Message from the President

IIST was founded in 1967 under the IIST Establishment Law as a special-license corporate body designed to train and develop those public and private personnel involved in international economic activities. At the time, Japan urgently needed to foster international economic and business professionals people who could work effectively at the forefront of international negotiations and international business to deal with the encroaching challenges of trade and investment liberalization. IIST’s Fujinomiya Campus, set up with funding from the Japanese government and business sector, sent more than 5,700 graduates out into the world, where they have contributed significantly toward Japan’s internationalization.

Amid the subsequent transformation of the socio-economic environment, IIST was reorganized into a foundation in 1986. In 1992, recognizing the development of a wide range of human capacity building opportunities in Japan, IIST closed the Fujinomiya Campus. Activities were re-focused around IIST’s Tokyo headquarters, which now operates a variety of programs with a particular emphasis on human capacity building and international exchange. In 1987, IIST also took under its wing the EU-JapanCenter for Industrial Cooperation as a vehicle for Japan-Europe industrial cooperation and personnel development.

The 21st century will be shaped not only by the advance of globalization but also by a number of other key trends, including the emergence of China and other industrializing Asian states as important economic players; frequent eruptions of conflict sparked by factors such as inter-cultural friction; environmental, resource and energy constraints; and dramatic advances in information communications technology. Against this swiftly changing backdrop, fostering the personnel who will underpin Japan’s economic revitalization and the sustained development of the world economy and promoting the mutual understanding intrinsic to maintaining stable international relations are but a few of the tasks on IIST’s ever-expanding agenda.

In April 2011, IIST started operating as a general incorporated foundation in accordance with a new legal sytem. IIST will continue to explore bold solutions to new challenges and push forward strongly to achieve its ambitious mission of peace, happiness and prosperity for Japan and the world.

We look forward to your continued support and guidance.

Hiroshi Tsukamoto
President
Institute for International Studies and Training