NEWS

APU concluded a partnership agreement with Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture on Thursday, February 16 at Startup Cafe in Fukuoka City’s Chuo district. The agreement seeks mutual exchange and cooperation between Fukuoka City and APU for intellectual, human and material resources, aiming to contribute to the development of local communities and the cultivation of talent.

“I believe that this partnership agreement will see an upsurge in companies that can match the needs of students looking for employment or looking to start businesses,” said Fukuoka City Mayor TAKASHIMA Sōichirō. “We hope that APU students will become a bridge for business with their home countries.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Fukuoka – the ‘Gateway to Asia’,” added Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University President KORENAGA Shun. “Fukuoka is a city that, as the ‘Gateway to Asia’, has a unique capacity to incorporate diversity. We will look to continue towards a stronger relationship with this opportunity, especially in terms of cooperating to create a setting that enables Japan to incorporate international human resources.”

A celebratory event was held following the partnership agreement ceremony. Under the theme “Possibilities International Students Create”, talk sessions were held to shed light on the strengths of international students as highly skilled talent for companies considering recruiting internationals, as well as on Fukuoka as an attractive place to work for internationals looking to find employment or to start a business.

Stepping up to the podium were APU graduate KANO Yusuke (College of International Management, 2010), currently President and CEO of Welmo, Inc.; DO Thi Ngoc Khanh (College of Asia Pacific Studies graduate, 2015), an employee at Bank of Fukuoka; and SIDDIKY A B (College of International Management, third year), who is working toward launching a business in Kyushu.

“Fukuoka is the perfect size to do test marketing when it comes to launching a business,” noted Mr. KANO. “In the years ahead, I’d love it if IT talent would expand like it has in Silicon Valley.”

Mr. SIDDIKY also commented, “For internationals to start a business in Japan, there are not only cultural and language barriers, but there are also significant legal hurdles that must be overcome, such as arrangements for visas. If only the system could become a bit more flexible...”

APU has now concluded agreements with all the municipalities in Oita Prefecture (fourteen cities, three towns, and one village), as well as with local governments outside of the prefecture such as Iida City in Nagano Prefecture and Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture.