PROGRAM IN ECONOMIC
AND PUBLIC POLICY
Graduate School of Business Sciences,
Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Tsukuba

Honing Skills and Knowledge
to Contribute to Society.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Program in Economic and Public Policy (PEPP)

community of highly trained professionals

for the conception, design, and implementationsocial development. Participants from previous

aims to provide training and the necessary skillsof development policies with emphasis onquantitative skills with modern technologies.

Faculty members of PEPP work on a variety

of issues of development, including economic
growth, poverty reduction, enhancing agricultural
production efficiency, human capital accumulation,international trade policies and environmental
issues in developing countries. We endeavor tocontribute to the creation of an international

addressing the daily challenges of economic andcohorts have taken up prestigious positions

back in their home countries, some as high-ranked government officers and policy managers,
others as researchers or scholars in academic
institutions. We expect many more talented andmotivated professionals will join us to apply
their newly enhanced knowledge and skills to

help accelerate the pace of economic and social
development in their countries.

1

PEPP Alumni: 2009 graduate Tatevik Poghosyan employs the skills and knowledge she gained whilst at PEPP inher current position as Policy Advisor and Economist for Social and Economic Development Canada

SKILL FORMATION
We target mid-career professionals with a solid university
education, and work experience in areas related to policymaking.
Our program is designed to transform students, upon
graduation, to become well-trained mid-career professionals
or government economists who have sufficient knowledge
to design, analyze and implement policy. For this purpose,in our program, we emphasize both quantitative skills toanalyze policy, and skills to communicate to policy makers.
In the program, students are required to write a master’s
thesis based on solid quantitative analysis, and to periodicallypresent their progress to faculty members and other students.

CAREER PROSPECTS
PEPP was established with the purpose ofbuilding strong analytical skills useful for a wide
range of professionals in developing countries. The
program invites those candidates who need soundknowledge of economics in making policy decisions.
While a majority of the student body of the program
are young professionals in the public sector indeveloping countries, the program also accepts
students applying directly after completing theirundergraduate study from any country in the world.
The skills acquired through the program should
prove highly valuable when applied in positions

related to policy development and assessment aswell as other research-oriented positions in the
public sector, or educational institutions. PEPP
is integrated into the curriculum of the Master’s
Program in International Public Policy within the
Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities
and Social Sciences of the University of Tsukuba.
It offers the students opportunities to develop theirabilities in economic and public policy analysis, whileat the same time providing an environment where
they can be exposed to a wide range of academic
subjects in the humanities and social sciences.

Student testimonial
for this, I commend PEPP for this incredible initiative.
It is an important avenue for motivating and exposing

students to experienced professors, building simple
research ideas into great and interesting projects,

preparing scholars to present their research work in
a professional and precise manner, and enhancing

their ability to handle challenging questions. I will

Harold Irumba (Uganda)

forever be grateful for the commitment and selflessadvice from all faculty professors to my research“My experience during the "ResearchWorkshop (Lunch Seminar)"work during the weekly Lunch Seminars. Indeed,

The Research Workshop will always bring great

and time management when discussing my researchmemories of my academic life at University ofTsukuba. I found it an exceptional contribution to myknowledge of research methods in Economics, andthis was a thrilling and practical platform where I
learnt vital skills including preparation, presentation,

project. I am confident that I can now apply theknowledge achieved to deal with real Economic
Policy issues.

2

A Curriculum with Quantitative andQualitative Skills in Economics at its HeartPEPP approaches public policy, and economic and social issues principally through the discipline of economics.
In accordance with the stated objectives of the program, the curriculum is designed to provide advanced academic
and research skills in economics. Students on the program are required to complete 30 credits from the list of
subjects offered. On top of a solid base of compulsory subjects, which provide a firm grounding for participants to go
on to become thorough and accurate economists, students are also able to choose from a broad selection of elective
courses offered by both PEPP and the wider Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Courses Available & the Two Semester Academic YearAn academic year at the University of Tsukuba is organized into two semesters: the FALL semester
from October to March and the SPRING semester from April to September. Courses are normallyoffered for a duration of 10 weeks or 15 weeks, with the exception of some intensive courses lasting fora shorter period. Most courses meet once or twice a week, with sessions of 75 minutes each.
• List of Courses offered in 2022 (may be subject to change)
3

