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SMIPRP Education

Modes of Training

Our program is composed of various modes of training: lectures, individual supervision, practicum, and field trips. We believe that a mix of approaches to learning and development helps enhance our program by enabling students to learn by themselves, with instructors and from each other.

Modes of Training

  1. Lectures

    Most courses are given in the form of lectures. Our lecture classes (modules) run with an average of five students – small enough to encourage questions and discussions.

  2. Individual Supervision

    This is an essential training mode for thesis preparation, with required Thesis 1 (A) and (B) courses, as well as optional meetings held outside regular classroom hours by appointment.

  3. Practicum

    The customs practicum features lectures, workshops, and seminars, and involves visits to regional customs, policy implementation/enforcement, examination, and other management issues. The practicum also involves the presentation of a paper and an additional opportunity to attend workshops led by the Japanese Customs teaching staff.

  4. Field Trips

    During the field trips, scholars visit private firms, public offices, and cultural sites to acquire practical knowledge and a feeling for the Japanese economy and society. In the program, we try to present scholars with the contrasting realities of the Japanese economy.

Academic Curriculum and Courses in 2026

The following courses are offered during 2026-2027. Please bear the notes in mind as follows;

Course Title Credit Semester Instructor
<Strategic Management>
Competitive Strategy Ⅰ 2 Spring  Naoto Nadayama
Competitive Strategy Ⅱ 2 Autumn  Naoto Nadayama
 Management Ⅰ 2 Spring  Jiro Usugami
 Management Ⅱ 2 Autumn  Jiro Usugami
Organizational Management Ⅰ 2 Spring  Kyoko Kato
Organizational Management Ⅱ 2 Autumn Kyoko Kato
HRM & Leadership I 2 Spring Yukiko Nakagawa
HRM & Leadership Ⅱ 2 Autumn Yukiko Nakagawa
<Intellectual Property Rights>
 Intellectual Property Rights Ⅰ 2  Spring  Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Ai Nemoto
 Intellectual Property Rights Ⅱ 2  Autumn  Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Ai Nemoto
 IPR Enforcement at the Border 2 Spring  Yukiko Sakurai
 Copyright Law 2 Spring  Daiki Ishikawa/Atsushi Okada
<Customs Administration>
 Practicum in Customs Administration 2 Spring Yoshihiro Kosaka
 Customs Law 2 Spring Jitsuya Hasegawa
Customs Tariff Law 2 Spring Jitsuya Hasegawa
Customs Reforms & Modernization 2 Autumn  Yuko Tsuda/Takemasa Murayama
 <Research Methodology>
 Master's Thesis Ⅰ (A) *Required 2 Spring  Usugami/Nadayama/Nakagawa/Kato
 Master's Thesis Ⅰ (B) *Required 2 Autumn  Usugami/Nadayama/Nakagawa/Kato
Statistical Analysis 2 Spring  Michiko Miyamoto
 Academic Writing 2 Spring  Andrea Corina Cinteza
 Writing the Research Paper 2 Autumn  Andrea Corina Cinteza
Japanese language No credit Spring & Autumn Yuko Harada

01. A minimum of 30 credits is required to graduate.
02. Master's Thesis I (A) & I (B) are compulsory to write the thesis under a supervisor whom students are required to choose from the full-time faculty members (Kyoko Kato / Naoto Nadayama / Yukiko Nakagawa) upon respective research themes.

03. Japanese language courses (non-credit) are offered both in Spring and Autumn semesters.

Academic Calendar

2026-2027 Academic Year

Spring
Date Event/Deadline
April 1
Entrance Ceremony Academic Orientation/Master Thesis Orientation
Medical Check-up
April 6
Spring Semester Begins
April 15
Course Registration of the First Semester Ends
July 31
Spring Semester Ends
August 1 - September 12
Summer Break
Autumn
Date Event/Deadline
September 14
Autumn Semester Begins
September 24
Course Registration of the Second Semester Ends
End of September or Early October
Interim Presentation
October 30- November 1
Aoyama Campus Festival
December 23 - January 7
Winter Break
January 8
Autumn Semester Resumes
Late January
Submission of Master's Thesis
February 3
Autumn Semester Ends
February 3
Spring Break Begins
End of February
Final Presentation and Defense
March 27
Graduation Ceremony

Thesis titles of the academic year 2025-2026 graduates

For your reference, the following is a list of thesis titles during the academic year 2025-2026.

  • 01.An Exploration of the Determinants Impacting Extended Clearance Durations for Imports in Bangladesh Zahedi Md. Shayekh Arefin
  • 02.The Influence of Communication and Support on Organizational Restructuring and Performance: A Case Study of Botswana Unified Revenue Service Mannathoko Kutlo
  • 03.Mapping Narriers and Facilitators in IPR Border Enforcement: Leveraging Blockchain and Machine Learning for Stronger IPR Border Enforcement in India Menon Balasubramanyan Ramachandran
  • 04.The Influence of Strategic Public-Private Collaboration on the Effectiveness of Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement at Kenya's One-Stop Border Posts Chepkole Gideon Koech
  • 05.Strategic Management and Its Impact on Customs Enforcement Performance in Mauritius. Bansroy Moonish
  • 06.Exploring the Link Between Organizational Change and Human Resource Management in the Public Sector: A Study of the Pakistan Customs Service Sikandar Aasma
  • 07.The Influence of Job Rotation on Employee Performance by Examining the Meditation Role of Job Satisfaction and Job Motivation: An Empirical Study of Sri Lanka Customs Abhayawardana Neththasinghe Mudiyanselage Chandima Sumal Sri
  • 08.Complexities in Safeguarding Intellectual Property Rights in Food Products: Focus on Trademarks and Geographical Indications at Ports of entry in Zimbabwe Sharara Angeline Hazvinei