NEWS

On March 23, 2026, APU and Oita Prefectural Beppu Shosei High School (hereafter, “Beppu Shosei High School”) held a signing ceremony to conclude a partnership agreement.
From Beppu Shosei High School, Principal Eiji Obata, eight faculty members, and five students who plan to enroll at APU attended the ceremony, while President Hiroshi Yoneyama and the 2026 Dean of Admissions Tatsufumi Yamagata represented APU.
Hiroshi Nakagawa from the Oita Prefectural Board of Education and Tae Kiyosue and Hirokazu Goto from Beppu City Hall were also present as guests. The agreement was formally signed by Principal Obata and President Yoneyama.

Principal Obata expressed his expectations that this high school–university partnership will not only provide opportunities for high school students to experience advanced university-level learning but will also create reciprocal learning opportunities. He highlighted initiatives such as high school students presenting their research to APU students and APU’s international students engaging directly with Japanese high school classrooms to work collaboratively with students on problem solving from diverse perspectives. He also conveyed his strong desire to create an environment where it becomes natural for Beppu Shosei students and APU students to engage in daily discussions within the high school setting.

President Yoneyama emphasized that Beppu Shosei High School’s mission—“cultivating individuals who contribute to the community by harnessing the strengths of Beppu, a city rich in diversity”—aligns closely with APU’s goal of developing graduates who can “shape the world.”
He further shared his vision that this partnership will accelerate collaboration with Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, and other regional actors, contribute to solving local issues, foster globally active young people, and strengthen the collective intellectual resources of the region, thereby contributing to broader societal development.

Following the signing ceremony, a discussion session was held to exchange ideas on future collaborations. A variety of project proposals were presented, particularly by the students planning to enroll at APU. Drawing on these ideas, APU and Beppu Shosei High School will continue to develop collaborative initiatives uniquely possible because both institutions are located in Beppu.

Main Areas of Collaboration

• APU campus visit programs for Beppu Shosei High School students
• Career guidance sessions led by APU students and faculty
• Mock lectures
• Research and inquiry-based learning advising
• International exchange experiences
• Participation in joint training sessions organized by APU for approximately 20 partner high schools
• Other projects jointly determined by the two institutions every academic year