Objectives of the Program

The primary motivation for the establishment of the PPT program stems from the belief that the absence of well-structured tax laws and functioning taxation systems is one of the major factors hindering economic development in developing countries. Prompted by this conviction, the Department of Economics of the Graduate School of International Social Sciences (GSISS), in collaboration with Japan’s National Tax Agency and the World Bank, has developed a special graduate program tailored to the needs of students from developing countries who are currently working in the field of tax administration and related areas.

The objectives of the PPT program are: first, to help the students develop a basic understanding of public policy and taxation; second, to teach the concepts and methods of an entire taxation process through a practicum provided by Japan’s National Tax Agency; and last, to offer specialized courses of study on various aspects of public policy and taxation which are most relevant to the students’ home countries. The students trained under this program are expected to return to their home countries to apply their acquired knowledge and skills towards improving public service in their respective ministries and government agencies.

Thesis

A requirement for achieving a Masters degree in Economics is writing a thesis that is then deemed acceptable by a committee of three professors. Each student will choose an original thesis research topic and be responsible for writing the thesis in English. A faculty advisor will be assigned to each student to supervise them through this process. Additionally, a special course titled "Thesis Instruction" teaches students important skills in thesis writing.

Following is a list of thesis titles and countries for some graduates of the PPT program: