Academic Exchange Project

The Institute for Legal and Political Design (ILPD) at the University of Tokyo's Graduate Schools for Law and Politics actively coordinates faculty exchange initiatives with leading global institutions, including the University of Michigan Law School, Columbia Law School, and KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven). These programs aim to foster international collaboration and enrich the academic experience for visiting and host faculty alike.

The Institute began the faculty exchange program with the University of Michigan Law School in the summer of 1992 and with Columbia Law School in the winter of 1994. Since then, the Graduate Schools have welcomed approximately 100 professors and associate professors from these institutions. Visiting scholars have delivered lectures in the "Introduction to Anglo-American Law" series and have contributed to seminars on comparative law, particularly those organized for members of our Graduate Schools' research laboratories.

In turn, approximately 90 professors and associate professors from our Graduate Schools have taught courses on Japanese law at the University of Michigan and Columbia University, sharing insights from Japan's legal system with international audiences.

A new exchange program with KU Leuven was launched in the 2025 academic year. Under this initiative, KU Leuven faculty members offer courses on "Comparative Law" with a focus on European law, and faculty from our Graduate Schools reciprocally teach courses on Japanese law in Leuven.

These faculty exchange programs continue to serve as a cornerstone of our internationalization efforts, deepening academic ties and expanding comparative legal education through sustained dialogue and collaboration.