Page 64 - Forbes - Asia (September 2018)

5 JAPAN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

JAPAN’S MOST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

A small university with a grand vision, Ritsumeikan Q “About 97.8% of our
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international mindset—global citizens with the power to degree students are not
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They’re here to stay at least
The Ministry of Education’s Top universities are often not high in any four years. This means their
Global University Project provides international ranking systems. But involvement in the curriculum,
funding support for 37 world-class our international undergraduate ed-
and innovative universities that are ucation at APU gets full marks,” says in extracurricular activities,
leading the internationalization of APU vice president, Kenji Yokoyama. and involvement in the local
Japanese universities. Among the “About 97.8% of our internation- community is very serious.”
program’s 37 bene ciary universities al undergraduate degree students students with overseas learning ex-
is Ritsumeikan Asia Paci c University are not here on an exchange basis. perience. Q “APU will go on to play a vital
(APU). With 50% of its students and They’re here to stay at least four “Three years ago, APU created a
faculty members coming from more years. This means their involvement vision for 2030. It is a grand vision role in fostering the leaders and
than 80 countries, it is well ahead in the curriculum, in extracurricular that promotes the successes of APU’s the grand vision necessary to
of the pack in terms of internation- activities, and involvement in the lo- alumni in their future endeavors and lead the Asia-Pacific region.”
alization, and already offers most cal community is very serious. This is in their actions to change the world.
major subjects in both English and the main difference between APU Our graduates number at about HARUAKI DEGUCHI,
Japanese. and other international universities.” 15,000 and they are scattered across President, Ritsumeikan Asia
“Generally speaking, Japanese The small university has a grand the world,” explains APU president
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universities have high-quality classes vision. Under the Top Global Univer- Haruaki Deguchi.
in engineering, science and technol- sity Project, APU has de ned a set of “Our vision includes different Deguchi believes that immersing
ogy. When it comes to undergradu- goals called the Four 100s—these ideas for university education,” adds Japanese students in a culturally di-
ate education, they are very weak, include creating a campus that can Dean of Admissions, Yuichi Kondo verse environment is crucial for the
especially in the eld of internation- attract students from 100 countries “It’s about global citizenship: how we future of the Japanese economy,
alization. It’s a reason why Japanese and providing 100% of domestic want to educate students to become which, he says, up to now has been
citizens of the world. Most Japanese based on the factory model, where
universities have a vague motto and values based on “unity, order and
a mission statement that involves a harmony” have been cultivated
philosophy. But our university goes among the workforce at the ex-
beyond this with global standards. pense of other values such as crea-
In order for our students to contribute to the society in which This vision is to help our students be tivity and free thinking.
they live, we are convinced that knowledge and expertise change agents—to change the world “Japan raised workers that
alone are not everything. It is also important to enrich as a global citizen—and we want to could endure and persevere, and
their personality. We devote our education to helping our achieve an environment that fully these characteristics are not linked
students develop a personality that has “The Knowledge,” supports this by 2030.” to creativity, uniqueness or criti-
“The Heart” and “The Mind” all blended in harmony. With the majority of its interna- cal thinking. Do you believe that
tional students coming from Asia, Steve Jobs could have thrived in a
another key goal for APU is foster- factory? Considering our economic
ing the young talent capable of con- situation, the key to Japan’s further
tributing to the future shape of the success lies in its ability to foster a
Asia-Paci c region, which, due to workforce that has values similar to
rapid economic growth and the es- those of Steve Jobs: values of crea-
tablishment of the ASEAN Economic tivity and diversity,” he says.
Community, is set to play a greater “The nest strategy to foster a
role on the international stage, both diverse society is to make people
economically and politically. interact with a variety of different
The spirit of the true hospitality
“APU will go on to play a vital cultures. We must encourage diver-
role in fostering the leaders and the sity and promote the immersion of
grand vision necessary to lead the oneself into what is foreign. I be-
Asia-Paci c region,” says Deguchi. lieve that APU is a ‘United Nations’
“Our graduates are able to study at composed of young people. Study-
a U.N.-like organization with a strong ing in such an international environ-
nancial foundation and a truly di- ment at such a young age enhances
verse and international environment the growth rate of any individual. It
with Japanese and English as com- is a true opportunity to expand one-
www.bunri-c.ac.jp/univ/english
mon languages for their classes.” self,” Deguchi adds.