Notes from the President

Entrance Ceremony: Congratulatory Message

Congratulations on your admission to APU. I would like to extend a wholehearted welcome on behalf of everyone at APU. I also would like to extend my heartfelt greetings to your families. This fall, APU is happy to welcome 508 incoming students, thus bringing the total number of students enrolled at the university to 5555, 2563 of which are international students and 2992 are domestic students. A total of 90 countries and regions are represented by the international student body at APU. In terms of the number of countries and regions represented on campus, other universities in Japan cannot compare. Our domestic students are also diverse, hailing from every prefecture of Japan. Here, not only will you study with students from all over the world, you will live with them in APU House and participate in club activities together. Through this and your interactions with older students as well as alumni around the world you will encounter different cultures and values, and deepen your knowledge as you develop character and make friendships that will last a lifetime. At APU, we call this the Global Learning Community.
APU’s greatest asset is our campus in which students from all over the world study side by side, exchange ideas, and form friendships. To those who are still unable to enter Japan due to immigration restrictions, we hope that someday very soon we can welcome you to our campus so that everyone may enjoy the rewards unique to APU campus life. While our current policy is to wait for the pandemic situation in Japan to improve and increase face-to-face lessons, as a rule, we will continue conducting all lessons in a hybrid or Hyflex format so that everyone around the world can participate online. APU is also making preparations so that we will be able to act immediately to support your entry once the government of Japan decides to relax the immigration restrictions for college students. Please wait just a little longer.

APU is on the verge of a major transformation. We are currently making preparations for the opening of our third college in 2023. To coincide with this, we will construct a new classroom building and dormitory, both of which are designed to encourage collaborative learning. We will increase opportunities for on-site learning in various places both in Japan and overseas. We will cooperate with Japanese and foreign universities to develop joint classes. We will further strengthen our progressive efforts as a truly international university. We will strive to create a university that you can be proud of graduating from.

The key players at a university are YOU, the students. The most important function of the university is to ensure your learning and growth. Please make the most of APU’s resources—the classes, faculty members, classrooms, library, and other facilities—to discover a NEW YOU. I want you to keep challenging yourself and become a person “who possess[es] the power to change the world”—a person that is beyond the reach of your imagination today! Your growth as an APU student starts today!
Unfortunately, President Deguchi could not attend today because he is recovering from an illness, but I would like to close with a message he always gives to new students: “Meet many people, read many books, travel far and wide and learn to love learning. Because more than anything, universities are places for learning.” President Deguchi has prepared a list of books he would like you all to read, and we have provided this to you for reference.
Once again, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your admission to APU.

Hiroshi Yoneyama
Vice President / Acting President
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
September 24, 2021