Spring 2027 Program
FGL Academy (the Future Global Leaders Program) is a short graduate-level program for Japanese undergraduates at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS). The three-week program runs February 7 (Sun) through February 27 (Sat), 2027, as a UC San Diego graduate program, with a fee of US$4,985 (about ¥750,000 at ¥150 to the dollar, Residence Inn by Marriott housing and breakfast included). The two-week track (February 14 (Sun) through February 27 (Sat), 2027) costs US$4,150 (about ¥620,000 at ¥150 to the dollar).
3 Weeks of Graduate-Level Leadership
Experience UCSD's graduate school (GPS) during spring break. GPS faculty, Marriott hotel stay, and our signature comprehensive program.
Open to students currently enrolled at a university in Japan.
The Spring 2027 program in 44 minutes
Lectures, dates, housing and costs, presented by Jacob with Japanese subtitles. Pick a chapter to start there.
- 00:00IntroductionJacob Searing introduces himself and explains that he runs this program from Japan. While the group is in San Diego he stays in the same building as the students, and he speaks Japanese when it is needed.
- 02:42What is FGL?What the program actually is, in one answer. Undergraduates attend graduate-level lectures given by graduate-school faculty, which nothing else offers.
- 05:15UC San Diego and GPSWhere the lectures happen and what that graduate school is. Includes footage from a real lecture and the professor who gave it.
- 09:58Who this is forWhich students this program suits. It is for students considering long-term study abroad, and for students considering graduate school in Japan or overseas.
- 13:10What you get out of itWhat participants take home. You see the final presentation, the debates, the careers workshop, and the closing ceremony.
- 17:35Why students joinWhy students decided to join, in their own words. This is the participants speaking, not me explaining.
- 20:57Dates and the three-week scheduleThe February 2027 dates, and what a day and a week look like. Which days have lectures, which do not, and what happens on the weekend.
- 28:25San Diego and La JollaWhat the city is like, and where the campus and the accommodation are. This chapter exists so you can see the place before you decide to spend three weeks in it.
- 32:22Beyond the lecturesWhat there is to do when there are no lectures. Meeting local students, campus clubs, the facilities you can use, and how your own free time works.
- 37:08The fee, applying, and the closeWhat the fee covers, then how to apply, the deadlines, when each payment falls due, and the cancellation terms. Applications close December 15, 2026 and the balance is due by January 10, 2027.
Program Overview
February 7-27, 2027
3 Weeks
UC San Diego, La Jolla, California
Residence Inn by Marriott
Breakfast included
See UCSD GPS Campus
Get a glimpse of life at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy
3-Week Spring Schedule
Sunday February 7 – Saturday February 27, 2027
English preparation week (3-week course only)
Feb 7–14You arrive in San Diego and get ready for graduate-level lectures in our own English program. Only students on the three-week course join this week.
Activities
- Airport pickup and hotel check-in (February 7)
- English preparation program (February 8–12)
- A free weekend (February 13–14)
Highlights
- Time to settle in, and into English, before the lectures start
- Meeting the others on the program
Weeks 2 and 3 (February 15–27) are shared by the 3-week and the 2-week program. Students on the 2-week program arrive on Sunday, February 14.
On campus, and the GPS lectures
Feb 15–21The week opens with a campus tour and orientation, then GPS faculty lectures with small-group seminars around them.
Activities
- Campus tour, orientation, and the Team Building Challenge Course
- Lectures and seminars: entrepreneurship, U.S. foreign policy, Japan relations, international trade
- Weekend activities: the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park (included in the fee); Disneyland for those who want it, at additional cost
Highlights
- Networking lunch with UC San Diego students
- Speech and debate, admissions and careers workshops
Pulling the lectures together, and the debate presentations
Feb 22–27More lectures and visits, ending with group debate presentations and the closing ceremony.
