Notes from the President

Congratulations on entering APU, and welcome to our community.

We admit new students two times a year, both in the spring and in the fall. This semester we are welcoming students from 52 countries and regions, including 533 international students and 40 domestic students, for a total of 573 new students. Our international students come from all over the world. There are many of you joining us from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea. Smaller numbers of you are coming from places like Samoa, Nepal, Norway or Argentina. I also have the pleasure today of welcoming for the first time in our history students from Vanuatu, Somalia, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, and Azerbaijan. Since APU was established 16 years ago, students from 138 countries and regions have studied here on our campus, and we have a network of more than 13,000 people active all over the world. Half of our faculty members are also international, coming from 24 different countries and regions.

Diversity like this is remarkable not just for Japan, but anywhere in the world. The diversity of the student body and faculty of Maastricht University in the Netherlands is similar, but they are no match for us. However, there is no value in simply boasting about the diversity of our student body. By bringing together students from around the world, you challenge and complement each other, and through this you polish your abilities; this is the true value. Pursuing diversity is part of our philosophy on education. Diversity brings creativity, develops mutual respect, and contributes to the cultivation of a better, more nuanced international understanding.

There are about 800 public and private universities in Japan. Two years ago, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology selected 37 of these institutions for a program called Top Global Universities. APU was selected for this program, recognizing our achievements in the internationalization of higher education in Japan. Even among the select group of universities chosen for this program, the diversity of APU stands out. We have a vision to make use of our multilingual and multicultural diversity, developing new values through dialogue and cooperation as we develop new global citizens. However, nothing can be created in a world of violence, rule by military force, and inhumane terrorism. This will only give rise to destruction and tragedy. Reason must triumph in the end; we believe this to be a universal truth.

Last month, APU earned accreditation from AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, for our undergraduate and graduate business programs. This recognition is in no small part thanks to the efforts of our faculty and staff over the last eight years. We join Keio University as one of only three universities in Japan to hold this distinction, but we are the first where you can apply and complete all programs in English. We will continue to strengthen our connections to business schools around the world, aiming to be one of the top-ranked schools in Asia.

Ever since its founding APU has developed while utilizing close ties to the Japanese business community. Companies from Tokyo and the Kansai region come to APU to hold information and recruiting sessions, and every year about 350 companies hire fresh APU graduates. What do you think brings these companies here? There is something appealing about an APU graduate. APU students are welcomed into the Japanese business community because of their linguistic skills and ability to reach across cultures, their academic expertise, and their global mindset. You have chosen the ideal platform to discover yourselves and develop your talents.
Welcome to your ideal platform. Welcome to APU. I wish you well in your studies.