- Please check what program you are applying to:
- Humanities and Social Sciences-International Economic Development Program
- Graduate School of Innovation and Practice for Smart Society (SmaSo)
- If the application is for “Social Innovation Science” (SIS), then you CANNOT apply to the other research fields in SmaSo (Cyber Physical System/Smart Mobility/Smart Energy/Smart Agriculture/Global Health and Medical Science); however, you can have a co-supervisor from one of these fields
- For example, you cannot apply for “Smart Energy” if you are applying for “SmaSo-Social Innovation Science”.
- For some JDS modules, you can apply to multiple SmaSo fields–please check
- If the application is for “Social Innovation Science” (SIS), then you CANNOT apply to the other research fields in SmaSo (Cyber Physical System/Smart Mobility/Smart Energy/Smart Agriculture/Global Health and Medical Science); however, you can have a co-supervisor from one of these fields
- HSS-IEconDP or SmaSo-SIS?
- These two are similar in courses and faculty composition
- SmaSo-SIS: focus on interdisciplinary approach including environmental issues and digital technology
- IEconDP: Focus on development economics
- The main focus will be on quantitative, empirical social science approaches
- Beware that SmaSo can only provide a Master of Philosophy, while IEconDP can award Masters in Econ, Management, Development, and International Cooperation.
- These two are similar in courses and faculty composition
- What should I do?
- Please look through the faculty list and think about who you would want to work with
- Focus on writing a coherent research proposal
- Please look through the coursework: is this what you want to be doing for the next 2 years?
- How do I write my research proposal?
- Focus on a specific question that would warrant a social science approach
- Engineering questions (how do I implement a smart grid system? how do we build a bigger bridge? How do I model road damage?) should go to an engineering program.
- However, there are social science angles to these questions as well (how do I get people to sign up for a smart grid program? how can I get people to follow weight regulations on a bridge? How can I prevent contractors from building shoddy infrastructure? How do I make the bidding process more transparent?)
- Try to focus on a specific rather than an open-ended question (you only have 2 years for your Masters!)
- Specific (does X affect Y?):
- Do micro-transfers increase investment in education?
- Does implementing smart meters decrease electricity consumption?
- Did a solar panel subsidy increase adoption?
- Does phytosanitary training increase exports for small farmers?
- Does raising the minimum wage decrease employment?
- Are officials more corrupt towards poor people?
- Does the adoption of drought-resistant crops increase household consumption?
- Open-ended:
- How do I solve poverty in my country?
- How do I design the overall policy to transition my country to renewables?
- Lessons from comparing Japanese and [your country]’s policy regarding XYZ
- These questions are undoubtedly important! However, it is difficult to answer these questions if you do not even know whether particular policies work for what they purport to do.
- Try to focus on a question for which you can obtain data for in your current position, or can run an experiment (randomized controlled trial)
- Specific (does X affect Y?):
- Focus on a specific question that would warrant a social science approach
- What format should my research proposal follow?
- Introduction:
- What is the research question? (i.e., impact of maternity subsidy on the baby’s weight at 6 weeks)
- Why should we care? (stunting is a big problem in may developing countries, stunting is known to negatively affect other life outcomes)
- What have other people said about this topic? (generally, not limited to your country)
- And what you expect the result to be: “the maternity subsidy should significantly increase the baby’s weight at 6 weeks”
- Research Design and Methods:
- Proposed method: Survey, experiment, analysis of existing data… be as specific as you can, but if you are not sure it’s OK–you will be learning how through coursework
- What data do you have or could you access, or would you need to do this research?
- You would at least need data on:
- Some outcome, i.e., the baby’s weight at 6 weeks
- Some treatment, i.e., whether a mother got a maternity subsidy or not
- How many units are you likely to have? (i.e., I have access to data on about 5000 pregnancies from N district in your country from 2019-2021)
- You would at least need data on:
- Discussion of implications and contributions that knowing this result may give to academics and policymakers
- Some discussion on the feasibility of this study would be helpful
- Introduction:
Information for JDS Applicants
International Economic Development Program
Hiroshima University – Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
The International Economic Development Program fosters advanced professionals and researchers who can contribute creatively and collaboratively to development policy planning, implementations, evaluations and improvements towards promotion of sustainable development goals, through acquisition of global perspectives, and knowledge and skills necessary in evidence-based interdisciplinary social science.
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