

【How to Apply】
Those who want to apply for the GSA program should follow the steps below:

1. Fill out and submitthe online form by Friday, October 30, 2026.

2 . Register for courses required by the GSA program during the course registration period through the University of Tokyo Academic Affairs System (UTAS) or through the procedures advised by the exchange program coordinators.

Make sure to register for courses containing the titles “Seminar in Global Liberal Arts”, “Praxis in Global Liberal Arts” and “Lectures in Global Liberal Arts”. Some of these courses have multiple entry titles when listed on UTAS, but will only count towards the GSA program when registered as the appropriate title (see course title list below).
Completing the online form and self-registering for GSA courses will automatically register students onto the GSA program.

Curriculum

Below are the courses offered in 2026A semester.
All courses in the GSA Program are conducted as regular UTokyo courses and are therefore open to local students, too.
Most of them are offered in English, but there are also several courses conducted in other non-Japanese languages (marked with an ◆ on the list).

GS/GSA Courses of 2026A (October 2026 - February 2027)

	Course Title	Instructor	Subtitle	Day, Period
	グローバル教養実践演習(2)/ Praxis in Global Liberal Arts (2)	山本　大策/ YAMAMOTO Daisaku	歩く・観る・考えるー東京の環境課題 Walking, Seeing, and Thinking About Environmental Challenges in Tokyo	木2 / Thu 2
	グローバル教養特別講義II/ Lectures in Global Liberal Arts II	ROLAND Douglas	Psychology of Language	水2 / Wed 2
	グローバル教養特別講義III (3)/ Lectures in Global Liberal Arts III (3)	幕内　充/ MAKUUCHI Michiru	Brain mechanisms of symbolic cognition	水4 / Wed 4
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (1) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (1)	成田　大樹/ NARITA Daiju	Environmental Economics	木2 / Thu 2
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (2) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (2)	GIRAUDOU Isabelle	Environmental Law and Governance	水4 / Wed 4
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (3) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (3)	前田　章 / MAEDA Akira	Mathematical optimization in Operations Research	水2 / Wed 2
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (4) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (4)	キハラハント　愛/ KIHARA-HUNT Ai	Cases before International Criminal Court 国際刑事裁判所における判例	水2 / Wed 2
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (5) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (5)	田中　有紀/ TANAKA Yuki	New Liberal Arts through Global Asian Studies	金3 / Fri3
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (6) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (6)	ROBERTS Mark	Contemporary Japanese Film and Anime	火3 / Tue 3
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (7) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (7)	中井　真木/ NAKAI Maki	The Mongol Empire and Japan	月2 / Mon 2
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (8) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (8)	高橋　史子/ TAKAHASHI Fumiko	Immigrants and Education in Multicultural Japan	火4 / Tue 4
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (9) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (9)	高橋　史子/ TAKAHASHI Fumiko	Qualitative Research Method	金4 / Fri 4
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (10) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (10)	吉本　郁/ YOSHIMOTO Iku	Studies on Globalization and Domestic Politics	月3 / Mon 3
◆	グローバル教養特別演習 II (11) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (11)	李　英蘭/ LEE Young-ran	韓国の社会・文化に関する文学作品を読む	木4 / Thu 4
◆	グローバル教養特別演習II (12) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (12)	USICCO Francesca	Arte e architettura nella civiltà italiana del Mediterraneo: da Venezia all’età del Rinascimento イタリア地中海文化：海の都の物語からルネサンス（都市・建築・芸術）	火3 / Tue 3
◆	グローバル教養特別演習II (13) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (13)	KUKLINSKI Ruben	Historische Krisen im deutschsprachigen Raum: Deutsche Geschichte, Kultur, Gesellschaft ドイツ語圏における歴史上の危機：ドイツの歴史・文化・社会／ドイツの地域研究	火2 / Tue 2
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (21) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (21)	WOODWARD Jonathan	Chemistry For Environmental Sciences	木3 / Thu 3
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (22) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (22)	内田　さやか/ UCHIDA Sayaka		水3 / Wed 3
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (23) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (23)	八村敏志、山川隆、平山和宏、鈴木道生/ HACHIMURA Satoshi, YAMAKAWA Takashi, HIRAYAMA Kazuhiro, SUZUKI Michio	Food Safety and Risk Analysis	火4 / Tue 4
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (41) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (41)	KUHN Felix	Research Methods and Japanese Foreign Policy	木4 / Thu 4
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (42) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (42)	KUHN Felix	Diplomacy: History and Practice	金2 / Fri 2
	グローバル教養特別演習 II (43) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts II (43)	SVENSSON Sara	Understanding Populism and Backsliding Democracies	月5/ Mon 5
	グローバル教養特別演習III (1) / Seminar in Global Liberal Arts III (1)	東　大作/ HIGASHI Daisaku	Challenges of Mediation and Peacebuilding: How to make a peace in the time of division 和平調停と平和構築の課題～分断の時代に、どう平和を作るのか～	(A2) 木4-5/ (A2) Thu 4-5
			subject to change/last updated on:	09/01/2026

