MORE GLOBAL Keio Students’ International Experiences (1)

Having made three trips to Europe and America, Keio University founder, Yukichi Fukuzawa, became keenly aware of the necessity to introduce the Western educational system in Japan to aid in its modernization. The principle of pursuing internationalization has since been firmly rooted at Keio University, and the university has continued to expand its partnership with overseas universities and enhance the exchange programs in order to give Keio students opportunities to enrich their international experience so that they can develop a broad and international perspective.

As the graph below indicates, the number of Keio students studying abroad is increasing steadily. At the same time, the number of international students studying at Keio University is also on the rise, which provides an increasingly global environment for Keio students to gain international experience even while being in Japan through interaction with international students.

Among the many ways in which Keio University provides study abroad opportunities to its students, this special feature article will focus on the University-endorsed Student Exchange Program and the Short-term Study Abroad Programs organized by the Keio University International Center. Keio students will also talk about their study abroad experiences, and we will hear from students who are actively initiating international exchange in Japan.

Keio University offers various student exchange programs based on individual partnerships with overseas universities and provides its students with the opportunity to spend one year abroad in one of the partner universities or institutions. Candidates for the programs go through an application and selection process, and once they are selected, they continue to pay tuition for Keio University but are exempt from paying tuition fees at the host university.

Students who feel they are not ready to commit to a long-term study abroad or are not confident in their language ability have the option to participate in a Short-term Study Abroad Program. Other than the Short-term Study Abroad Programs organized by the International Center, there are also international exchange programs separately organized by undergraduate faculties and graduate schools.

• Partner Institutions