Activities
- Lectures and seminars: the U.S. judicial system, globalization
- A visit to the San Diego Superior Court, and the Salk Institute architecture tour
- An optional beach day, and preparation for the group debates
Highlights
- Group debate presentations
- Closing ceremony and certificates (February 26); departure on February 27
What a day looks like
There is no typical day, and that is the point. A few days from the week-2 and week-3 schedule:
- Monday might be the campus tour and orientation.
- Tuesday, a team-building course in the morning, and in the afternoon a graduate lecture on entrepreneurship, with a small seminar before it and another after it.
- Thursday, two lectures: US foreign policy, then international trade.
- Friday, a lecture on Japan relations, then lunch with UC San Diego students.
- The next week: a lecture on the US judicial system on Monday, and on Tuesday you are sitting in the San Diego Superior Court, watching it.
- An optional beach day. The Salk Institute.
- A group debate on the last day, and then the closing ceremony.
No day is like the one before.
Detailed daily schedule provided before program start
The 2-week program (February 14–27)
The 2-week program runs from Sunday, February 14 to Saturday, February 27, 2027. It is open to any student enrolled at a university in Japan. The lectures, the hotel and the on-site support are the same as on the 3-week program. The 3-week program adds the intensive English seminar week (Feb 8–12).
- Dates
- Two weeks, February 14–27, 2027. You arrive on the 14th and depart on the 27th.
- Lectures
- The main lectures, workshops and seminars run over the two-week schedule.
- Accommodation
- Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego La Jolla: an all-suite hotel with a kitchen in every room, serving a free hot breakfast every morning. Next to the UC San Diego campus, with the trolley station, supermarkets, shops and restaurants all within walking distance.
- Fee
- $4,150 (about ¥620,000 at ¥150 to the dollar), covering accommodation, lectures and other program costs. The total includes the ¥43,400 application deposit. International airfare is arranged separately by each participant.
Spring Program Highlights
GPS Faculty
Learn from actual GPS professors who teach PhD and Master's students — graduate-level lectures.
Extended Experience
Our signature 3-week format provides deeper immersion and more comprehensive curriculum.
Hotel Comfort
Stay at Residence Inn by Marriott with private kitchens, complimentary breakfast, and shuttle service.
On-Site Coordinator
Jacob Searing, our founder and GPS alumnus, accompanies participants throughout the program.
Free Online Info and Prep Sessions
Anyone considering FGL can join our free online information sessions — you do not need to have applied first. We walk through how to apply and what the program fee covers, and every session includes live Q&A, so you can raise your questions right there. Separately, students who are confirmed for the program join free online pre-departure mock seminars.
Sign up for a session →Room With Friends — or On Your Own
Every participant stays in a suite at the Residence Inn by Marriott — a comfortable, secure, hotel-standard home base from day one. Up to four students share a suite, and each suite has three beds plus a sofa bed — when four students share, one of them sleeps on the sofa bed. There are two bathrooms, so mornings don't back up even with four. Every suite has a full kitchen as well, so cooking for yourselves is an easy way to keep food costs down. Suites are single-gender. Applying on your own is completely welcome. And if you'd like to room with friends, just name them on your application — any number, and we'll do our best to keep you together. Room assignments are finalized about two weeks before arrival, and we'll honor changes right up until then wherever space allows.
Two Evening Seminars, Led by Jacob
In your first week, founder Jacob Searing — a graduate of UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy, the very graduate program you'll study in — personally leads two small-group evening seminars. It's a close, welcoming setting to explore ideas and ask questions, helping you settle in before the main graduate-level lectures.
Join the Free Online English Prep Sessions
Not ready to apply yet? You can still join our free online English prep sessions with live Q&A. Leave your details below and we'll email you a confirmation — no commitment required. Signing up for or attending a session is not a requirement for applying to FGL, and attending gives you no advantage or disadvantage in selection.