Details such as classrooms, course objectives and schedule are within the " Academic Program for USTEP/KOMSTEP Students ."
The list above as well as the Academic Program will be updated around mid September with the course information missing as of 8/24/2026.

QR_GSA2026A

The course information above and within the Academic Program is subject to change. Please make sure to check the latest information withinUTokyo Academic affairs System (UTAS)and UTOL (UTokyo LMS).

Credit Requirements for Completing the Program

The requirements for completing GSA will be changed effective October 2026.
◆ Students whose exchange period start in or after 2026A semester are eligible for the new requirements.
◆ Students whose exchange period started in or before 2026S semester are eligible for the former requirements.

Please choose the condition that applies to you to check more details below:

① The exchange period started in or after 2026A semester

In order to complete the GSA Program, students must obtain the following credits by the end of their exchange period.

1. 6 credits from the following courses:
　- Praxis in Global Liberal Arts
　- Lectures in Global Liberal Arts I - III
　- Seminar in Global Liberal Arts I - III
2. 4 credits from the Japanese Language Courses offered at Komaba I Campus

Upon obtaining the required credits stated above, students registered to GSA will be awarded an official certificate of completion issued by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The certificates will be sent to the students upon return to their home university, after the grades have been posted and credits have been calculated.

Students can take the above courses in one semester or spread them over two semesters.
Students are required to have already completed the placement test for taking Japanese language courses. Students are only allowed to take courses at their designated level.
There are Japanese language courses for native/near-native level speakers such as English-Japanese Interpreting, which also require the placement test. It is therefore recommended that even students fluent in Japanese complete the placement test.
Students at a native or near-native level in Japanese (JLPT N1) can take any senior-division courses of the College of Arts and Sciences that are conducted in Japanese and open to exchange students, and have the credits counted towards the requirement 2) above.
Students who completed the placement test with a result that does not allow them to take any Japanese courses offered in Komaba should check other options of Japanese Language Education Programs within the University of Tokyo(*) and contact the GS Program Committee by e-mail: gs-gsa[at]global.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp <Replace [at] with @. *Other options of Japanese Language Programs>> https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/adm/inbound/en/programs-language-j.html
The above are the minimum requirements. Students are welcome to take other courses offered at either the Komaba Campus or the Hongo Campus. Please note that some courses have enrollment restrictions and are not open to exchange students. Please refer to the Online Catalogue for courses available to exchange students: https://catalog.he.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ustep-index

② The exchange period started in or before 2026S semester

In order to complete the GSA Program, students must obtain the following credits by the end of their exchange period.

6 credits from the following courses:
- Praxis in Global Liberal Arts
- Lectures in Global Liberal Arts I - III
- Seminar in Global Liberal Arts I - III
6 credits from the Japanese Language courses offered at Komaba Campus

Students can take the above courses in one semester or spread them over two semesters.
Students are required to have already completed the placement test for taking Japanese language courses. Students are only allowed to take courses at their designated level.
There are Japanese language courses for native/near-native level speakers such as English-Japanese Interpreting, which also require the placement test. It is therefore recommended that even students fluent in Japanese complete the placement test.
Students at a native or near-native level in Japanese (JLPT N1) can take any senior-division courses of the College of Arts and Sciences that are conducted in Japanese and open to exchange students, and have the credits counted towards the requirement 2) above.
Students who completed the placement test with a result that does not allow them to take any Japanese courses offered in Komaba should check other options of Japanese Language Education Programs within the University of Tokyo *and contact the GS Program Committee by e-mail: gs-gsa[at]global.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp <Replace [at] with @. * Other options of Japanese Language Education Programs>> https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/adm/inbound/en/programs-language-j.html
The above 1 and 2 are the minimum requirements. Students are welcome to take other courses offered at either the Komaba Campus or the Hongo Campus. Please note that some courses have enrollment restrictions and are not open to exchange students. Please refer to the Online Catalogue for courses available to exchange students: https://catalog.he.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ustep-index
USTEP students entering in and after April 2025 must follow a new rule restricting their Japanese language courses up to 2 classes per week. If you wish to complete the GSA program in 1 semester, you need to get special permission from the USTEP office, Hongo for taking 3 Japanese classes per week. This applies only to USTEP students whose exchange period started in 2025S, 2025A and 2026S. Please check the details on the USTEP Type U: Portal Site "④Restriction on Japanese Language Courses": https://sites.google.com/g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ustep-typeu/courses/course-registration_1?authuser=0#h.yixwc2862kkx

