[Career Information] Institute of Developing Economies Advanced School (IDEAS): A Short-term Training Program for Those Interested in International Development and Development Economics

This article introduces the Institute of Developing Economies Advanced School (IDEAS).
While I briefly describe the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) and IDEAS in the introduction, the details of the training content are explained after the table of contents.

The Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) is a research institute under the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which is overseen by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Since its integration with JETRO in 1998, it has been located in the Makuhari New City in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture (relocated on December 1, 1999). The institute's activities involve researching the economy, trade, and development assistance of developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, making it a 'hub for research on developing countries'.

IDEAS is a short-term intensive training program offered by the institute. The purpose of the program is to cultivate professional talent in the fields of economics and development, and for many years, it has also invited mid-career and young government officials from developing countries. The curriculum is designed at the master's level, and lectures and guidance are provided in English.
Therefore, the key points of this program are: 1) learning with bureaucrats from developing countries, 2) studying in English, and 3) engaging in professional, master's-level study. As for Japanese participants, one example is those who intend to pursue graduate studies abroad in the development field. Of course, there are many cases where people already working in similar fields come to train as part of their career development, so it is a program open to a variety of people.
Finally, past data shows that many graduates have gone on to find employment at international organizations, government agencies, consulting firms, and NGOs. Please refer to 'Career Paths of Graduates' for details.

In addition to this program, IDE also regularly conducts online courses and in-person workshops, so please check them out if you are interested.

*Links:
1, https://www.ide.go.jp/Japanese/Info.html
2, https://www.ide.go.jp/Japanese/Ideas.html

Training Overview

Eligibility

1. Those with a master's degree or higher, or equivalent experience (any major is acceptable) (*According to the preliminary briefing, even if you do not have a master's degree, those who have experience writing theses or reports in English during their undergraduate studies, etc., and still possess that ability can also take the course. -> Related to Eligibility 3)

2. Those who have a high motivation to learn in the fields of the training curriculum and have the will to actively participate in the program

3. Those who have sufficient English proficiency to participate in classes in English (a TOEFL iBT score of 88 or higher is desirable)

Training Period

Approximately 5 months from September to January every year (please confirm)

Training Courses, Number of Sessions, and Number of Participants

There are four training courses, which are divided into the types seen in overseas master's programs: Research (lectures and thesis writing) or Coursework (lectures only). Research is only available for the A-course.

1, A-course: Full curriculum (lectures + thesis) / 45 sessions / 10 people
2, B-course: Full curriculum (lectures) / 45 sessions / 5 people
3, C-course: Elective (lectures on trade and investment-related subjects only) / 15 sessions / 10 people
4, D-course: Elective (lectures on socio-economic development-related subjects only) / 15 sessions / 10 people

Training Content

Please note that the training content below varies depending on the course you take as mentioned above. (e.g., Only the A-course covers all the content below.)

・Two lecture groups
1, Trade and investment-related subjects (15 or 20 sessions)
2, Socio-economic development-related subjects (15 or 20 sessions)
・Group work (5 sessions)
・Seminar (10 sessions)
・Thesis writing (1 paper / 4000-6000 words in English)
・Report writing (1 or 3 reports / 2000 words per report in English)

Combination of Training Content

A-course: Full curriculum (lectures + thesis) (Total 45 sessions)
・Trade and investment-related subjects (15 sessions)
・Socio-economic development-related subjects (15 sessions)
・Group work (5 sessions)
・Seminar (10 sessions)
・Thesis writing (1 paper)
・Report writing (1 report)
B-course: Full curriculum (lectures) (Total 45 sessions)
・Trade and investment-related subjects (20 sessions)
・Socio-economic development-related subjects (20 sessions)
・Group work (5 sessions)
・Seminar (none)
・Thesis writing (none)
・Report writing (3 reports)
C-course: Elective (lectures on trade and investment-related subjects only) (Total 15 sessions)
・Trade and investment-related subjects (15 sessions)
・Socio-economic development-related subjects (none)
・Group work (none)
・Seminar (none)
・Thesis writing (none)
・Report writing (1 report)
D-course: Elective (lectures on socio-economic development-related subjects only) (Total 15 sessions)
・Trade and investment-related subjects (none)
・Socio-economic development-related subjects (15 sessions)
・Group work (none)
・Seminar (none)
・Thesis writing (none)
・Report writing (1 report)

