Invitation to the Graduate School ofIntercultural Studies
Dean’s Message
It is common knowledge that the world around us is changing more and more due to what we callglobalization. In fact, while global exchange has a long history, as seen in the Silk Road, the speed
and degree of this exchange has been incomparably greater in recent years. Furthermore, advances in
information and communication technologies (ICTs) are changing our forms of communication. In the
post-COVID world, the range of things that can be performed online has undoubtedly expanded. The
recent development of generative AI also foreshadows the emergence of a new other.
When people and cultures with differing backgrounds and values come into contact, it is natural that
intense friction and conflict occur. There are deep-seated issues that cannot be fixed by simply making
small changes in the way we think. Furthermore, in recent years, the so-called ‘Anthropocene’ has
become a major issue of human intervention in the natural environment. How then should we live in thisworld?
Francis B. Nyamnjoh (1961-), an anthropologist and philosopher from Cameroon, seeks to view theessence of the world through the lens of ‘incompleteness’ of all existence. In this world, ‘incomplete’humans have created an incomplete world by facing and drawing from incomplete things andsupernatural forces. This includes man-made things such as ICTs. It may all be superficial, as with the‘curious creature’ depicted by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola ( 1920-1997 ), which uses borrowed material
to disguise itself as a ‘complete gentleman’. In The Palm-Wine Drinkard , the ‘curious creature’ is nothing
more than a skeleton.

Professor Kiyoshi Umeya
The 8th Dean of the Graduate Schoolof Intercultural Studies

Encounters with that which is alien rarely provide ideal balance, harmony, symphony or polyphony, regardless of the degree of effort. Rather, they areusually accompanied by cacophony (dissonance) that is a typical reflection or symbolization of our modern activities such as academic research.
Nevertheless, Nyamnjoh does not despair about the world or humanity. According to him, humans must recognize this cacophony and negotiate andcome to terms with it, while at the same time resisting the temptations of division, isolation, and domination, and ultimately aim to realize conviviality inwhich they can share mutual benefits such the benefits of collaborative research.
Human society is always at risk of devolving into a zero-sum game in which the strong unilaterally exploit the weak based on a single value system. Thisis something that not only Nyamnjoh, but various other outstanding thinkers have sounded the alarm about in unison.
Nyamnjoh states that living as a human being is ultimately a cycle of borrowing and lending. It is important to recognize that the nature of life isborrowing and lending and that there are debts that can never be repaid. That is, there are debts to that humans owe the natural environment,
resources, and supernatural forces such as our ancestors that cannot be repaid.
We tend to forget that our current existence is the result of having received various things from various places. In a sense, we are always in debt, andmany of those debts cannot be repaid by the persons who have received benefits. Some things in life cannot be repaid. It is also easy to forget that all
humans are interconnected and that we support and depend on each other. We forget that the logic of reciprocity, donation, distribution, and altruism is
one of the essences of human nature and sociality, and is the most fundamental survival strategy.
As ‘incomplete’ human beings, we need various tools to ensure survival. Yet it is often the case that there might be no ready-made tool available thatmatches the need. It requires a process similar to bricolage, in which items that may seem like junk at first glance are put together to create something.
And since we are gathered in an academic environment, I make bold to remind us that there is no successful research that is not built on bricolage, As
researchers therefore, we are bricoleurs.
The rule of bricolage is to make do with what is available, that is, with the tools and materials that are at hand at the time. All tools and materials are
miscellaneous items that are collected without regard to what the ultimate aim at that time is. They are not collected with a certain purpose in mind.
The stock is updated and increased on various occasions, and collection from previous creations and destructions is performed. The persons involved
confirm if the tools are appropriate for the intended operation and if it seems necessary, it is possible to change tools at any time or simultaneously use
multiple tools without hesitation, regardless of whether if the origin or form of the tool is alien.
Regarding undergraduate and graduate school education, there is often discussion about how to acquire skills and abilities that will be visibly useful after
graduation. This is not necessarily wrong. However, if one falls into teleology, where one considers a simple purpose and the means to reach it as a set,a shallow and simplistic way of thinking ends up developing.
We should look far into the future, as humans are much more complex and multifaceted. Things that are useful at present quickly become useless. Of
course, we would also like to provide you with things that are directly connected to your career, but our greatest desire is to create a place where you
can unexpectedly encounter a ‘someone’ or a ‘something’ that will support you when the things that you used to rely on are no longer useful. It may bedifferent for each person. Rather, it should be. For example, for one person, it might be French language skills, but for another, it might be networking
and communication with friends far from home who were encountered while studying abroad, and for another, it might be a piece of poetry that theperson happened to come across in a the corner of a classroom or the library written by a complete stranger or a wayfarer.
Rather, what we would like to provide more than tools (i.e., skills) with a clear purpose, is an environment that provides an encounter with something
different for each person that will support that individual's future. In the extreme, it is a place of ‘encounter’ with something that dramatically transforms‘life’. Here, bricolage-like miscellaneousness takes on a positive meaning. I believe our specialized 15 courses in two departments are well structured toprovide such encounters. Fortunately, there are already many researchers and practitioners active in various fields who were together with us for several
years. It is my sincere hope that within this graduate school, each of you will be able to find this ‘something’ that will support himself or herself. I call on
all of us to become incomplete bricoleurs with the ambition of undauntingly propelling our Graduate School towards higher heights.