Compulsory
Foundation Subject for Major (lecture-based):
Econometrics I, Econometrics II, Social Development
Major subject (seminar-based):
Research Workshop on International Public Policy A
Research Workshop on International Public Policy B

Compulsory (with some elective element)
Major subject (lecture-based)
Statistics, Intro-intermediate Macroeconomics, Intermediate Microeconomics, Microeconomics,
Development Economics I & II, Public Economics, International Trade, International Finance and Policy,
Economics of Development, Data Management, Advanced Data Management
General Foundation Subjects
Courses under the ‘Global Issues and Global Society’ heading: Food Security, Social Issues, Marine
Environmental Change, The Social Brain, Infection Health and Medical Issues

Elective(examples of just some of the courses available)
Microfinance and Public Policy, Applied Microeconomics I, Policy Analysis and Programme
Evaluation, The Fundamentals of Public Policy and Management, Geographic Information System andSatellite Data analysis for Economists, Internship I & II, Field Work Project etc.

Applying to PEPP
Pepp offers two admission tracks, or paths, to enter the Program:
Scholarship Track

General Track

Applications for applicants who wish to have theirstudies funded by either of the following:

Applications for self-funded applicants and applicants
who wish their studies to be funded by MEXT or JICA

➔ The Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program(ADB-JSP)➔ Self-funded(details on a range of different financial support available
for self-funded students to apply for are available online➔ The Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarshipin the university’s student guidebook: keyword search

Program (JJ/WBGSP)“International Students’ Guidebook”)➔ Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT)(contact your country’s Japanese Embassy or Consulate
directly for details)➔ Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)(details available via JICA’s website and via keyword search“JICA”+”scholarships”+”your country name”)
4

A previous PEPP cohort celebrate arriving on campus
following their matriculation ceremony

Scholarship Track: Alumni Voices

Syed Zulqernain Hussain(Pakistan) graduated in AY 2018
Deputy Director, Economic
Policy Review Department,
Central Bank of Pakistan

Sabina A. Savory (Guyana)
graduated in AY 2018 Economic
and Financial Analyst, Economic
Policy Analysis Unit, Ministry of
Finance, Guyana

ADB: Syed Zulqernain Hussain: The 18 months I spent at the University of Tsukuba is the most memorable
time of my life – from both an academic and personal perspective. Firstly, I am grateful to ADB for
providing me the opportunity to pursue my dream of getting quality education in one of the world’s best
countries. When I was about to land in Japan for the first time, I thought I knew all about Economics
and my journey at PEPP would be very easy as I was working at the Central Bank for six years. But I
was wrong. The bundle of knowledge and education I got here in University of Tsukuba was beyond
my expectations. The professors were so educated and knowledgeable and there was not a single
question which remained unanswered. The professors made sure we ran that extra mile to get a better
understanding of topics we studied. The university also provided me with the opportunity to explore theculture of Japan. The home-stay with a traditional Japanese family is the memory which I will cherish
for the rest of my life. In the end, I would like to highly recommend this course for all students andprofessionals related to economics. The treasure of knowledge I discovered at the University of Tsukuba
will last for a very long time.
JJ/WB: Sabina A. Savoy: I am fortunate to have been provided the opportunity to pursue my Master’s
Degree at the University of Tsukuba, through a Joint Japan/World Bank funded scholarship for the
Program in Economic and Public Policy (PEPP). Being a PEPP scholar was one of the most rewarding
experiences I have ever had. The M.A. at PEPP is a very well structured and challenging program thatoffered me a great opportunity to deepen my knowledge of Economics, with guidance from exceptional
professors. PEPP targets international students and this shifted me towards a more metropolitan outlook,
to experience different cultures and to establish a broad alumni social network. I particularly enjoyed myhomestay experience with a wonderful Japanese family and the many field trips that gave me a fascinating
glimpse into Japanese culture and way of life. Having my own independence and benefiting from richcultural experiences while doing diverse assignments made PEPP the right program for me. Through
PEPP, I have developed a relevant toolbox of skills, experiences and references which enable me to create
lasting impact in Guyana, my home.

