Pursuing quality assurance in graduate education for master's and doctorate degree programs is important in order for Japan's higher education system to foster competitive human resources. Since its establishment, JAIST has made major contributions toward the advancement of leading-edge graduate education, such as the hierarchized (introductory, basic, intermediate, advanced) structured curriculums and the rigorous evaluations of the academic achievements based on written examinations, fostering of multifaceted research capabilities through main and secondary subject research, and practical education program development through skills-based courses, overseas study and research, and long-term internships. At the Center for Graduate Education Initiative, we are working to further advance the development and practical implementation of graduate education based on the experience of JAIST, and are aiming to become a world leader in graduate education.

While researching the direction of leading graduate education and pursuing close cooperation among graduate schools in Japan and overseas, we are establishing methodologies for graduate education and research instruction that assure the quality of the completing students based on objective assessments of goal attainments. Furthermore, we are actively pursuing the dissemination of our newly established methodologies so that they can be put into practical application at graduate schools in Japan and overseas. Toward these objectives, we are carrying out a variety of activities focused on the three specific areas of (1) improving educational and research instruction skills, (2) collecting and utilizing information on graduate school education, and (3) researching quality assurance for graduate school education and internationally compatible degree completion requirements.