Global Communication Practices (GCP)
The coursework for Global Communication Practices is designed to cultivate the knowledge and skills essential for advanced intercultural communication. These skills are crucial for professionals in global business and communications, including journalists, public relations practitioners, and digital marketing and communications specialists in both private and public organizations.
The program provides practical training in business communication and outreach, research, interviewing, correspondence, negotiation, debate, translation, and interpreting. It also incorporates theoretical studies on global communication.
An emphasis is placed on developing students’ perspectives on a variety of social and cultural issues. This approach helps students understand the intricate relationships among mass media, governments, digital platforms, non-governmental organizations, and business communities in a global society.
Expected Student Outcomes
- Familiarity with information gathering and research methods.
- Knowledge and understanding of the operations involved in public relations activities and campaigns, including the digital dimension of communication and marketing.
- The ability to ideate news story ideas, report, and compose journalistic articles suitable for publication in professional news media.
- Proficiency in negotiation and debate skills.
- Developing cultural sensitivity and the ability to communicate cross-culturally. Grasp of Japanese culture and its communicative logics is emphasized.
- Ethical practice in public relations, advertising, and journalism, enabling students to make informed and sound judgments with a full view of the various stakeholders.
- Simultaneous interpretation skills.
Feature 1 – Professional Skills
With a focus on practical skills essential for effective business communication—such as negotiation, research, interpretation, and presentation—graduates are trained through classes and hands-on fieldwork, including a required internship. This ensures they can immediately apply their education in their chosen industry.
Feature 2 – Media & Information Literacy
In the era of interactive communication, social media, and digitalized mass media, both citizens and media professionals are expected to critically evaluate the content of mass media and the information flowing through their social media circles. This involves forming rational opinions on public issues and engaging with the public as well as peers within their information networks. A balanced appraisal of facts and information sources, along with critical evaluation of news and opinions found in blogs, tweets, web news sites, and traditional media, is a crucial skill. These abilities shape an individual’s capacity to disseminate information, opinions, and media content effectively to the public or their clientele.
Through coursework and field training, we cultivate these skills as an integral part of the expertise required for communication specialists in media, public relations, business, and organizational communication.
Internship Program
As part of the dynamic GCP curriculum, students complete internships in various media and corporate organizations. By immersing themselves in real-world experiences, students acquire fundamental knowledge and practical skills in journalism, public relations, and advertising. Combined with GCP’s rigorous academic curriculum, these internships prepare students for successful professional careers in the future.
Global Communication Practices Facebook Page
The Facebook page of the Global Communication Practices introduces the daily activities of the students.
Message from Program Head
AIU’s Global Communication Practices (GCP) is designed to train communication professionals capable of working in, and communicating across, different languages and cultures – in the areas of public relations, journalism, and organizational (business) communication.
Embedded throughout our curriculum, therefore, are dynamic, cross-cultural and cross-linguistic perspectives which go beyond the technical and theoretical exercises of learning. This is crucial, since certain types of professional communication that work in one culture may not resonate in different cultural contexts.
Our teaching faculty draw from extensive professional experiences in corporate communication, journalism and interpretation, and advertising and PR all within multi-cultural settings. And to this diverse expertise, students－who themselves come with multi-cultural backgrounds－richly contribute to the vibrant learning environment.
Through faculty-student and student-student interactions, we come to understand the technicality, breadth, and the nuance of international communication that characterize much of today’s challenges in international affairs and business as well as the new and constantly evolving technology.
Such real-world concerns are interwoven into our classes, lectures and activities (i.e.,internships), which working in conjunction are intended to cultivate and inspire relevant knowledge and thinking, leading directly to a professional career in international communication. The combination of classes, internships and research projects, required for graduation typically last for two years but could be shortened to 18 months for the most qualified students with high performance evaluation.
Miki TANIKAWA
Head of Global Communication Practices
Professor
Messages from Alumni
GCP played a pivotal role in refining my logical thinking, while also strengthening my multicultural communication and negotiation skills through diverse courses and interactive experiences.
What sets GCP apart, in my opinion, is the direct applicability of the knowledge and skills gained throughout the program. The insights I acquired are valuable not only in professional settings but also in enriching my daily life.
In April 2025, I began working for TURN Co., Ltd., a trucking equipment/accessories manufacturer, located in Himeji City, as an overseas sales representative. My role includes managing a client base spanning countries across Asia and Europe. I am responsible for identifying potential clients and effectively leveraging the multicultural communication skills I developed through GCP to engage with them successfully.
Tsai-Chin CHEN
(Nationality: Taiwan)
| Jun. 2020 | Graduated from Shih Hsin University (世新大学) |
| Apr. 2023 | Enrolled in Graduate School of Global Communication and Language at AIU |
| Mar. 2025 | Completed Master of Global Communication Practice (Professional) |
| Currently working at TURN Co., Ltd. |
Students’ Voice
I originally studied as an exchange student at AIU during my undergraduate years at Mississippi State University in 2022 and loved the school so much I wanted to enroll in the GCP program. I love interacting with my fellow graduate students, as I get to grow deeper connections but also develop a stronger perspective of the world around me and learn about their cultures. Through the program so far, I have been able to learn about a multitude of career paths as well as building the skills needed to be prepared and succeed in my future career goals. There are many paths I’m interested in. However, the ones that I believe fit my goals best reside in tourism, hospitality, and diplomacy. All of which not only will allow me to apply what I have learned, but also continue allowing me to engage with peoples from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
Michael WOLFE（Nationality： U.S.A.／Undergraduate：Mississippi State University）
Example Career Opportunities after Graduation
- Anheuser-Busch InBev N.V.
- CyberAgent, Inc.
- Deloitte (U.S.A.)
- Hokkaido University
- Inoue Public Relations, Inc.
- Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
- Mercedes-Benz Japan G.K.
- Prestige International Inc.
- Setsu Niseko (Seven Palms Resorts)
- SUNNY SIDE UP Inc.
- Suzuki Motor Corp.
Example Career Paths after Graduation
- Social Media Manager
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Content Marketing Specialist
- Journalist/Media Writer
- News Producer
- Public Relations Practitioner
- Public Policy Analyst
- International Communications Consultant
- Marketing and Communications Specialist
- Community Relations Specialist
- Communications Outreach Specialist
- Translator
- Interpreter