46 ｜ 神戸大学大学院国際文化学研究科

(1) Pursuit of cultural research that understands culture as a complex entity and takes intercultural relations as its perspective.
(2) Dynamic research into culture as a complex entity with attention to intercultural interaction in such forms as conflict, fusion, and interchange.
(3) Multifaceted studies of cultural transformations amid the globalization of contemporary society.
(4) Development of advanced communication research related to language and information.
(5) Execution of a shift from monocular, single paradigms that apply over-simplistic dichotomies such as central / peripheral, civilized /uncivilized, and advanced / backward to pluralistic, multiplex paradigms, and the creation of research methodologies adapted to the culturaldynamics of contemporary society.

Admission Policy, Diploma Policy
Admission Policy

Diploma Policy
Degree:Master of Arts

The objective of the Kobe University Graduate School ofIntercultural Studies is to cultivate individuals who have a
deep understanding of intercultural phenomena and flexible
communication skills, as well as strong scholarship andcreative research skills.
In view of this educational goal, the Graduate School seeks
students who have the following characteristics.

Master’s Program•Have a keen interest in understanding culture as a complex
entity and pursuing multifaceted studies that convey therichness of intercultural relations.
•Have a keen interest in understanding the dynamics oflanguage and information communication and addressing
the various problems that confront contemporary global
society.

•Have a keen interest in carrying out interdisciplinary
research with high standards of expertise.

The Graduate School of Intercultural Studies awards
degrees as follows, based on Kobe University
Diploma Policy.
•Students are enrolled in a master's program at
the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies fora period of two years or more. They must obtain
the prescribed credits required to complete theprogram, receive the required research guidance,and pass final examinations as well as a review of
their master's thesis or the results of their specificresearch task. It may be possible for students
with excellent results to complete their studies in ashorter period.
•Prior to completing postgraduate study, students
are expected to acquire the following skills in
addition to the capabilities set out in Kobe University
Diploma Policy.
Department of Cultural Interaction
1. The ability to research relationships between
different cultures from multiple angles while
understanding that cultures are diverse andmutually affect one another, resulting in culturaltransformation.
2. The ability to carry out interdisciplinary research
informed by a high degree of specialization.
Department of Culture and Globalization
1. The ability to tackle various issues that today's
global society is facing, with a deep understandingof the dynamics of linguistic communication andinformation technology.
2. The ability to carry out interdisciplinary research
informed by a high degree of specialization.
Degree :Doctor of Philosophy

The objective of the Kobe University Graduate School ofIntercultural Studies is to cultivate individuals who have a
deep understanding of intercultural phenomena and flexible
communication skills, as well as strong scholarship andcreative research skills.
In view of this educational goal, the Graduate School seeks
students who have the following characteristics.

Doctoral Program•Have a keen interest in clarifying cultural phenomena,
understanding the dynamics of culture as a complex entity,and exploring an advanced field of cultural research.
•Have a keen interest in pursuing various language andinformation communication issues and conducting
multifaceted studies focused on the increasingly globalized
modern society.

•Have a keen interest in carrying out cross-disciplinary
research with superior expertise.

The Graduate School of Intercultural Studies awards
degrees as follows, based on Kobe University
Diploma Policy.
•Students are enrolled in a doctoral program at
the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies for aperiod of three years or more. They must obtain
the prescribed credits required to complete thecourse, receive the required research guidance, andpass final examinations as well as a review of theirdoctoral thesis. It may be possible for students withexcellent research results to complete their studies
in a shorter period.
•Prior to completing postgraduate study, students
are expected to acquire the following skills in
addition to the capabilities set out in Kobe University
Diploma Policy.
Department of Cultural Interaction
1. The ability to independently explore cuttingedge fields in cultural research, investigating thestructure and dynamics of various cultures that aretransformed as they mutually affect one another indiverse ways.
2. The ability to carry out cross-disciplinary research
informed by a high degree of specialization.
Department of Culture and Globalization
1. The ability to research the globalized modern
world from multiple angles, addressing various
issues in linguistic communication and information
technology.
2. The ability to carry out cross-disciplinary research
informed by a high degree of specialization.

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Departments and Divisions
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Department
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second language education and production of outstanding practitioners
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advanced global communication, and (3) research foreign language
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Division
Area Studies
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cultural metamorphosis
Intercultural Communication
Diverse exploration of the actual status of intercultural contact,
confrontation, and interchange
Contemporary Culture and SocietyComprehensive research into contemporary social and cultural
circumstances amid the erosion of modern Western principles
accompanying globalization
Human Communication and Information Science
Investigation of issues involving verbal and non-verbal communication
and use of diverse information media
Second Language Education
Advanced research concerning second language education and
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Joint Research Group (Doctoral Program)

