A Space for Exchange and Learning for the Creation of a Global Community

As the international situation surrounding us changes from moment to moment, there is an increasing demand for talented people who can play an active role in global society. At Ritsumeikan University, as a part of our goal for students to engage in international exchange on campus, in 2018 we established the Beyond Borders Plaza (commonly known as the BBP) to create a global community based on the idea of going beyond the various borders that exist within a community such as nationality, language, religion, gender, disability, age, and class. A BBP is located on every campus and is a space that aims to allow students to build connections across such borders and to learn together through language learning and international exchange.

With regard to language learning, students can develop their communication skills by engaging in conversation practice and exchange with foreign language instructors and fellow students at the Foreign Language Communication Rooms organized by the BBP. Sessions are offered in seven languages—English, German, French, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Italian. The BBP also provides Japanese language learning consultations to support international students studying Japanese.
At the Language Learning Support Desks, faculty members serving as BBP Facilitators offer guidance on English learning, including consultations on study methods, English proficiency test preparation, and academic writing in English.
Meanwhile, the Self-study Area within the BBP is equipped with a wide range of language learning materials, allowing students to study languages at their own pace.
As for international exchange, the BBP organizes programs introducing the cultures of various countries and regions, presentations by exchange students on their home universities, study abroad support sessions, and various skill-building workshops. It also holds collaborative events with other organizations. Ritsumeikan University envisions the BBP as a place where students can meet and learn from one another, transcending not only differences in nationality and language, but also attributes such as age and gender and all kinds of invisible borders.