NEWS

On May 23, 2025, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and Japan Sun Industries, a social welfare corporation located in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture (hereinafter, “JSI) signed a comprehensive partnership agreement aimed at realizing a society where people of all backgrounds can understand and respect one another. The signing ceremony was held at the Taiyo Museum, with Mr. Tatsuo Yamashita, President of JSI, and Dr. Hiroshi Yoneyama, President of APU, attending and signing the agreement.

President Yoneyama stated, “By strengthening our collaboration with JSI and reflecting diversity in higher education, we hope to provide a space where people can pursue inclusion in their daily lives. We aim to bring positive change to society and create a better world together with our students.”
Next, President Yamashita added, “We are striving to create a society that draws no lines between people with and without disabilities. A truly inclusive society is one in which the term ‘inclusive society’ itself becomes obsolete. To make that vision a reality, we hope to deepen our personnel and academic exchanges with APU.”

Key Initiatives under the Agreement:

• Collaboration utilizing JSI’s expertise and networks
  Examples include providing advice on promoting diversity and inclusion in campus facility planning and implementing internship programs.
• Collaboration using APU’s educational and research resources
  Examples include joint research projects with JSI and its affiliated companies.
• Development of educational programs leveraging the strengths of both institutions
  Examples include the joint development of training programs to support corporate human resources development.
• Mutual exchange of people
  Examples include guest appearances at events and dispatching APU students to JSI.