FAQ

Q1：I will stay at UTokyo for 2 semesters, but I could not complete GSA’s requirements within the 1st semester. Can I continue to take GSA courses in the second semester?
A1：Yes, certainly. You can take GSA courses in one semester or spread them over two semesters. You do not have to submit the GSA registration form again in the second semester.

Q2：I am staying at UTokyo for 2 semesters and I have finished all GSA requirements in the 1st semester. May I get the GSA certificate while I am in Japan?
A2：The GSA certificate will be awarded after all the results of your exchange period have come out. Therefore, the certificate will be sent to your home university after you have returned. Certificates will be delivered around April for students who finished their program at UTokyo after the A semester, and around September for those finishing after the S semester.

Q3：May I get the GSA certificate by data?
A3：No, in principle, you cannot get the certificate by data.

Q4：May I take Japanese language courses in Hongo Campus?
A4：The GSA program is run by faculty members at the College of Arts and Sciences, which is based on Komaba Campus.
You are welcome to take other courses offered at Hongo Campus but the credits of these courses do not meet the GSA requirements. If there are no Japanese courses you can take at Komaba Campus, please contact the GS Program Committee by e-mail (see "Contact" at the bottom of this page.)

Messages from the Global Studies Committee

Explore the world and map your future in Komaba!

Takashi ODA
Associate Professor
Director of the Global Studies Committee 2026
The College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo

Komaba is bigger than you think. As big as the World? Perhaps!

Yoshiaki MIHARA
Associate Professor
S-Semester Vice Director of the Global Studies Committee
The College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo

Enjoy meeting and studying with students from all over the world!

Tomofumi KITAMURA
Professor
A-Semester Vice Director of the Global Studies Committee
The College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo

Study and have fun together here in Komaba.
Our students are thrilled to meet you!

Yuki HIROSE
Professor
Member of the Global Studies Committee
The College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo

GS Student Staff Members

The GS Student Staff Members are employed to support events organized by the GS/GSA program committee. In addition, they planned and hosted regular Lunchtime Gatherings and a Gathering Event in the evening for international and Japanese students during 2026S Semester.
Thank you very much to Kim, Mioka, Misaki, Shotaro and Yuanxi for your contributions! You did a great job working in an international team and offered many exchange opportunities for students on Komaba campus.

Working as a GS student staff member gave me many opportunities to connect with both Japanese and international students. We organized lunchtime gatherings, evening events such as the Karuta, and supported GS lectures and campus visits for students from other universities. Talking with people from different backgrounds was always interesting, and I learned a lot through these experiences. It was sometimes challenging to speak in front of groups or help facilitate events, but everyone in the GS team was very supportive. I’m grateful to have been part of such a welcoming community. (MK)

Reflecting back on my time as GS staff in 2026 S semester, a word that comes to my mind is 'encounter'. While organising and managing events such as Lunchtime gathering, Karuta-card quiz night and lecture events, I saw many encounters. Whether it is with people or new ideas, these events were like bridges connecting us to something new. I think little encounters such as this one aggregate to make U-Tokyo a more enjoyable and international environment. I found playing a part in this as a GS Staff to be very fulfilling, and I highly recommend this opportunity to anyone interested. (SK)

先学期に引き続きGS Student Staffを務め、交流イベントに関われたことを嬉しく思います。初めは語学力に不安がありましたが、GSの授業やスタッフとしての活動で慣れていったことで、今学期は比較的自信を持ってMCができたと思います。来学期以降は留学に行くため直接関わることはできませんが、GSの活動がさらに拡大することを願っています。(MH)

Working as a GS student staff member has been a rewarding experience. I helped run lunchtime gatherings, evening events, and lecture sessions, and also worked as a moderator. Through these activities, I met students from different backgrounds and helped create a welcoming space for交流and connection. The role also improved my communication, teamwork, and event management skills. It was especially satisfying to see participants enjoy the events and connect with one another. (NK)

