Kumamoto University
School of Law

A Framework of Educational Collaboration between Law Schools

Educational collaboration between law schools in Kyushu and Okinawa, including Kyushu University Law School, Kumamoto University School of Law, Kagoshima University Law School, and the University of the Ryukyus School of Law, aims at the diversification and enrichment of education at law schools, jointly engaging in mutual provision of lecture subjects and the development of new educational methods and systems. While mutually providing the specialities and strong points of each law school, the aim is to promote collaboration and competitiveness and to increase each other’s distinctiveness.

Methods of Educational Collaboration

In order for educational collaboration to diversify and enrich the lecture subjects at each law school, cooperation is performed using the following methods.

1.Collaborative subjects are taught by adjunct instructors at our collaborating schools.

The law school that teaches a relevant subject approves credit as a regular subject taught by an adjunct instructor (the instructor invited from a collaborating school).

2.General lectures are jointly taught by instructors from our collaborating schools.

These lectures are held as subjects taught by instructors of the university to which students belong, and credit is granted as regular subjects at each university.

3.Use of the Credit Transfer System

Each law school uses a credit transfer system that recognizes up to 30 credits. With regard to collaborative subjects, it is the university to which the student belongs and that accredits credit gained at the collaborating university.

Past Results and the Future of Collaborative Activities

The former educational collaboration of law schools in three universities in Kyushu gained a high evaluation, working on the "Kyushu Three Universities Legal Professionals Development Project" (fiscal 2004-2006) in the framework of a support program for law schools and specialist graduate schools run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.

In continuation, the "Kyushu and Okinawa Collaborative Practical Education Development Project" (fiscal 2007−2008), implemented to encourage educational collaboration between law schools in Kyushu and Okinawa from 2007, was selected as a specialist graduate school promotion program, achieving unique results that made use of collaboration.

Moreover, from fiscal 2008, "Collaborative and Integrated Education of Researchers through Law Schools" was selected as a specialist graduate school promotion program that strives to nurture researchers through a congruous educational system for nurturing high caliber personnel through law schools.