Along with the economic growth of Northeast Asia, the international trade environment is changing rapidly. As the multilateral trading system weakens and mega free trade agreements expand, many countries are strategically pursuing regional free trade agreements. With the spread of protectionism and the reorganization of the global economy into new blocs, the need to understand individual countries and prepare appropriate trade policies is also increasing. The most significant change is the convergence of trade and digital technologies. Companies are expanding their participation in global value chains by using digital platforms to engage in international trade at lower costs, while the emergence of new goods and services enabled by digital technologies is rapidly transforming the nature of global trade.

To respond proactively to these rapid changes in the international trade environment of Northeast Asia, it is essential to cultivate a new generation of regional trade specialists. The International Commerce and Asian Studies offers an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to achieve the following goals: (1) cultivating a new generation of trade specialists with professional knowledge of international trade and a comprehensive understanding of Northeast Asian economies; (2) cultivating global trade specialists with a multidimensional understanding of relations among Northeast Asian countries, including the United States and China, China and Japan, and Russia and the United States; and (3) cultivating global trade specialists capable of analyzing big data related to trade and logistics based on an understanding of digital technologies and smart technologies.

First, the Department offers courses on the regional economies of China, Japan, Russia, and the United States to cultivate specialists with an understanding of emerging trade rules and comprehensive expertise in Northeast Asian economies.
Second, it provides specialized education in economics-based data analysis and smart logistics. Courses offered by the Department of Smart Logistics Engineering within the same School may be recognized as major courses.
Third, systematic language education is provided by native-speaking professors of English, Japanese, Russian, and Chinese, and student exchange programs are operated with nine universities across four countries.

By establishing an integrated curriculum that combines an understanding of Northeast Asia, economics-based data analysis, knowledge of smart logistics, and foreign language education, the Department has expanded the traditional international trade curriculum into one centered on digital technologies and data. At the same time, it provides a variety of opportunities for students to develop global competence and practical skills through overseas study programs and corporate internship programs. We are confident that students in the Department of Northeast Asian International Trade will grow into a new generation of global trade specialists capable of leading the way in a rapidly changing era.