The Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration (RIEB) was first established in 1919 as the Commercial Research Institute of the Kobe Higher Commercial School and merged with the Institute for Mechanization of Business Administration in 1949 to become the RIEB. The institute boasts the longest history of all social science research institutes in Japan, and is also the only university research institute in Japan to focus on the dual fields of economics and business administration.

As a research institute established within a university (an affiliated institute), our primary aim is to advance the frontier of academic research in the fields of economics and business administration, thus contributing to the creation of new knowledge. We also emphasize research across the interdisciplinary areas that straddle both economics and business administration. The secondary aim of the institute is to contribute to society through educational and awareness-generating activities that are based on advanced research as well as industry-academia-government collaborative research.

In the pursuit of these two aims, the RIEB has vigorously involved itself in cutting edge/interdisciplinary research activities. Areas of particular focus where notable results have been achieved include: (I) the development and diversity of the global economy; (II) finance and macroeconomic dynamics; (III) technology management in the manufacturing industries and the international competitiveness of Japanese companies; and (IV) theoretical/empirical studies on accounting institutions.

In terms of education, institute professors participate and cooperate with programs in the graduate schools of Economics, Business Administration (MBA course), and International Cooperation Studies. Moreover, tenure-track young researchers (three as of April 2011) and post doctoral fellows are working as part of our proactive efforts to nurture young researchers.

In terms of industry-academia-government collaborative/socially contributive activities, the institute participates actively in, amongst others, the Monetary Economics Seminar of Kobe University, which has held more than 400 seminars since the institute's establishment. The Integrated Center for Corporate Archives accumulates and maintains important original historical materials and documents pertaining to business administration, and has maintained and/or compiled such materials as the "Kanematsu Collection" (archive), which records the business administration history of Kanematsu Shoten (now Kanematsu Corporation) from the company's establishment until before World War II in minute detail.

Cherishing the "traditions" passed down from our Kobe Higher Commercial School days, we continue to develop in order to meet the needs of society and will, as ever, persist in the powerful promotion of economics and business administration research.