Hitotsubashi International Centre of Research and Training of Economic Measurement (Hi-CEM)
The official statistics in Japan have been operated under a decentralized system. While this system has numerous advantages, several difficulties have also been pointed out. One key issue is that statistical practitioners are engaged in statistical compilation work within individual ministries and agencies, making it difficult to cultivate statistical experts. Given the importance of official statistics, it is crucial to develop specialists responsible for building public statistics and to ensure the production of reliable statistics that are trusted by users both domestically and internationally.
The users of official statistics are not limited to domestic stakeholders. To ensure that official statistics are internationally comparable, quality management is necessary for each country’s statistical system. International organizations such as the World Bank have developed various “statistical compilation guidelines” to ensure the quality of public statistics and have provided these guidelines to national statistical agencies. Therefore, statistical experts involved in official statistics must possess the capability to engage in discussions with experts from the World Bank and other international organizations and contribute to the development of such guidelines.
Looking at Asia, many countries are striving to improve and develop their official statistical systems as their economies grow rapidly. Given this environment, Japan, which has accumulated extensive knowledge through years of compiling official statistics, is expected to contribute to the enhancement of statistical infrastructure in Asian countries.
Since its establishment in 1875, Hitotsubashi University has continuously contributed to the development of public statistics. Even in the past decade alone, the university has not only conducted joint research with scholars who have led the development of statistical compilation guidelines for key indicators such as the Consumer Price Index, national economic accounts, and real estate and construction price statistics at international organizations, but has also co-hosted international public workshops with domestic researchers involved in public statistics. These workshops have included participation from the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Cabinet Office, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, strengthening collaboration with various ministries and agencies.
Building on these achievements, in 2023, Hitotsubashi University established the Hitotsubashi International Centre of Research and Training of Economic Measurement (Hi-CEM) within the Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS). The center was founded in collaboration with key institutions that bring together statistical experts, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Cabinet Office, the Statistical Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Institute of Statistical Mathematics. Hi-CEM aims to leverage its existing network to foster collaboration not only with international researchers in public statistics but also with organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Through these efforts, the center aspires to become a hub for research and training in public statistics in Asia.
