National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

About National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (政策研究大学院大学 - Seisaku Kenkyū Daigakuin Daigaku, widely known worldwide as GRIPS) is an elite, standalone national graduate research university located in Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Established in October 1997 by the Government of Japan—succeeding the pioneering Graduate School of Policy Science at Saitama University founded in 1977—GRIPS operates as an international hub of premier public policy research and executive leadership development. Distinguished by its exclusive postgraduate focus with no undergraduate student body, GRIPS educates mid-career government officials, central bankers, international civil servants, diplomats, and policy researchers from across the globe. Over 65% of the student body hails from outside Japan, representing more than 60 nations across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Nearly all international degree programs are conducted 100% in English by an internationally acclaimed faculty combining distinguished academic scholars and former senior policy practitioners, cabinet advisors, and central bank governors. The institute is situated in a stunning modern campus designed by Yamashita Sekkei and Richard Rogers Partnership in Roppongi—adjacent to the National Art Center, Tokyo, and within minutes of Japan's government ministries in Kasumigaseki, the National Diet in Nagatacho, and Tokyo's major diplomatic embassies. GRIPS maintains strategic collaborative partnerships with international multilateral institutions including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and World Customs Organization (WCO). Full-funding scholarships (MEXT, ADB-JSP, JJ/WBGSP, JDS, JISPA) cover tuition, travel, and living expenses for the vast majority of admitted international degree candidates.