How to Attend

・In principle, held online
・In-person lectures may also be conducted, in which case in-person attendance is recommended
・In addition to lectures, in-person programs are also held (conducted as networking opportunities)

Training Fees

・Full curriculum (A-course, B-course): 97,000 yen each
・Elective (C-course, D-course): 32,000 yen each

Application period and selection

The application period usually begins in June and ends in early July. (Please verify this.)
The selection process is as follows:
• Full-course: Document screening and an online interview in English
• Single-course: Document screening (If there are many applicants, the secretariat will conduct a lottery to determine participants)

Career paths of graduates (Past data from 1990 to 2018)

International Organizations:
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) 5, • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) 1, • World Bank Group 9, • Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) 1, • International Labour Organization (ILO) 1, • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) 1, • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 1, • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 1, • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 2, • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 1, • United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 5, • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 3, • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) 1, • UN Headquarters 1, • UN Women 1, • ASEAN Secretariat 1, • International Organization for Migration (IOM) 1, • Japan-ASEAN Centre 1

Government Agencies:
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (staff or working at overseas diplomatic missions) 8, • Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 1, • House of Representatives Committee on Audit and Oversight of Administration 1, • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 1, • Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA: staff, experts, etc.) 36, • Japan Bank for International Cooperation 2, • Embassy of the Republic of Turkey 1, • The Japan Institute of International Affairs 1, • Japan Sport Council 1, • Development Bank of Japan 1, • Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) 9 (including Institute of Developing Economies (6)), • Nippon Export and Investment Insurance 1, • Local governments 3

Consulting firms, etc.:
• IC Net 2, • Accenture 2, • Aero Asahi 1, • Almec VPI 2, • Intage 1, • A. T. Kearney 1, • Elmi Tour Ethiopia 1, • OPMAC 4, • Oriental Consultants 1, • Kankyo Kiki 1, • Crown Agents 1, • Global Link Management (GLM) 2, • Koei Research & Consulting (KRI) 7, • Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID) 1, • International Development Center of Japan (IDCJ) 6, • Kokusai Kogyo 2, • System Science Consultants 1, • Sumitomo Global Research 1, • TAC International 1, • Digital Advertising Consortium 1, • Japan International Cooperation System 1, • Japan Research Institute 1, • VSOC 1, • Heiwa Accounting (Vietnam) 1, • Mitsui & Co. 1, • Mohri Architect & Associates 1

NGOs:
• RCF Reconstruction Support Team 1, • Alliance Forum Foundation 1, • SRI International 1, • Okinawa Environmental Club 1, • Olinas Partners 1, • Japan Overseas Cooperative Association 1, • Cross Fields 1, • KnK (Children without Borders) 2, • Japan Association for the World Food Programme 1, • Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA) 1, • JOICFP 1, • Sudan Association for Supporting Disabled People's Education 1, • Save the Children 2, • ChildFund Japan 1, • MEFA Management 1, • Japan Committee for UNICEF 3, • Campaign for the Children of Palestine 1, • Hosanna Family Clinic 1, • Eureka Japon 1, • World Vision Japan 1

Currently enrolled in graduate school:
24

Other reference materials

I have found the implementation reports for fiscal years 2019 and 2022, so I am posting them here.
They provide details on the instructors, a breakdown of participants, lecture content, and past acceptance records.

FY2019:https://www.ide.go.jp/library/Japanese/Info/Profile/Nenpo/pdf/31_6.pdf

FY2022:https://www.ide.go.jp/library/Japanese/Info/Profile/Nenpo/pdf/4_6.pdf

Note

Since many of the instructors for this program are researchers at IDE-JETRO, it gives the impression of being almost like a graduate school. In that sense, the key point is perhaps the ability to deepen knowledge and write a paper within a short period of about five months. It seems excellent for those who have already obtained a master's degree and want to acquire new academic knowledge in development economics and development assistance. It also seems to have an impact that can lead to further career development. Additionally, if it can be completed online within half a year, there is a possibility of taking it without leaving one's job, so it may be easier to attempt than graduate school.
One unclear point is whether the number of sessions equals the number of credits. I would like to inquire about this if the opportunity arises.
By the way, when I personally hear 'IDE-JETRO,' I think of the library first. I used to go to this library often to collect literature during my undergraduate days, and the number of books it holds is outstanding, providing an optimal environment for those researching developing countries.

Please always check the latest information on the content introduced in this article yourself.