NEWS

On Monday, April 4, 2016, the Spring Semester AP House Welcome Ceremony was held at the APU Millennium Hall, welcoming about 600 students from 31 different countries and regions. Faculty, staff and 63 Resident Assistants (RAs), who offer various supports to students living in the dormitory, also attended to welcome the new residents.

During the ceremony Dean of Student Affairs, MAKITA Masahiro addressed the students: “There are many rules that come with the community life in AP House. As you observe these rules, you will learn many other things, like understanding others or respecting differences in culture and customs. On the other hand, you many encounter different stresses from living so far from your family. At times like this, remember that the resident assistants who live with you are like family. The staff in the AP House Office, the Student Office, and in the Health Clinic are also here to help. Please enjoy your time in AP House with a constantly positive attitude.”

YAMADA Yume (The College of Asia Pacific Studies, 1st year, Japan) gave a short speech on behalf of the new residents about what he hoped to gain as he embarked on his new life. The students were then shown a video produced by the RAs, introducing the rules and regulations of AP House.

Following the ceremony was a welcome dinner at the APU Cafeteria, where students were welcomed by a dance performance and self-introductions by each of the RAs.

In general, all international students, and a portion of domestic students, spend their first year living at the AP House dormitory next to the university campus. With an international to domestic student ratio of 7:3, the AP House student dormitory is home to approximately 1200 students. AP House offers 378 shared rooms and 932 private rooms. For residents, AP House is more than just a dormitory to live – it is a community where students can deepen their understanding of different cultures and for international students, a place where they can learn Japanese and become accustomed to the Japanese lifestyle.

For more details on AP House visit “AP House (On-campus housing)”