CourseJapanology(ZPH7HJPÄJ*\S[\YL:[\KPLZ,\YVWLHUHUK(TLYPJHU*\S[\YL:[\KPLZ
Cultural Anthropology
Comparative
Transcultural Studies
Studies of Civilization and Culture
International Relations and Comparative Politics
Modernity Studies
Contemporary Social Issues
Art, Culture and Society Studies
Linguistics and Communication Studies
Human Communication
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Advanced Communication

Master’s Program – Two Learning Tracks to Meet Your Aspirations
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Different styles for different goals from start to finish²
Career Enhancement Track

Researcher Track

Entrance Exam
(General Admission,Special Selection for
Adult Applicants, andSpecial Selection for
Foreign Students)

1. Test of basic subjects
You must choose one of the following subjects; a foreign language, classical Japanese literature, computer science, or (for nonJapanese applicants only) Japanese. However, the subjects you can choose from also depend on the course to which you are
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2. Test of major subject
3. Oral examination

Curriculum

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information handling and presentation
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small group in an interactive manner rather than a one-way
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lecture.
·Students shall submit a master’s thesis or master’s folio (a·Students who have earned the required credits andcombination of achievements).
submitted a research report can obtain master’s degree.

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48 ｜ 神戸大学大学院国際文化学研究科

Invitation to the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies

Two Educational Tracks
The program has a Career Enhancement Track and a Researcher Track.
Students will have the opportunity to select one after enrollment.
Career Enhancement Track
This track caters to students who intend to enter the workforce after
completing the master’s program. By acquiring broad expertise andpractical applied skills, students seek to develop their career to a higher
level. Students can earn the master’s degree by acquiring the requisite
credits in courses centered on special lectures and by submitting amaster’s research report appropriate for their career design.
Researcher Track
This track caters to students who intend to continue on to enter the
doctoral program. The track offers a curriculum designed to develop
researchers and high-level specialists. To complete the track, students
are required to take requisite credits in courses centered on advanced
expertise seminars and to submit a master’s thesis or a master’s folio.

Academic Skill Seminars
The objective of the seminars is to effectively learn methods andtechniques and acquire other academic skills required for research invarious fields.
· Computer Skills Development· Academic Communication (English)· Academic Writing (English)· Academic Writing (Japanese)· Social Research Methods· Ethnographic Fieldwork· Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences

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Master’s Folio
The master’s folio is comprised of multiple research products that areloosely tied to a single theme, and which can be submitted in place of amaster’s thesis. As a master’s folio does not have to be in the form of asingle thesis, many diverse research products that would previously nothave been accepted as a master’s thesis – compositions, research reports,– are accepted as part of a folio. This makes it easier to conduct appliedresearch that is relevant to one’s work or workplace, and because the work
is divided up and presented on numerous occasions, it also allows for
systematic writing and research.

Doctoral Program – Developing Independent Researchers

Research theme
Research style
Research guidance
Process to obtain PhD
Expected achievements

Coursework Program
Theme suited for the research field of the course
Individual research
The entire teaching staff, especially the advisor, provides support.
<1st year> Present a concept in a joint seminar of the course, publish an academic article and submit a foundational thesis.
<2nd year> Publish an academic article, make a presentation at a conference and submit a preparatory doctoral thesis.
<3rd year> Submit part of a thesis draft to a joint seminar of the course once a month and receive guidance and support fromthe whole teaching staff. Submit a doctoral thesis.
Achievements of academic research where free thinking and creativity are required

国
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交
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Career and Professional Development– Career Paths to the World- As a business professional with an ability totake practical actions·Software engineer·System engineer

Doctoral Program
Leading researchers who promote“international cultural studies” in the world·Researcher at an international organization/
research institute·Researcher at a national/public/corporate
laboratory·Teacher at a college/junior college/specialized
vocational high school
Degrees that can be obtained·Master’s Program
Master’s degree (Master of Arts)·Doctoral Program
Doctor’s degree (PhD)(Master’s Program)·Junior High School Specialized Teacher’s
Certificate (English)·Senior High School Specialized Teacher’s
Certificate (English)

Graduate School of Intercultural Studies ｜ 49

Courses- As business professional with the ability totake practical actions·Employee at a foreign-affiliated company or
joint venture·Employee at a trading company or other typeof company·Personnel for overseas expansion of aJapanese company

Culture and Globalization Department- As a specialist·Cultural policy specialist or art manager withknowledge of music, fine arts and other typesof arts·Journalist or government employee who
addresses the various issues of changing
modern cultures such as gender and public
nature·Junior/senior high school teacher (English) witha high level of expertise·Employee/teacher at a language educationcompany·Editor of language education materials·Researcher/specialist/advisor at a foreign
student center·Japanese language teacher
Interpreter/translator·Employee of a language/IT corporate laboratory

Invitation

Master’s Program
Cultural Interaction Department- As a specialist·Specialist at an international organization suchas the United Nations or JICA
·Official of various public and privateorganizations that plan introductions toJapanese culture and exchanges·Cultural planner at a museum·Junior/senior high school teacher (English) witha high level of expertise·Planner for the cultural exchange programs ofa local government unit or company·Person in charge of training in a foreignaffiliated company or joint venture·Leader of a regional NPO taking the leadin cultural activities and cross-cultural
understanding