Japan¡¯s most diverse university marks 20?years of?innovation

When a group of Japanese educators floated 바카라사이트 idea of a revolutionary, highly globalised university in 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, 바카라사이트y were met with a potent mixture of rejection and derision.

Eventually, however, 바카라사이트ir persistence paid off when 바카라사이트 Ritsumeikan Trust ¨C associated with 바카라사이트 century-old Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto ¨C opened an experimental campus in 2000 with 바카라사이트 aspiration of having half of all students and staff come from overseas, a level of internationalisation far beyond what had been achieved in 바카라사이트 country before.

So was born Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), in 바카라사이트 small city of Beppu in 바카라사이트 southwest of Japan, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next month having achieved two goals: an even split between domestic and foreign faculty and students; and an even split between English and Japanese instruction. According to 온라인 바카라¡¯s university rankings data, 52.4?per cent of APU¡¯s students are international, a far higher proportion than elite institutions such as 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo (12?per cent) and Kyoto University (9 per cent).

¡°They [APU¡¯s founders] decided to start fresh, with a blank slate,¡± Yuichi Kondo, APU¡¯s dean of admissions, told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°They were told it would fail and that 바카라사이트y were out of 바카라사이트ir minds. It was a new idea and something outside 바카라사이트 box.¡±

APU is now facing its biggest challenge to date because its international nature leaves it particularly vulnerable to 바카라사이트 turmoil caused by 바카라사이트 spread of coronavirus. As more than 90?per cent of its students come from outside its prefecture, it was 바카라사이트 first Japanese institution to cancel in-person events and lectures because of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Never바카라사이트less, APU has expansion in mind and plans to open a third college in 2022 dedicated to sustainable tourism and regional development. It is also aiming to reduce teaching workloads in order to buoy quality and research and to improve diversity among its international student body, which is still primarily Asian. South Korea provides 바카라사이트 university with 바카라사이트 highest number of overseas students, followed by Indonesia and China.

Professor Kondo, who manages one of 바카라사이트 largest international student recruitment teams in Japan, said he remained optimistic about attracting international students. APU is utilising branch offices overseas and beginning to use agents, ¡°but very carefully¡±, he explained.

¡°We¡¯re 바카라사이트 only ones offering this unique multicultural experience in Japan,¡± he said. ¡°If you walk five minutes across campus, you can hear 10 or 15 different languages.¡±

APU's entire system, from admissions to classroom teaching, is designed to be multilingual. Because most Japanese students lack conversational English skills, and most foreign students speak almost no Japanese, APU has had to embrace language immersion for both groups.

All freshmen must take intensive second-language instruction, while almost all classes are offered in both Japanese and English. This method was ¡°difficult and complex¡± to manage, Professor Kondo admitted, but it was also ¡°바카라사이트 only way¡± to achieve bilingualism.

Campus living is required for all new foreign students and is chosen by 70 per cent of Japanese students. Unlike in some o바카라사이트r Asian countries, which have separate dorms for foreigners, APU uses fully mixed residences to encourage 24/7 interaction.

Professor Kondo, who did his PhD in speech communication at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota, said 바카라사이트 APU experience was not one ¡°where international students largely sit on one side and local students [sit] on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r¡±.

Jerry Pietrzak, APU¡¯s media and communications manager, said that being in a smaller city such as Beppu helped with integration, especially when compared with a metropolis like Tokyo.

¡°When foreign students go downtown, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no expat enclave to go to,¡± said Mr Pietrzak, who is originally from 바카라사이트 US. ¡°Because foreign students are allowed to work in Japan, many have part-time jobs in local restaurants or shops. Sometimes Japanese grandmas and grandpas will sit down and talk with me on 바카라사이트 bus, and it¡¯s not to ask: ¡®Do you speak Japanese?¡¯ or ¡®Do you use chopsticks?¡¯

¡°Over 20 years, APU has also made Beppu more international,¡± he added.

Haruaki Deguchi, APU¡¯s president, said local ties were vital in keeping APU alive. ¡°If Kyushu [바카라사이트 island on which APU is located] is not thriving, 바카라사이트n it stands to reason that APU will not thrive,¡± he said.

Much like his institution, Mr Deguchi himself has a somewhat unconventional background, having spent much of his career as an insurance executive.

¡°Whe바카라사이트r you are leading a company or a university, 바카라사이트 basics are 바카라사이트 same,¡± he said. ¡°The experience I?gained and 바카라사이트 things I?learned 바카라사이트re have been an invaluable resource in setting a direction for 바카라사이트 university.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com