Skills for your Future or Continuing Career
The Program in Economic and Public Policy (PEPP) aims to provide training andthe necessary skills for the conception, design, and implementation of development
policies with an emphasis on quantitative skills with modern technologies. Our
program is designed to transform students, upon graduation, to become well-trained
mid-career professionals or government economists who have sufficient knowledge todesign, analyze and implement policy. For this purpose, in our program, we emphasizeboth quantitative skills to analyze policy, and skills to communicate to policy makers.

ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE

DIVERSE EXPERIENCELEARNING ECONOMICSCOURSEWORKSTUDY TRIP
INTERNSHIPLEARN WITH PEERS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDSKNOWLEDGE OF DATA SCIENCE

PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLSSTATISTICAL ANALYSISUSE OF GISUSE OF STATADISTINCTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTTHESIS WRITINGJOINT WORK WITH PROFESSORSCOMMUNICATION SKILLSPRESENTATION OF COMPLEX IDEAS
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLSLOGICAL REASONING

And much, much more (not to mention the
exciting challenge of adapting to life in Japan)...

Regional Breakdown
of PEPP's Students
East Asia &the Pacific
19.3%
Latin America &the Carribean
10.3%
Europe &Central Asia
8.1%

Sub-SaharanAfrica35.9%

South Asia
23.3%

MIDDLE EAST &NORTH AFRICA
3.1%

Extensive Student Support
5

Tsukuba's student support is second to none. Our International Student Center provides a wide range of services tointernational students. Center staff understand the unique needs of students, and are dedicated to helping international
members of the university community enjoy a comfortable life in Tsukuba. Services offered include: pre-departure visa
application assistance, a variety of orientation events to help students familiarize themselves with university facilities,
language training, cultural events, multilingual counseling, scholarship and tuition-waiver advice, etc.

Financial Support• Enrollment and tuition fees exemption: Applicable to all self-funded international students. Exemptions range from the fullamount to 1/3 reduction.
• Extramural Scholarships for Self-funded Students (University Recommendation): Opportunities for application are offeredequally to all self-funded international students. Scholarships are provided by JASSO, MEXT, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Rotary
Yoneyama, Ajinomoto, Docomo, Yamaha, Asahigarasu etc.
• Emergency support: Various financial supports are provided to students if they experience financial difficulties due tonatural disasters in Japan, accidents, or pandemics arising from transmitted diseases.
• Short term loan: Up to 100,000 yen (interest free) per person.

Scholarship for Research Activities & Study Abroad• Habatake Scholarship: Offers scholarships to students who wish to participate in overseas conferences, or conduct groupresearch trips.

Career Support• Division of Career Services: Offers a variety of programs useful for career development.

Medical Services• Health Center: The University’s Health Center provides health care at a low cost for students and faculty members. Services
include medical treatment, health consultations (for internal medicine, orthopedics, psychiatry, dentistry), a free annual
health examination, and first-aid assistance. Psychiatric and mental health counseling are also available by appointment.
Since the Health Center is closely connected to the University of Tsukuba hospital, specialist follow-up consultations can beeasily facilitated, if necessary.
• International Student Counseling (Multilingual): Professional counselors are available to discuss various problems withstudents. Students can either walk in when a consultant is available or make appointment by email.

Experiences that Live on
Japanese Language Class(Exclusive to PEPP students)
All PEPP students new to the Japanese language are provided
with 60 hours of exclusive Japanese language classes to help
them adapt to life in Japan. There is no credit for these special
Japanese classes. 50 class hours are scheduled for the first fallsemester, with the remaining 10 hours taking place in the Springsemester. Students without previous Japanese language learning
experience are required to attend classes regularly and complete assignments on time. Those who pass
the course standard will be awarded a Japanese language certificate. Classes are free, and textbooks areprovided for individual use.

Short-Term Homestay
Along with providing Japanese classes, we offer students theopportunity to live with local Japanese families and learn more about theculture, customs and lifestyle of Japan. After Japanese classes finish in
July, the Short-Term Homestay takes place the first weekend of Augustfor 3 days and 2 nights. Past students almost always comment that thestay is one of the most enduring experiences of their time in Japan.
6Internship Opportunities
Students who wish to undertake an internship are more thanwelcome to do so on the condition that it does not conflict withthe regular academic schedule of the Master’s Program, andreceive one course credit for the period. Internships provide apractical perspective on public policy issues and complement
formal instruction received in the classroom. Most students
choose to complete their internship during the 1st year spring orsummer recess. The duration of an internship depends on the host institution, and periods typically range
from a few weeks to two or three months.

