GLP GEfIL (English)

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An international program for students in the senior division to cultivate students with leadership skills in the international community.

Basic Information

Official Name

The University of Tokyo Global Leadership Program (GLP-GEfIL)

Official Website
Facebook
Category

International

Eligibility

Two years in the senior division (2nd-year undergraduate students and 1st-year PEAK students)

Duration

2nd year - 4th year (2 years)

Year of Establishment

2014

How to Apply

Applicants must earn 6 credits from at least 2 areas of GLP-designated courses and take the TOEFL or IELTS exam (according to the application guidelines, a TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS score of 7.0 is recommended). The deadline for application is usually the end of August of the second year of undergraduate (first year of undergraduate school for PEAK students).

Selection

Yes

Fee

No fee is required.

■ Program Philosophy

This is an official UTokyo program for students in the senior division, which was established in 2014 with the philosophy of "fostering leadership human resources in the international community". The program aims to nurture future leaders in all fields.
 

■Program Overview

The program is conducted in the way shown in the diagram above, and students take courses in English for two years. Students who wish to participate in the program should be aware that it is necessary to take designated courses in the junior division. For more details, please click here. In addition, information session for this program are usually held from April to July each year around 10 times. The interview with the head of the GLP Promotion Office (Japanese article) by UmeeT is also useful to learn more about this program.
 

■ The Content of the Program

With the following 12 credits, the program will be completed, and a certificate of completion will be issued in the name of the President of UTokyo. Some faculties accept the credits which are required to graduate.
 

〈4 credits - Practical Research
・Practical Research is the core of the GEfIL program. Each group including 3 to 6 students should set the theme, conduct research, and present the result. Students are guided in their research by faculty members with whom students are not able to get involved during their undergraduate years of study.
・The two-year program is divided into PHASE 1 and PHASE 2. PHASE 1 offers research skill-set classes and lectures from globally active professionals.
・PHASE 1 (until Fall of junior year): Students will set a theme such as a social problem, and conduct research and plan solutions as a group. Specific themes include "poverty among single mothers," "gender issues at UTokyo," "food loss," "education for children with foreign roots," etc.
・PHASE 2 (from the fall of 3rd year): Students will dig into each specific theme and present their research in English in the spring of their senior year.

〈Equivalent to 4 credits - Overseas Program
・Students will participate in two overseas programs during their two years of study, each lasting from two weeks to two months. Students must visit two different countries to broaden their international perspectives.
・Scholarships from donor companies are available for overseas study. Specifically, the scholarship covers about half of the cost of the program and cost of living depending on the length of program.
・Students can choose programs selected by the Office of Research Promotion, or they can choose programs freely by themselves, which will be recognized as an "overseas program" for credit. In the past, students from the Faculty of Science have participated in a program to study art in London, while overseas internships and volunteer work abroad are also eligible for credit.

〈2単位 - Global Leadership Lecture
・This is a 3-day training camp for PHASE 2 students.
・People who are active in various industries are invited as speakers. In 2020, Ms. Audrey Tang, Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan, was invited to the podium.
・You can listen to the lecturer who rarely delivers speeches, and you can deepen the learning by doing group work.

〈Equivalent to 2 credits - Common lecture
・This lecture is given by the faculty member in charge of PHASE 2, and provides a glimpse of the contents of PHASE 2.
 

■Regarding returning back to face-to-face activities in 2022

・Although lectures and other activities were entirely online in 2021, hybrid classes based on face-to-face meetings are planned in 2022.
・Many students used online summer programs and MOOCs for overseas programs (tuition scholarships were also provided for these programs) in 2021. In 2022, on-site programs are scheduled to be held in Europe, the United States, and other countries.

What you can learn

・Students can improve their English skills while studying in Japan, and study abroad twice without repeating the grade.
・In the practical research program, students will be able to learn how to set up projects and how to do research.
・Students will have the opportunity to present their research and improve their presentation skills.
・Students will have the opportunity to attend lectures provided by well-known university professors and learn about cutting-edge studies and business.
・Students will be able to think more about team building and team communication as they work in groups through practical research.
・Students will be able to communicate with friends beyond the boundaries of their own department. Also, the ratio of men to women is almost equal to half. Students can make horizontal connections across faculties, as well as vertical connections with seniors and juniors in the event with GEfIL graduates.

Voices of Participants

To Be Updated...

Recommended for those

・Students who want to work globally in the future, regardless of whether they are academia- or business-oriented
・Students who are willing to communicate in English and eager to take on the challenges of the new environment and new field, even if their English skills are not sufficient at the time of participation in the program
・Students who are interested in friendly competition in a group of students from other fields

Not recommended for those

・Students who have difficulty making time on weekends due to club activities (because lectures are held on Saturdays)
・Students who are not good at group work

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