I greatly enjoyed working as a GS student staff member, helping to organize various events that allowed me to meet people from a wide range of backgrounds. I believe these events contributed to making Komaba a place of exchange and interaction between Japanese and international students, who are otherwise often isolated from one another. At Komaba, students tend to spend most of their time with peers from similar backgrounds or academic fields, so our events created valuable opportunities for people to connect with others they might not normally meet. (SF, 2025A)

As a student staff member who has worked for the GS/GSA program for over one year, I have realized how important this program is, as it gives local students and international students a chance to interact with each other and learn about different cultures. As a student, not only as a staff member, I also really appreciate this opportunity to learn how to work with people from different backgrounds and to become more inclusive. (YZ, 2025A)

Events during 2026S
Lunchtime Gatherings during 2026S/ 2026A

Apr 30 Lecture "How Babies Learn to Talk: ..."
May 15 Exchange with Students of Rochester Institute of Technology
May 20 Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation
May 27 Lecture “Co-Innovating the Future from Hida: ....” zoom
Jun 17 Evening Gathering "KARUTA-Card Quiz Night!"
Jul 10 “A Musical Tour of Lebanon: Lecture and Concert”
Jul 15 "ECHOES OF PLACE" a Folklore & Hauntology Media Showcase

Events during 2025S/A
Lunchtime Gatherings during 2025S / 2025A

Apr 17   Online Gathering
May 9    Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation
May 13   Evening Gathering “RANDOM! Kitchen”
Jun 19   Lecture&Get-together “Intersectionality in Japan”
Oct 22　 Online Gathering zoom
Nov 6 　Evening of Sankyoku (co-organized event)
Nov 11 　Lecture "Witchcraft and Modernist Literature" zoom
Nov 17 　Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation
Nov 28 　Lecture "Nothing is more intolerable than a neighbor's success - how Putin follows Catherine II's example" zoom
Dec 12 　Evening Gathering "Random Kitchen 2"
Dec 26 　Lecture "Water and Knowledge" zoom
Jan 8 　Experiencing Japanese Tea Ceremony SADOU
Jan 13 　Lecture "Does a No-First-Use Policy Undermine Deterrence?"
Jan 15Lecture "Comprehending variable speech"

Events during 2024S/A
Lunchtime Gatherings during 2024S / 2024A

Apr 11   Online Gathering　
Apr 25   Letting Sakura Go　
May 9      Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation　
Jun 24   Lecture “Australian Multiculturalism Today”　
Jul 4 GSI-Wings Lecture “Political Cartoon beyond Nationalism: The Representation of the Occupied Palestine in the Works of Naji al-Ali (1983-1987)” on Zoom　
Oct 10   Lecture “The Battle for Ukraine’s History”
Oct 16   Online Gathering　
Nov 07 Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation　
Dec 05 Trivia Night !　
Dec 10 GSI-Wings Lecture “Introduction to Art and Experimental Film: American Avant-Garde and Psychedelic Films” on Zoom　
Dec 17 GSI-Wings Lecture "Rethinking the Origin of Welfare State: Malthusianism and the Right to Subsistence in Postwar Japan " on Zoom　
Jan 08   Experiencing Japanese Tea Ceremony SADOU　
Jan 10   Students' Presentations "Japan and the Pacific Ocean"　
Jan 15   GSI-Wings Lecture "Art Using Living Organisms and Ethics”　
Jan 20   Lecture “Hate Speech and Fake News: How Far should the Law Go?”　

Events during 2023S/A

Lunchtime Gatherings during 2023S / 2023A
Apr 20 Open Chat Forum on Zoom
May 18 Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation
Jun 30 "Leading through Change: Conversation with a Maasai Elder" on Zoom
Jul 13 "Exploring TOKYO" English Documentary Film Festival
Oct 18 Online Gathering
Nov 02 Experiencing ZAZEN Meditation
Nov 30 Game Night
Dec 05 Lecture "Making Sense of Interpretation that Makes Sense"
Dec 15 Lecture "How do Countries Respond in Times of Economic Security Crises?" on Zoom
Jan 10 Experiencing Japanese Tea Ceremony SADOU
Jan 15 Lecture "What Makes a Sentence Easy or Difficult to Comprehend?" on Zoom
Jan 19 Students' Presentations "Japan and the Pacific Ocean"
Feb 16 Lecture "How Do Second Language Learners Acquire Grammar?" on Zoom

Contact

Global Studies Program Committee
within the Globalization Office, 21KOMCEE West B1F
The University of Tokyo, KomabaⅠCampus
gs-gsa[at]global.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp <<please replace [at] with @.