Study Trip
In addition to providing an advanced curriculum taught by
the professors with cutting-edge expertise, PEPP provides
extracurricular activities including a domestic research trip,
often highlighted by past students as a unique source of
academic inspiration. The study trip is usually arranged forthe summer recess and lasts around a week. In the past,
students, together with PEPP professors, have visited Okinawa,
Hiroshima, Nagoya, and Hokkaido, amongst other destinations. During the trip, students and professors
also visit local universities and attend study seminars held by local scholars. The purpose of the study trip
is to enable students to learn more about Japan’s economic system.
All students are invited to participate, with the cost of the trip for scholarship students covered by theirscholarship provider.

Tsukuba Facts
The City• Also known as Tsukuba Science City
• Just 45 minutes from downtown Tokyo by train• 1 in 20 residents holds a PhD• Around 1 in 20 residents are international residents• Residents services in English• Home to an unrivalled selection of national research
institutions: JAXA (Japanese Space Agency), National
Institute for Environmental Studies, National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST), National Research Institute for
Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED)The University
7• Originally established in 1872 as an institution to educate academic
trainers of teachers, otherwise known as a ‘Normal School’• Ranked 285th in QS World University Rankings (2022)• A 16000-strong student body
• 17% of the student population are international students from 55
different countries• 3 Nobel Prize laureates: Dr. Shinichiro Tomonaga, Dr. Leona Ezaki,
Dr. Hideki Shirakawa

Facilities#3: Space to Breathe: The third largest campus in JapanOne of the largest campuses in Japan with facilities to match.

Libraries
There are five libraries on
campus: the Central Library, theArt and Physical Education Library, the Medical
Library, the Library of Library and Information
Science, and the Otsuka Library (Tokyo area).
The university’s libraries hold approximately 2.71
million volumes and about 31,000 periodicals.
In addition, they provide access to about 37,000
e-books and about 32,000 e-journals.

Shopping
Shopping is convenient with
with a wide range of storessituated on campus, including chain grocery
market Kasumi, coffee shops, book stores,
stationary shops, convenience stores, secondhand stores, a bicycle shop, bakeries, andrestaurants and cafeterias, which also provide
vegetarian and Halal food.

Transport

Health &Medical Services
Students have easy access to
the University of Tsukuba's healthcare facilities.
The health center provides regular healthcheckups and treatments for common diseases,
while the university hospital offers cutting-edge
medical services for more serious conditions
should they arise.

Personal Support
Ev e r y n e w i n t e r n a t i o n a l
student is assigned a personal
student assistant, known as a 'Tutor', to help
ease the transition to living everyday life here
in Tsukuba. Charged with the responsibility ofensuring new students settle in smoothly, tutors
are available to help with tasks such as opening
a bank account, registering at the city hall,
applying for a mobile phone contract etc.

Accommodation

Buses run regularly on a loop
around the university campus
connecting the major facilities of the university
with Tsukuba Center Bus station. The bus
station is just a 60 second walk from Tsukuba
train station, the first stop on the Tsukuba
Express line, from where it is possible to travel
to Akihabara (Tokyo) in just 45 minutes.

On-campus accommodation
is guaranteed for all incominginternational students. Residence fees startfrom just 15,000 yen per month.

SportsCultural

The University of Tsukuba
has some of the best sports
facilities in Japan. Our sports science
department has numerous internationallyrecognized staff members. Since 1973, wehave sent over 60 athletes to the Olympics, whohave won an impressive 21 Olympic medals.

There are a wide selectionof Club activities available
within the university, which offer a variety ofcultural experiences unique to Japan: Japanesepottery, Japanese flower arranging, kendo,
judo, Japanese comics (Manga Club) etc.

