NEWS

On Sunday, November 23, 2025, APU celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a commemorative ceremony at B-Con Plaza. Approximately 330 guests attended, including representatives from government ministries, local municipalities, Kyushu’s business community, and educational institutions, all of which are organizations that have supported APU throughout its 25-year history.

The ceremony opened with a dynamic performance by the student group APU Lion and Dragon Dance Circle. In their opening remarks, Tomomi Morishima, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Ritsumeikan Trust, and Hiroshi Yoneyama, President of APU, expressed gratitude to the distinguished guests and highlighted APU’s past achievements and its future role in society.
Messages of congratulations were then delivered by honored guests, including Yohei Matsumoto, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (read by Tetsuo Goda, Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau), Kiichiro Sato, Governor of Oita Prefecture, Yasuhiko Nagano, Mayor of Beppu City, and Takeshi Iwaya, Member of the House of Representatives and former Foreign Minister.

The keynote speech, entitled “Development of Global Human Resources Contributing to the Future of the Kyushu Region”, was delivered by Kazuhiro Ikebe, Chairman of the Kyushu Economic Federation. Mr. Ikebe introduced the Federation’s vision, “Kyushu Future Vision 2030”, and its ten action plans aimed at driving Japan’s growth from Kyushu. He emphasized the importance of cultivating global talent as a driving force for value creation and praised APU’s role in achieving this goal within the region.

In the second part of the program, a panel discussion was held on the same topic, featuring leaders from industry, government, academia, and finance. Panelists included Mr. Ikebe; Tomiichiro Goto, Chief Representative Director of Oita Economic Friends Association and Chairman of the Board of Oita Bank; Takeshi Sugahara, Chairman of the Oita Prefecture LSI Cluster Formation Promotion Council and President and CEO of Japan Semiconductor Co., Ltd.; Mitsuaki Hoshino, Director-General of the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry); Yasunori Mitani, President of the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech); and President Yoneyama. The discussion was moderated by College of International Management Professor and APU Liaison Director Masanori Fujita. Panelists stressed that for Kyushu’s semiconductor industry to succeed globally, it is essential to enhance diversity by promoting women’s participation and integrating talent from humanities and other fields. They also pointed out the urgent need to improve systems for accepting highly skilled foreign professionals, an area where Kyushu lags behind. Kyutech President Mitani highlighted the impact of diversity on innovation and noted that collaboration with APU provides valuable opportunities for science and engineering students to learn how to work with people from different backgrounds. President Yoneyama emphasized that Japan needs “internal globalization” not only in companies but across society and that diversity and inclusion foster richness through the exchange of ideas.

The ceremony concluded with a message of appreciation from Yoshio Nakatani, Chancellor of the Ritsumeikan Trust. Following the ceremony, a celebratory reception was held, offering guests an opportunity to connect with each other and share in their support for APU.
APU will continue to work closely with its supporters and students to pursue its vision of “Leap Beyond Global”, striving to remain a truly unique university unlike any other in the world.

Click here for the APU 25th Anniversary webpage.