Graduate School of International Development

What Graduate School of International Development does

The Graduate School of International Development (GSID) is a graduate school within Nagoya University, one of Japan's leading national research universities. GSID offers Master's and Doctoral programs focused on international development studies, enrolling approximately 40-50 new students annually. The program trains researchers, policy professionals, and practitioners in development economics, public policy, environmental sustainability, and related fields. The school's research output is supported by competitive KAKENHI grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and contract research partnerships with development institutions including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). GSID operates under the regulatory oversight of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as part of the Tokai National University Corporation, the entity formed by the 2020 merger of Nagoya University and Gifu University.

GSID's business model is that of a public academic institution, with operating revenue derived primarily from MEXT operational grants, KAKENHI competitive research funding, contract research with JICA and ADB, and tuition from enrolled students. As a national university graduate school, tuition is regulated at standard national rates and is a minor component of total funding. The school's primary "customers" are graduate students seeking advanced degrees in international development, while its principal funding counterparties are MEXT, JSPS, JICA, and ADB. GSID's value proposition is the conferral of accredited graduate degrees combined with access to research networks and development policy expertise.

GSID's competitive position rests on the Nagoya University brand, MEXT-accredited degree-granting authority, faculty expertise in development studies, and its formal institutional relationships with Japanese and multilateral development agencies. The program competes for students and faculty against other Japanese national university graduate programs in development studies, including those at Hitotsubashi University, the University of Tokyo, and Kobe University. Differentiation is achieved through interdisciplinary research, the integration of Japanese and Southeast Asian development perspectives, and proximity to Japanese development policy institutions.

Name

Graduate School of International Development

Legal name

Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University

Website

https://gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Graduate School of International Development (GSID) is a MEXT-accredited graduate school within Nagoya University offering Master's and Doctoral programs in international development studies, serving approximately 40-50 new students annually and funded primarily by Japanese government grants and development agency partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Graduate education programs
• International development studies
• Doctoral research programs
• Master's degree programs
• Development research training

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition fees including entrance fees (282,000 yen) and semester tuition (267,900 yen). International students from various scholarship programs contribute to operational funding.
2. Government Funding and Research Grants: Base funding from Japanese government through Nagoya University, supplemented by competitive research grants from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) including Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GSID offers graduate degree programs in International Development Studies, including a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy, delivered through an interdisciplinary curriculum covering economic development, education, peace and governance, poverty, and social policy. Instruction is in English, with approximately half of the students being international students from developing countries and mid-career professionals. The programs are supported by scholarship pipelines (MEXT, ADB-JSP), specialized career tracks, internship opportunities, and faculty-led research projects on development issues in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Product overview

GSID offers a multi-layered educational portfolio centered on two primary degree programs: the Master of Arts in International Development and the Doctor of Philosophy in International Development. These core programs are complemented by non-degree pathways (Research Student Program), specialized professional training tracks (Special Program for Global Business Professionals, Global Leader Career Course), scholarship programs (ADB-Japan Scholarship, MEXT), internship opportunities, and open community seminars. The institution also maintains a dedicated library service. The structure positions GSID as a comprehensive academic institution offering sequential educational pathways from professional training through advanced doctoral research, supported by scholarship funding mechanisms and practical industry connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Arts in International Development (Master's Program) Master's degree program covering economic development policy, education and human resources development, inclusive society and state, peace and governance, and poverty and social policy. Designed for international students and mid-career professionals pursuing graduate training in development studies, delivered in English.
• Doctor of Philosophy in International Development (Doctoral Program) Doctoral degree program for advanced research in international development, producing scholars and professionals for academic and policy positions. Accepts approximately 8-14 students annually.
• Research Student Program Non-degree program allowing research students to conduct research on specific topics under academic advisor guidance without pursuing a formal degree.
• Special Program for Global Business Professionals Special curriculum track focused on training professionals for global corporations and international business environments.
• Global Leader Career Course Career development course designed to cultivate global leaders capable of addressing complex international development challenges.
• GSID Library Library service supporting research activities of GSID with extensive collections on international development, economics, and social sciences.
• ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) Scholarship program for nationals of Asian countries covering tuition and living expenses for master's degree study at GSID.
• MEXT (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship Japanese Government scholarship program for international students covering tuition, living expenses, and travel costs.
• Internship Program Internship opportunities providing practical experience in international organizations and development agencies.
• Open Seminars Public lecture series and seminars providing knowledge sharing on international development topics to the broader community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates have been recognized with international awards including ADB-JSP Thesis of the Year Awards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology (MEXT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEXT administers the Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship program which provides full scholarships including tuition, living allowance, and travel costs for international students to study at GSID. This is a primary pipeline for attracting talented international students.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADB partners with GSID through the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP), providing scholarships for students from developing Asian countries to pursue graduate studies at GSID. Multiple GSID graduates and current students have received ADB-JSP Thesis Awards.
• Transnational Doctoral Programs ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSID participates in the Transnational Doctoral Programs for Leading Professionals in Asian Countries, accepting 2 students each from Cambodia and the Philippines annually. Programs focus on legal and development studies.
• Nagoya UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSID is a constituent graduate school of Nagoya University, operating under the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS). Receives institutional support and administrative services from the university.
• International Academic Exchange Partner UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSID maintains academic exchange agreements with universities worldwide for student and faculty exchanges, research collaborations, and joint activities in international development education.
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJSPS provides Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research funding supporting GSID faculty research projects across various disciplines in international development studies.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA collaborates with GSID through lectures by JICA officers, internship opportunities, and research partnerships. GSID regularly invites JICA staff to share development cooperation experience with students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SOAS University of London: London-based specialist university with a Development Studies department covering Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with strong international student base — directly comparable to GSID in international-development graduate education.
• Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex: The UK's leading dedicated graduate institute for development studies, offering MA and PhD programs plus policy research on global development — directly comparable to GSID's blend of graduate teaching and policy-oriented research.
• London School of Economics – Department of International Development: LSE's dedicated development department offers multidisciplinary graduate programs in development economics, policy, and politics — a high-prestige direct peer in international development graduate education.
• Erasmus University Rotterdam – Institute of Social Studies (ISS): A specialized graduate institute within Erasmus focused on development studies, with a strongly international student body from the Global South — mirroring GSID's profile of mid-career professionals from developing countries.
• Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID): Geneva-based graduate-only institute combining international affairs and development studies — the closest European analogue to GSID's combined international-relations and development mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Johns Hopkins SAIS: Premier U.S. graduate school for international relations and international economics, with strong Asia-focused programs — a broader incumbent competing for scholarship-funded development students from Asia.
• Sciences Po – Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA): Graduate school within Sciences Po offering master's programs in international affairs and development with strong regional specializations — a broader incumbent in international graduate education with overlapping development tracks.
• Harvard Kennedy School: Global leader in public policy graduate education with development concentrations and large scholarship-funded international cohort — a high-prestige broader incumbent competing for the same international-development talent pool.

Regional players

• University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP): Japan's leading public-policy graduate school within Japan's top university — a Japanese-region peer with international student body and policy/development curriculum overlap.
• Hitotsubashi University – Graduate School of Economics: Japanese national university with a strong development-economics research tradition and English-language graduate programs — a domestic Japan peer in development-focused graduate education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GSIDINSEIKAI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gsidinseikai
• Facebookfacebook.com/gsidinseikai
• Instagraminstagram.com/gsidinseikai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/graduate-school-of-international-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Graduate School of International Development