Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation
for Professional Graduate Business School

Program for Leadership Development,
Graduate School of Business Administration,
Prefectural University of Hiroshima

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PublicLocation: Hiroshima, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2020
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2021 – March.31.2026）

Program for Leadership Development,Graduate School of Business Administration,
Prefectural University of Hiroshima

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Program for Leadership Development, Graduate School ofBusiness Administration, Prefectural University of Hiroshima

Based on the graduate school objective, “Rooted regionally while working to create
elite researchers and highly specialized professionals with a global perspective,” theProgram for Leadership Development in the Prefectural University of Hiroshima,
Graduate School of Business Administration follows a unique objective of “aiming tobridge the gap between managerial theory and practice while developing highly
specialized and professional business leaders with exceptional skills and extensive
knowledge to guide businesses that require high levels of specialization.”Founded in 2016, this program works to develop “business leaders rooted inthe region” in order to develop business leaders that will improve productivity in thefields of SMEs, social welfare, nursing, medicine, local agriculture, forestry, fisheries,
and other regional issues with a focus on Hiroshima Prefecture. Additionally, in recent
years Hiroshima Prefecture has sought “Shared values (common values) for the regionand society,” so this program offers education geared towards leaders who understand“common value” as well as “individual value”. Specifically, a distinctive feature ofthis program is the inclusion of the courses Regional Resources and Healthcare asspecialized courses corresponding to these fields. Another distinctive feature of theeducational method is the offering of guidance for taking courses to assist students ingradually determining their research project, such as creating individual advisory
periods with faculty, etc. after an omnibus format lecture from faculty during thefreshmen year. Additionally, by utilizing the faculty network both inside the Prefecture
and beyond, faculty provide guidance geared towards creating practical business plans
within research projects. On the research end, the “Project Center of Regional Health
Policy, Business and Management Studies” was established as an engine to drive thedevelopment of healthcare management human resources. The center is held in highregard as a home to specialized researchers and for its strong history of seminars, thesis
preparation, and more.
However, the residual issues below should be addressed.
First, while the program promotes the development of leaders that understandthis new “common value,” the common value is not always clearly defined on campus
and so adequate investigations should be conducted and concrete measures clarified todo so. To expand this idea into the curriculum, the entire faculty must share this1

Program for Leadership Development,Graduate School of Business Administration,
Prefectural University of Hiroshimaphilosophy and the department must utilize opportunities like faculty development
workshops, etc.
Second, since a large number of courses were consolidated in the AY 2018curricula revision, it is difficult to perceive how some courses relate to each other andso each curriculum should be organized systematically because their system andgrouping is unclear. And because many courses are biased towards practical content,
we hope to see improvements in courses that cultivate prerequisite knowledge.
Additionally, because many compulsory subjects have been changed to electives since
AY 2020, the student body requires assistance in understanding the system for theentire curricula through recommended course lists, etc. so that students can study while
keeping track of the careers of alumni. As some courses in the syllabus supplied
inadequate descriptions of prerequisite courses and course requirements, the syllabus
inspection system should be strengthened so that students can create adequate course
plans to progress procedurally through courses.
Third, regarding faculty organization, there are no full-time faculty membersin the SME field, which is the primary focus of this program. There are also noacademic faculty members for some courses that apply core courses and theory. To
adequately bridge the gap between theory and practice in educational programs, fulltime faculty in the primary courses of this program must be hired while additional
efforts are made to hire academic faculty.
The first Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for Professional Graduate
Business School clarified the events of this program from its establishment up to thepresent day and the distinctive features of this professional graduate school that
responds to the needs of the region. However, because the above issues are now known,moving forward, this program should conduct continuous checks and reviews basedon these results. The University should implement reforms and improvements andclarify the mission of this program so those outside the program can better understandit. We hope that the university will use this opportunity effectively to further expand
the features of this program and lead to the further development and enhancement ofeducational and research activities.

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