Concrete measures and agreements are required internationally to solve global issues, and social, economic, and environmental problems at home and abroad are becoming more diverse and complex. Therefore, a cross-disciplinary way of thinking, such as “international culture,” is important in order to understand the problems faced by each region and country and to acquire a perspective to cooperate with each other.

Tohoku University's Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, now in its 32nd year of existence, is an independent graduate school that conducts cross-disciplinary research and education. The Graduate School of International Cultural Studies aims to establish “international cultural studies” as a new academic field, and has three major research departments: “Area Studies,” “Global Studies of Symbiotic Society,” and "Language Studies. The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences has been actively promoting research that aims to apply the essence of language, which is at the heart of spiritual culture, to effective language education. Since its founding, the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies has nurtured human resources in a variety of fields, both in the humanities and the natural sciences, and many of its graduates are active in universities, research institutions, public and local organizations, private companies, international organizations, and civic groups in Japan and abroad.

In December 2024, Tohoku University was recognized as Japan's first "International University of Research Excellence. In order to disseminate results befitting an “International University of Research Excellence,” the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies covers research themes in diverse social issues and academic fields, with graduate lectures and research guidance provided in both Japanese and English. In addition, through the thesis guidance by multinational faculty members with a wide range of specialized fields and diverse social experiences, the Graduate School aims to contribute to the international community by pioneering new fusion research fields with the keyword of “international culture”. The Graduate School also has a very high enrollment rate of international students and a large number of female researchers. Thus, students are exposed to diverse cultures and languages, have more opportunities to interact with international students, and naturally develop an international mindset and flexible thinking.

In Japan, the birthrate is declining and the population is aging rapidly; in the Tohoku region, cities with the potential to disappear continue to emerge; and internationally, climate change due to global warming, frequent natural disasters, wars and conflicts continue to occur. The Graduate School of International Cultural Studies will continue to nurture human resources who can contribute to the formation of a sustainable society and the resolution of global issues, while respecting Tohoku University's founding traditions of “research first” and “open-door” policy, and the perspective of “international culture”. The Graduate School is open not only to young students who are seeking to enter graduate school to gain exposure to diverse cultures and academic fields, but also to working professionals with a wealth of experience, researchers who wish to conduct international joint research, and companies and local governments that wish to collaborate with industry, academia, and government. We look forward to meeting your new challenges.