Launched in 2012, the Global Leadership Fellows Program connects Waseda University with six universities in the United States. It is a model of curricular collaboration between Japanese and U.S. institutions, as well as the development of meaningful dialogue between Japanese and U.S. students and faculty. Waseda students selected for the program participate in four years of special coursework and activities. They spend their second year at one of the U.S. universities, then participate in a year-long zemi with students from those universities back at Waseda during their third year.

U.S. students in the program enroll in a preparatory seminar during spring semester of their second year, engaging with the Waseda students on their campus. They then spend their third year at Waseda, participating in the bi-national zemi. The U.S. are Columbia University, Georgetown University, Dartmouth University, the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania and University of California at Berkeley.

The objective of the GLFP is the nurturing of global leaders who

• have a solid knowledge of and respect for the histories, cultures and societies of both Asian and Western countries and who have the ability to make sound judgements and decisions informed by that knowledge, and

• possess personal communication skills and embody values respected around the world, such as courage, trust, and a commitment to service, in addition to high intellectual and analytical abilities.

This page includes several key documents concerning the GLFP.

• View the Waseda University website on the program.
• View University of Washington’s description of the program.
• View videos on the program. Additional videos can be found here.

Waseda Global Leadership Fellows Program (GLFP)

Program Statement

Every age needs leaders. Ours is an age that needs leaders of a special kind, leaders who think beyond boundaries. Through the Global Leadership Fellows Program (GLFP), Waseda and prominent American universities identify students of promise in multiple fields of study and promote their development as leaders in a world of ever-changing demands and opportunities.

The Integrated Study Year

The GLFP has special educational modules – the U.S.-Japan Zemi and the Global Leadership Fellows Forum (GLF Forum) – at the center of its core curriculum.

In the U.S.-Japan Zemi, 10-15 Fellows from the prominent American universities will join another 10-15 Waseda Fellows returning form their one-year of study abroad in each American university and conduct individual/group research under the close supervision of professors. A ”Zemi” is a unique Japanese-style collaborative seminar and an internationally acclaimed small-group pedagogical method.

The GLF Forum provides a setting for community building among U.S.-Japan GLFP Fellows. Unlike the U.S.-Japan Zemi, which is divided into two groups by academic disciplines and for pedagogical efficiency, all the Fellows will meet every week in the forum. The proactive involvement of students and constructive discussions that will take place in this forum will be the foundation for building the leadership skill.

In addition, a field trip to Beijing, China is scheduled during the spring break.

Disciplinary Courses in English allow Fellows to continue to pursue their major field of study. Also internship opportunities where students may gain valuable professional experience will be offered by the program.

Curriculum model

First year

Basic Education

We recommend that students begin to take courses in the university-wide Global Leadership Studies minor from their first semester at the University. The minor’s English-language courses on the histories, cultures and societies of Asian and Western countries will enhance the basic academic knowledge of students.
*Students can also apply to the program without taking courses in the minor.

Selection

From October-November, about 15 Fellows will be selected from the undergraduate student applicants, the majority of whom will be freshmen. Selection will be based on an assessment of their grades, English proficiency, essay, and interviews.

Second year

Introductory education

Through a special, small-group course called the “GLFP Preparatory Comparative Cultures Course,” which focuses on influential ways of thinking about the individual and society in East Asia and the West, the Fellows will acquire basic knowledge essential for global leaders. The Fellows will also learn academic skills such as essay writing in English and presentation techniques through the “GLFP Preparatory English Course” and “GLFP two-day camp (Gasshuku)”(fee-based). And the Fellows start to fill in the GLFP portfolio* from around this time.

Study abroad

The Fellows will travel to the United States to study at one of the prestigious partner universities that participate in this program in order to expand their general knowledge of Asian and Western societies, and they will also take courses relevant to their major at Waseda University

Third year

After returning home

Together with Fellows studying at Waseda University from the U.S. partner universities, the Waseda Fellows will participate in the U.S.-Japan Zemi and the Global Leadership Fellows Forum. They also will work on a group project which seeks to address an issue of global significance. The outcomes of the project will be presented at appropriate venues in Japan

Fourth year

Thesis

From the fall term of the fourth year, Fellows will start writing their thesis in English under the supervision of the professors of the U.S.-Japan Zemi. The topics of the individual student thesis will be related to the themes of the Zemi and the Global Leadership Fellows Forum