The Young Leaders' Program
Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS), is one of five designated universities in Japan participating in a scholarship program sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho), called the Young Leaders' Program (YLP).
The primary objectives of the Young Leaders' Program are as follows:
- To foster the development of future national leaders in Asian and other countries
- To create comprehensive networks of government and business leaders in the international community
- To contribute to the establishment of friendly relations among Asian and other countries, including Japan
The YLP offers promising young business and government leaders from Asian and other countries the opportunity to study in Japan at a Master's level in one of the following disciplines:
- Business Management Course: Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS)
- School of Government Course: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
- Local Government Course: Kobe University
- Medical Administration Course: Nagoya University
- Law Course: Kyushu University
The MBA (Masters of Business Administration) program at Hitotsubashi ICS is designed to prepare students for work in the private sector. Courses focus on strategy, marketing, accounting/finance, etc. All classes are taught in English, and in contrast with other designated universities, YLP participants at Hitotsubashi ICS are completely integrated into the regular program; in other words, they must follow the same academic calendar and meet exactly the same academic requirements as all other students. As a consequence, YLP participants experience a very intensive and challenging curriculum at Hitotsubashi ICS.
In terms of eligibility for the MBA program, YLP applicants must have at least three years of work experience and be under 35 years of age as of September 1st of each academic year. They must also be undergraduate degree holders, or higher, with a good command of English-a desired minimum TOEFL score of 600, or TOEFL-CBT score of 250-and a guideline GMAT score of 600. In addition, all applicants must obtain permission for a leave of absence from their workplace.
Hitotsubashi ICS can accept a maximum number of 15 eligible YLP candidates each year from the following target countries: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
To date, the YLP Student Profile at Hitotsubashi ICS is as follows:
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total | |
| Australia | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Brunei | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Cambodia | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| China | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| India | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | 5 |
| Korea | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| Laos | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| Malaysia | - | - | - | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 19 |
| Mongolia | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| Myanmar | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| Philippines | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Thailand | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 10 |
| Vietnam | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 108 |
| Male | 4 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 63 |
| Female | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 45 |
The duration of the MBA Program at Hitotsubashi ICS is for one year, from September to September of each academic year. The provisions of the scholarship for YLP students are as follows
- A monthly stipend of 258,000 yen (subject to change)
- Exemption from tuition, matriculation, and entrance examination fees
- A round-trip airplane ticket to and from the country of origin
- Reimbursement of medical fees at 80% of actual cost
- An arrival allowance of 25,000 yen
- The right to residence in the Tokyo International Exchange Center (TIEC) for the duration of the scholarship
Application and selection procedures for YLP candidates involve a multi-stage process. The recruitment of applicants is conducted through the Japanese Embassy in host nations, but all applications are based on recommendations from "recommending authorities," which differ from country to country. An initial selection is carried out through document screening, essay writing, letters of recommendation, and so forth. Successful candidates will then be interviewed in their home countries by a recruiting officer sent from Hitotsubashi ICS. The final decision on candidates is made by the YLP Committee at the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (Note: Prospective applicants should contact the Japanese Embassy in their home countries for specific details.)