Join the live session on Thursday, October 1
"How to Apply and What the Program Fee Covers" runs on Thursday, October 1, 7:00–8:00 PM JST. We’ll walk through the application step by step, including what to do if your university runs its own internal procedure. Fill in the form below and we will email you the Google Meet link right away. Camera off is fine, and you are welcome to join partway through.
Sign up and get the linkPrep Session Schedule
Finished: kickoff Thursday, August 6, 2026 on Google Meet; August 13 & 20 on-demand; August 27 and September 3 live. Coming up: four more, all live — October 1, October 15, November 2 and November 12. All are 19:00–20:00 JST, online, about 60 minutes, and free. You can join any session, whether or not you attended an earlier one.
After you submit, you'll receive a confirmation email, and the Google Meet link is sent before each session.
For Chuo University students: you apply for this program yourself on our website, not through your university. Applications are open now and close December 15, 2026. If you want academic credit for the program, you also need to complete your university's internal procedure at the Chuo Faculty of Commerce office (study-abroad desk) before you apply here — that office will explain how and when.
Spring Program Fee
All-inclusive (includes application fee)
(Reference amount: the USD program fee converted to yen at ¥150/USD. The actual conversion rate is set on or around December 15, 2026. Payment is accepted in Japanese yen by bank transfer.)
Fee Breakdown
Includes tuition, accommodation, breakfast, transport, and support
FGL — 2-Week Program
$4,150≈ ¥620,000A two-week program, February 14–27, 2027
The 2-week program (February 14–27) runs as a separate cohort from the 3-week program, which includes the intensive English seminar week (Feb 8–12). Both programs are open to students enrolled at any university in Japan.
The lists below apply to both the 3-week and the 2-week program.
What's Included
Not Included
Application Deadline: December 15, 2026
Full payment due by January 10, 2027
Marriott Hotel Stay
An all-suite hotel at the edge of campus
Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego La Jolla
8901 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037
Two to four students share a hotel suite — three beds plus a sofa bed, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and breakfast every day. When four share, one sleeps on the sofa bed. Suites are single-gender.
See more hotel photosResidence Inn by Marriott San Diego La Jolla has been FGL's home base for years — an all-suite hotel right at the edge of the UC San Diego campus. Every suite has its own full kitchen, plus a complimentary hot breakfast each morning. The Blue Line trolley station is about a 10–15 minute walk away, and two large supermarkets, shopping centers, and restaurants are all within walking distance — a comfortable, convenient home base throughout your stay.
Room Type
Shared rooms (2-4 students)
Meals
Breakfast included daily
Lunch and dinner on your own
Amenities & Features
Shuttle service available for class days
Safety & Support
Your peace of mind is our priority
On-Site Bilingual Coordinator
Jacob Searing, our founder and GPS alumnus, is on-site throughout the Spring program. As a native San Diegan fluent in both English and Japanese, he provides direct support for any situation.
Jacob accompanies participants to all activities and is available 24/7 during the program.
Japan-side administration: Natsuka Searing (Administrator & Financial Officer)
Dedicated On-Site Support
In addition to Jacob, GPS staff provide academic support while hotel staff ensure comfortable accommodation. You're never alone.
All Programs Include
24/7 Emergency Contact
Direct line to support staff anytime
Travel Insurance Required
Comprehensive coverage verification before departure
Consulate Coordination
Japanese consulate liaison for emergencies
Regular Check-ins
Daily attendance and wellness monitoring
Emergency Contact: Jacob Searing (available 24/7)
Spring 2027 Applications Are Open
Applications for Spring 2027 are now open. The standard application deadline is December 15, 2026, and spots are limited. Contact us on LINE with any questions or to secure your place.
For Chuo University students: you apply for this program yourself on our website, not through your university. Applications are open now and close December 15, 2026. If you want academic credit for the program, you also need to complete your university's internal procedure at the Chuo Faculty of Commerce office (study-abroad desk) before you apply here — that office will explain how and when.
Contact Us on LINEJoin Spring 2027
Experience the full FGL program with our signature 3-week format