Notes from the President

Happy New Year.

First, I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by the large fire that occurred in Saganoseki, Oita City, in November last year, as well as to everyone in Southeast and South Asia who suffered from the heavy rains and cyclones between late November and December. On behalf of everyone at APU, we sincerely pray for the earliest possible recovery and for the restoration of peace and normalcy to the lives of the local community.

Last year, APU celebrated a major milestone—our 25th anniversary. Throughout the year, we were reminded that APU’s growth and development have been made possible thanks to the warm support of so many people, including those in Oita Prefecture and Beppu City, as well as the business community, and through the bold challenges undertaken by the more than 25,000 alumni who have left Beppu to thrive all over the world. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude once again.

In 2026, under the theme “Leap Beyond Global,” APU will pursue three key challenges.
First, we will work toward expanding diversity. Beyond the diversity of nationalities we have cultivated so far, we aim to embrace diversity in age, academic disciplines, social roles, and other attributes, evolving into a university where lifelong learners gather to continue learning throughout their lives.
Second, we will put diversity & inclusion (D&I) into practice to help create a community that promotes wellness and well-being.
Third, we will take proactive steps to address social issues and create social impact.
APU seeks to further strengthen its role as a hub of knowledge that contributes to the sustainable development of local communities and society and to remain a university that fosters new forms of co-creation.

As part of these efforts, last year we signed a comprehensive agreement with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. This marks APU’s first comprehensive collaboration with an overseas university in the field of advanced technology. For a university without a science and engineering college, this partnership represents an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of technology, including semiconductors. Moving forward, we will also focus on developing management professionals who can serve as bridges between technology and society within a multicultural environment.

To all our undergraduate and graduate students: I sincerely hope that each of you will broaden your horizons through your learning at APU and boldly take on challenges so that you can become “graduates who possess the power to change our world.”

Even as society and local communities face various difficulties, the power of people supporting one another and carrying hope into the future is needed now more than ever. I truly wish that this year will be a fruitful one, opening new possibilities for each of you and for APU.

Yoneyama Hiroshi
President, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University