Sending Universities

Catholic-oriented Nanzan University was originally a small foreign-language school established by Society of the Divine Word missionaries. The university is now a conglomerate of educational establishments with eight faculties, one junior college, and thirteen research centers and institutes, and it has a worldwide reputation for academic excellence. As part of its “For human dignity” mission, the university requires undergraduate students to study Christian thought, giving them an opportunity to explore Western cultures and better understand Japan’s role on the world stage. This empowers each student to “become a power in and for the world.” Its Center for International Education coordinates the many exchange and overseas programs and provides visiting students with language and culture lessons at the Center for Japanese Studies.

Focused on developing women leaders, Ochanomizu University started life in 1874 as Tokyo Women’s Normal School, Japan’s first institution of higher education for women. The university actively promotes liberal-arts education, enabling its students to base their specialization on a solid foundation of general, communicable knowledge. Students craft their own degree by combining programs from a range of depths in politics, economics, academia, culture, and other fields to suit their needs and forge their own path, ensuring they are prepared for a future of leadership either in Japan or internationally. Ochanomizu University's exchange agreements create an environment that promotes study and research across borders.

In 1972, Okinawa University and International University merged to form Okinawa International University, a private institution that “strives for autonomy and true freedom.” On an island in the East China Sea, Okinawa has been exposed to multiple cultures, culminating in its unique traditions and way of life, and in the university’s commitment to training pioneers and global professionals. Okinawa International’s ten departments, four faculties, graduate school, and four research departments follow the tenets of peace and coexistence, individuality and creativity, autonomy and development as they strive to create scholarship and a culture that supports the peace and coexistence of humankind. The university’s strength is in social sciences and humanities.

Established as the first research-driven university in Korea, Pohang University of Science and Technology is a flagship institution with exceptional STEM research output. POSTECH was founded by POSCO, one of the world's leading steel companies, and was inspired by CalTech in its low student-to-faculty ratio, higher intake of graduate students than undergraduates, and impressive campus environment – a radical departure for the norm in 1980’s Korea. POSTECH rose quickly to become one of the most prominent young research universities in the world and is now in the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings, top 15 in QS Asia University Ranking and top ten in Korea. Each year, POSTECH welcomes just 300 new undergraduates, budding engineers and scientists who are actively encouraged to be involved in graduate research through their courses.

Dubbed the Columbia of the East, East China Normal University (ECNU) rose from humble beginnings as the first national univerisity to train secondary- and higher-education teachers. Now one of the most prestigious universities in China, it is internationally recognized and has strong relationships with institutions across the globe. Part of Project 211 and Project 985, this Shanghai institution is an elite research-intensive university and home to top-class researchers, leading the way in Chinese innovation.
Following its motto to "Seek truth, foster originality, and live up to the name of a teacher," ECNU continues its excellence in teacher training and curriculum development alongside other disciplines.

The Communication University of China (CUC) is one of the top public universities in China, ranked number one in the country for both media and language education. Following its motto of "integrity, professionalism, erudition and competence," CUC nurtures a multidisciplinary approach that enhances students' creativity, preparing them for the opportunities that await them in the information and communication industries. One of the Project 211 key universities, CUC is a Chinese Ministry of Education Double First Class Discipline University, with Double First Class status in certain disciplines. 

One of Japan's oldest higher-education facilities, Aoyama Gakuin University is well-respected for its undergraduate focus on humanities and business education. The private, co-ed Christian university is one of the five most popular universities in Tokyo and one of Japan's leading private universities thanks to its quality of teaching and international ambience.

A large number of courses are taught in English - from law and literature to international management, politics and economics - which appeals particularly to the university's quite cosmopolitan applicants. AGU focuses on nurturing students' sense of social responsibility and Christian morality, so they can contribute fully to society and today's world.