Graduate School of Regional Business and Economics

Philosophy and Aims

The Graduate School of Regional Business and Economics was established in 1998 with the philosophical aim of refining the spirit of entrepreneurship, which can create new possibilities in economics and commercial science. Specifically, the graduate school was established to train businesspersons, researchers, and educators who can play an active role in the local community by forming a base that combines the functions of human resource development and research with the following goals: (1) to train highly specialized professionals who can bring their expertise and comprehensive knowledge to fruition in the real world and become the driving force behind local industrial development, and (2) to further promote research activities based on organic cooperation in the fields of economics, business administration, marketing, accounting, and information science. Consequently, the graduate school offers an interdisciplinary curriculum with the primary goal of training professionals who can perform as specialists in business and government.

Department of Regional Business and Economics

Regional Socio-Economic Systems
Today’s socio-economic system in Japan requires great change. The Division of Regional Socio-Economic Systems aims to understand the local community as a total system from the perspective of local decentralization, sovereignty, and autonomy to thoroughly understand the construction of regional socio-economic systems.

Industrial Organization
The Division of Industrial Organization focuses on theoretical, empirical, and policy-related research. Its goal is to provide students with insights and practical skills related to changes in the socio-economic system and trends in industrial organization.

Okinawan Economics
The Division of Okinawan Economics focuses on theoretical and empirical research on Okinawa’s economy, which has a unique history and socio-economic structure quite different from the rest of Japan. By pursuing such research, students learn about methods of economic analysis and acquire economic reasoning skills.

Environmental Economics
The Division of Environmental Economics investigates sustainable economic development possibilities that ease the tension between the environment and the economy. This trade-off arises when one is sacrificed to give priority to the other. As part of that investigation, students learn about the assessment of environmental economic value, including techniques, fundamental theories, and surveys.

Applied Econometrics
The Division of Applied Econometrics concentrates on research analyzing economics and social information using econometric methods and various statistical analysis techniques to find applications to the real world. The division aims to train students to strengthen their ability to provide logical analysis and to present the grounds for decision-making, two skills required in the business workplace.

Community Development
In the Division of Community Development, students scientifically analyze economic and social trends from a regional perspective to discover underlying principles and strengthen their insights and practical skills. A community is an area of homogeneity or that shares similar social phenomena and current events. Still, an analysis of the local Okinawa community should be extended to Asia and the world.

Regional Distribution Systems

The Division of Marketing focuses on empirical research on tourism businesses, area marketing, local branding, and local consumer behavior. The division helps students acquire the knowledge and analytical ability needed to analyze the local market, from local and international perspectives.

Comparative Management
The Division of Comparative Management focuses on clarifying the direction and character of Japanese corporate strategies through a comparative analysis of corporate management in various countries during this period of economic globalization. The division aims to provide students with insight and analytical ability concerning management, especially from the perspective of effectively utilizing human resources, while also strengthening their spirit of entrepreneurship.

Financial Affairs
The Division of Financial Affairs studies the tax system and fiscal policy. It aims to teach students to analyze the various problems facing Japan’s tax system from an economic perspective and to deepen their theoretical thinking and insight.