Campus Asia Program

In the Campus Asia Program of the College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University, students from Japan, China and South Korea study the three countries’ respective languages, cultures, and histories, while traveling between the countries. This program originally began as a pilot project for 10 students enrolled in AY2012 (30 students in total from the three countries). Having been developed into a permanent initiative, the program now annually receives a total of 60 students from the three countries. The program, selected as a MEXT Inter-University Exchange Project for the third consecutive term, allows students from Japan, China, and South Korea to think together, exchange views, and study together.
The programs for students enrolled in and after AY2022 welcome students from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) as well, further expanding the diversity of students and study settings. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those involved for their continued efforts in the development of the program.
In the society we live in, values are diversifying and the challenges we face are becoming more complex. To address this situation, we need to connect people with different cultures and values, accommodate their opinions, and form and share new values. I sincerely hope that all program participants will acquire the skills for making these things possible and work to solve challenges seen not only in East Asia but also other parts of the world.

I am very pleased that Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) is able to join the Campus Asia Program (CAP), which has achieved outstanding results for nearly a decade through the efforts of Ritsumeikan University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Dongseo University. As its name suggests, APU was founded in 2000 with the goal of cultivating people who will contribute to the creation of the future of the Asia Pacific region. While APU has accepted large numbers of students from China and South Korea to date, currently we have students from close to one hundred different countries, making APU a truly global learning community. The common languages at APU are English and Japanese, and mutual understanding between students is focused on finding common ground. Meanwhile, CAP has achieved great results through exchange rooted in a deep understanding of each other's culture and history. I hold great expectations that APU students will learn a large amount through participation in CAP. I also hope that CAP students from the other three universities will enrich their studies by joining APU's English language programs and global campus.