Outline of the Selected Project’s Research

This project builds and strengthens an “academic network for education development” between the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University, and partner institutions in Asia and Africa. This project promotes international joint research that bridges scholarship and practice to address universal challenges in education, including quality, internal efficiency, and equity. To achieve this goal, this project utilizes the Global Research Center for Education Policy and Planning (GEPP), newly established within GSICS in August 2025, as its core hub. This project assigns GEPP responsibility for planning and managing joint research activities, nurturing early-career researchers, and disseminating research findings internationally. Through these efforts, this project presents policy models that contribute to education development in partner countries and establishes an international research exchange hub that continues to develop autonomously and sustainably beyond the project period.

In recent years, countries in Asia and Africa have expanded access to education, yet learning disparities and equity challenges have intensified. Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and the post-2030 education agenda, stakeholders must urgently develop sustainable education development strategies. However, a persistent gap remains between research and practice. Researchers often overlook the complex processes of implementation, while practitioners struggle to incorporate research findings into policymaking.

In light of this context, this project pursues four specific objectives. First, this project organizes international research teams composed of researchers from target countries and relevant institutions and conducts collaborative research. GSICS has accumulated extensive experience working with international organizations and education authorities in developing countries. This project builds on this foundation by combining systematic analysis of education finance and administration with field-based empirical research. Second, this project actively involves early-career researchers to strengthen their research capacity and reinforce the network so that it can develop independently after the project concludes. This project also dispatches graduate students to internships at international organizations and ministries of education, enabling them to gain a deep understanding of educational practice in developing countries. Third, this project holds international seminars regularly to present the outcomes of joint research. This project shares findings with policymakers in developing countries and education specialists in international aid agencies and facilitates practice-oriented discussions. Fourth, this project disseminates research results widely and formulates policy recommendations that contribute to education development strategies in developing countries. In particular, this project proposes education finance and governance models and human resource development policies that anticipate the post-2030 agenda and advance sustainable education development.

Core Institutions

＜Core Institutions (Partner Countries)＞
  • National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) (India)
  • University of Dhaka (Bangladesh)
  • Vietnam National University (Vietnam)
  • National University of Laos (Laos)
  • Royal University of Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
  • Chiang Mai University (Thailand)
  • Airlangga University (Indonesia)
  • Makerere University (Uganda)
  • Kenyatta University (Kenya)
  • University of Malawi (Malawi)
＜Cooperating Institutions (Japan)＞
  • Tohoku University
  • The University of Tokyo
  • Waseda University
  • Keio University
  • International Christian University
  • Nagoya University
  • The University of Osaka
  • University of Hyogo
  • Hiroshima University
＜Cooperating Institutions (Partner Countries)＞
  • India (World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF)
  • Bangladesh (Ministry of Education, World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF)
  • Vietnam (Ministry of Education and Training, World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF)
  • Lao PDR (Ministry of Education and Sports, World Bank, UNESCO National Commission, UNICEF, Asian Development Bank)
  • Cambodia (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, Asian Development Bank, National University of Management)
  • Thailand (Ministry of Education, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP)
  • Indonesia (Ministry of Education and Culture, World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF)
  • Uganda (Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Education and Sports, World Bank, UNICEF)
  • Kenya (Ministry of Education, World Bank, UNICEF)
  • Malawi (Ministry of Education, World Bank, UNICEF)