8Program management
DIRECTOR: Hisahiro Naito

DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Yuko Nakano
UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBAPEPP OFFICE

1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba

Tel: +81-29-853-6785

Ibaraki-ken, Japan 305-8571+81-29-853-6613

www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/

Fax: +81-29-853-6797
Email: wbgsp@dpipe.tsukuba.ac.jp
Url: (General Track)

pepp-cepgt.hass.tsukuba.ac.jp(Scholarship Track) pepp.hass.tsukuba.ac.jp

University Central

9University Hall

Access to
University of Tsukuba

University Hospital

U. of Tsukuba
Loop Bus

Tsukuba Medical Center
Kasuga Campus
walk 7 min

TsukubaBus
60 minIbaraki Airports

Yamanote lineesprTabataNipporiJoban line

Ueno

Shinjuku

Chuo line

Shinagawa
l
rai

ku

u
Ts

45

Bus

in 40 min

m

ei l

Bus

40 min40 minTsuchiura

Bus

ine

Narita Express

Tokyo

Bus

Hitachino Ushiku Arakawaoki

KeisAkihabara
Sobu linebxaE

70 minNarita Airport
Bus
75 minHamamatsucho

o
on

M
yo
Tok
Haneda Airport
Bus 120 min

Program in Economic and Public Policy at the University of Tsukuba

Notable Roles and Continuing Contributions to
Development by PEPP Alumni**includes alumni of PEPP when the program, in its earlier form, was known as ‘DPIPE’ and ‘PEPPM’

Country and year of graduation in brackets• Ms. Stergomena Tax (Tanzania, 1997): Permanent Secretary (highest ranked officer in the organization)of SADC (South African Development Community)• Mr. Ngosa Chisupa (Zambia, 1999): Former Permanent Secretary (highest ranked officer in theorganization) of Ministry of Labor, Permanent Secretary of ministry of Information and President Adviser• Mr. Paul Anthony Austin (Guyana, 1997): Senior economist at IMF• Mr. Hang Sochivin (Cambodia, 2001): Deputy Director, Department of International Cooperation,
Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia• Ms. Astghik Mavisakalyan (Armenia, 2005): Associate Professor, Curtin University, Australia• Mr. Brighton Shayanewako (Zimbabwe, 2005): Director of Division of Foreign Aid, the Ministry of
Finance, Zimbabwe• Ms. Quynh Ngoc Nguyen (Vietnam, 2005): United Nation Population Fund Social Protection andInclusive Growth Program officer• Mr. Damaru Ballabha Paudel (Nepal, 2007): the first director from Nepal in BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)• Mr. Marco Antonio Fernandes Quadros (Brazil, 2005): Former Director, PWC, Brazil• Mr. Hidayat Ullah (Pakistan, 2007) Khan: Department Head of the Department of Economics, Kohat
University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Pakistan• Ms. Ryoko Sato (Japan, 2007): Associate Researcher, School of Public Health, Harvard University• Mr. David Kolitangane (Fiji, 2007): Permanent Secretary (highest ranked officer in the organization) for
Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management in the government of Fiji
• Mr. Edwin Makamba (Tanzania, 2009): Minister of Finance, Private secretary, Tanzania• Mr. Sakeasi Waikere (Fiji, 2009): Acting Permanent Secretary of Office of Prime Minister in Fiji and
Deputy Secretary of Office of Prime Minister in the government of Fiji
• Mr. Carlos S. Guevara (Ecuador, 2011): First Secretary of Mission of Ecuador to the World Trade
Organization (WTO)• Ms. Reshmi Kumar (Fiji, 2011): Director of Planning, Policy and Research, Ministry of Sugar Industry, Fiji
• Ms. Fozia Kiani (Pakistan, 2018): Deputy Director of Planning Commission, Pakistan• Ms. Sabina Savory (Guyana, 2019): Chair of the Board of Directors, Guyana Water Inc. (water utility
company)• Mr. Digafe Tufa Maru (Ethiopia, 2019): executive external adviser of the President of the Central bankof Ethiopia• Mr. Eskindur Worku Yitayew (Ethiopia, 2019): executive external adviser of the President of the Central
bank of Ethiopia• Mr. Alamagir Hossain (Bangladesh, 2020): Deputy Director of Central Bank of Bangladesh

10PROGRAM IN ECONOMIC
AND PUBLIC POLICY

University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan