Education
Educational programs at the National Institute for Defense Studies
At the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS), programs are conducted with the goal of training security strategists who will shoulder Japan’s future defense policy. Targeted at senior Self-Defense Forces (SDF) officers as well as senior administrative officers of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), NIDS offers two programs (see note) each year: the National Security Strategist Studies Program and the National Security Senior Strategist Studies Program. The programs emphasize developing several key abilities: to organize, analyze, and structuralize strategic issues; to formulate and test theories and creatively present strategies; and to communicate and implement persuasive strategies.
As of 2024, the National Security Strategist Studies Program has been offered for a total of 72 years, and the National Security Senior Strategist Studies Program for 70 years. These programs have respectively produced 2,666 and 2,794 graduates, many of whom have gone on to become prominent security strategists.
In addition, recognizing today’s relentlessly changing and highly uncertain social landscape, NIDS encourages participation from a wide range of personnel outside the MOD in both programs, as it is considered essential for developing strategic capabilities to ensure that the programs have an environment where participants can exchange diverse viewpoints and opinions and challenge one another.
Plaque displaying program graduates
Note: Starting with the programs in FY2024, to further enhance strategic focus in the curriculum, NIDS has renamed and restructured the previous Regular Course to become the National Security Strategist Studies Program, and the Special Course to become the National Security Senior Strategist Studies Program.
【Overview of both programs】
| Name of educational program | Period | Participants |
|---|---|---|
| National Security Strategist Studies Program | 10 months |
【Internal personnel】 Senior SDF officers (colonel/captain level), administrative officers, etc. (assistant director level in internal bureaus of the MOD) 【External personnel】 Staff of national administrative organs, local government employees, employees of private companies, international students from foreign countries (including military officers of colonel/captain and lieutenant colonel/commander rank), etc. |
| National Security Senior Strategist Studies Program | About 3 weeks |
【Internal personnel】 Senior SDF officers (major general/rear admiral or colonel/captain level), administrative officers, etc. (director level in internal bureaus of the MOD) 【External personnel】 Staff of national administrative organs, local government employees, employees of private companies, etc. |
National Security Strategist Studies Program
The National Security Strategist Studies Program is a 10-month program held annually from September to June. It is designed to provide comprehensive, overall knowledge on security matters and to enhance strategic skills based on this knowledge.
In the program, both internal and external experts give lectures related to security theories and strategies, including on topics such as space, cyber, and electromagnetic domain security, as well as economic security. Participants gain knowledge through about 20 academic courses (about 150 lectures) covering international affairs, military history, and more, and further deepen this knowledge through about 30 seminars focused on specific themes.
Alongside these lectures and seminars, the program also includes policy simulations involving strategic exercises under certain conditions as well as paper-writing assignments to enable participants to put into practice the knowledge they have attained. This helps reinforce the knowledge they have gained while enhancing their strategic planning and execution abilities.
In addition, the program includes domestic and international onsite training, special lectures by prominent figures from various fields, and opportunities for listening to the views of Diet members from different political parties on security policies directly.
Furthermore, the Strategic Studies Program (SSP) has been established, which confers a Master’s degree (Policy Studies) upon completing this program and fulfilling certain credit requirements at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). To date, 64 participants have been awarded this degree.
National Security
Strategist Studies Program
National Security Senior Strategist Studies Program
The National Security Senior Strategist Studies Program is a program conducted annually in July over a period of about three weeks. It aims to provide in-depth knowledge on security, centered on current policy issues, and to enhance strategic capabilities based on this knowledge.
In the program, under the training theme determined based on the latest policy issues, both internal and external experts give lectures related to security theories and strategies, including on topics such as space, cyber, and electromagnetic domain security, as well as economic security. Participants gain knowledge through about 10 academic courses (about 20 lectures) covering international affairs, military history, and more.
Alongside these lectures, the program also includes small and full-group discussions, policy simulations, and other activities based on the knowledge acquired, aimed at reinforcing this knowledge and sharpening skills in strategy formulation and execution. Special lectures are also provided by the Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense; the Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff, the Commissioner of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency; and others.
