Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation
for Professional Graduate Business School

Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation, Shizenkan University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2028）

Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation, Shizenkan University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for the Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation,Shizenkan University

The Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation, Shizenkan University, a singlemajor graduate school established in AY2018, defines three institution-wide goals:(a) Develop professionals who possess (i) a sense of mission contributing to steadyand sustainable world development by leading social innovation as a whole, (ii) a
vision of organizational and business management for the 22nd century, and (iii) theskills to turn this vision into reality through leadership that inspires people andorganizations, and builds connections and trust; (b) Promote innovation in global
leadership education by establishing an education program for training whole-person
management leaders; and (c) Help build a prosperous and peaceful human society
through research activities that aim to bridge and integrate Western rationalism andAsian spirituality, while exploring more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic,
corporate, and organizational ideals. The specific objectives of the Graduate School,
adopted based on the above institution-wide goals, are to conduct research on wholeperson management leadership and to train and produce whole-person managementleaders.
An education program dedicated to training and producing “whole-personmanagement leaders” for the 22nd century, a uniquely desired graduate profile, is an
unprecedented endeavor for a higher education institution. With an emphasis onliberal arts education, the graduate program strives to cultivate the four competencies
defined in the degree award policy (diploma policy), namely, “personal will power,”“ability to envision as a management professional,” “ability to mobilize as a leader,”and “abilities to be grounded as a whole person.” A notable feature of the program isthat it provides students with an opportunity to develop a concrete career vision andwork towards its achievement through courses that begin with self-reflection as theylearn about career development and leadership, along with the individual projectcourse in which students undertake field research and prepare project proposals in
the role of a business owner or entrepreneur.
However, there are areas for improvement that the Graduate School needs
to address. First, as a professional graduate school placing an emphasis on educationthat integrates theory and practice, the institution needs to keep improving the contentand methods of teaching in line with its stated mission and purpose, and based on the1Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation, Shizenkan Universitycontinuous evaluation of student learning outcomes. Second, considering the natureof the program operation, the Graduate School should implement systematic andconsistent faculty development (FD) activities with the participation of instructors
who hold positions outside of teaching as well as full-time teachers to ensure thatissues pertaining to education and research are shared and discussed among thefaculty members. Furthermore, while it is appreciated that all courses offered areessential for achieving the Graduate School’s unique goals, and that students benefit
greatly from being taught by both regular full-time teachers and professionals
working in various fields who serve as specially-appointed or adjunct professors, thedistinctiveness of the curriculum makes teaching consistency a challenge in the eventof a change in course instructors. There needs to be a suitable faculty organization
for strengthening the Graduate School’s education that bridges theory and practice.
As for the education and research environment, there are many advantages
to being located in the Nihonbashi district, a business and commercial center ofTokyo. While the Graduate School faces various unavoidable operational restrictions,
efforts should be made to rectify such issues as improving the environment for fulltime teachers to focus on research. During the on-site visit, all teachers interviewed
responded to having no problems with the present education and research
environment, being experienced researchers and practitioners who work
autonomously as professionals. Nevertheless, to promote the graduate program’s
ideal of “intellectual circulation of theory and practice” as well as expand its
education that integrates theory and practice, which is a mainstay of professional
graduate school education, the creation of an environment supportive of thecontinuous research activities of faculty members needs be a priority. It should be
noted that a personal research funding program was launched during the time
between the filing of the certified evaluation and accreditation application and thesite visit. It is hoped that further improvements and additional support schemes will
be seen going forward.
Since its inception, the Graduate School has operated in compliance withthe law, working towards its goal of training and producing “whole-personmanagement leaders” through the development of resources, systems, and structures
such as curricula, student admissions process, and faculty organization. To implement
an education program aimed at achieving its original, unparalleled objectives, theinstitution needs to further strengthen its professional graduate school education that
integrates theory and practice by establishing an effective quality assurance system,
building up its teaching staff, enhancing the education and research environment, and2

Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation, Shizenkan University

facilitating the research activities of its faculty. Another suggestion for improvement
concerns the Graduate School’s desired graduate profile of an “whole-personmanagement leader,” which is communicated in the mission statement and themessage of the founder and president. A more creative means of communication
should be sought to widely disseminate the unique attributes and characteristics theinstitution aspires to develop, and to more effectively promote the social significanceof the Graduate School across society. Going forward, the Graduate School should
explore the ideals of a new business school for the 22nd century, formulate a mediumand long-term vision as required by JUAA’s Professional Graduate Business School
Standards, and begin to devise and implement strategies to deliver those visions. The
Graduate School is expected to continue its self-study and improvement efforts
beyond those required by law in order to elevate the institution’s prominence in Japanand abroad and achieve further growth.

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