ISC’s Mission
“A Gateway to Japan, A Gateway to the World”
The International Student Center (ISC) represents Kyushu University’s campus-wide effort for internationalizing its education and facilitating global student exchange.
Since its establishment in the early 1990s as an integral part of Kyushu University’s internationalization effort, the ISC has ceaselessly contributed to the University’s pursuit of one of the core missions – nurture coming generations of leaders and advanced professionals in academia, industry, and government in a rapidly globalizing world. To contribute to this campus-wide mission, the ISC has served as a primary force to facilitate the whole University’s international student mobility – both inbound and outbound – mainly through providing quality international education, research advising, and guidance and support in order for the students to develop a foundation of knowledge, skillsets, and cross-cultural competencies necessary to thrive in and contribute to a global society today and in coming decades.
The ISC’s distinctive mission: To serve students as “a gateway to Japan and a gateway to the world.” Through its education activities, the ISC serves as a gateway for international students committed to deepening their understanding of Japanese culture and society including the language. It also serves as a gateway to the rest of the world for Japanese students passionate about expanding the horizons of their academic study, personal growth, and career prospects beyond their home base. Together, the ISC aims to help both international and Japanese students to take an effective step toward continuing to grow as Japan-based or Japan-familiar global leaders.
Educational Activities
The ISC’s ‘gateway’ educational activities are grouped into three main areas as follows:
1. For International Students:
To facilitate inbound student mobility from outside Japan to Kyushu University, the ISC offers various short-term, credit-conferring study programs, lasting for up to one year, mainly for non-degree-seeking international students including exchange students from the University’s overseas partner institutions. It also offers top-rate curricula in Japanese language learning, both for credit and for training purposes, for all international students enrolled at any school of the University. Cross-cultural counseling services and other resources are also part of the support the ISC provides for all international students across campuses.
Click here to browse ISC’s educational activities for international students:
For INTERNATIONAL Students
To facilitate cross-cultural, mutual learning between international and Japanese students on campus, the ISC coordinates opportunities for Japanese students not only to study together in the classroom but also to get involved in a variety of extracurricular activities with international students. Opportunities arranged for regular interaction between international students and local residents also allow both sides to experience cross-cultural exchange beyond the campus.
Click here to see opportunities for cross-cultural exchange on campus:
On-Campus EXCHANGE & Beyond
To promote the outbound international mobility of degree-seeking students at Kyushu University as a whole, Japanese students in particular, the ISC offers a range of courses for credit to facilitate those students’ international, cross-cultural, and global learning in the classroom. Available to all students across campuses, these courses are designed, at least in part, to prepare them for embarking on study abroad through the University’s campus-wide exchange programs. The ISC also annually arranges and offers short-term, credit-conferring study programs, lasting for up to about a month, in which Japanese students across campuses may participate.
Click here to browse ISC’s educational activities for Kyushu University students:
For KYUSHU UNIVERSITY Students
A Team of Globally Trained Educators
The ISC consists of Kyushu University faculty members who are trained in diverse areas of specialization in humanities and social sciences, including economics, sociology, education, anthropology, area studies, as well as linguistics and Japanese literature.
What the ISC faculty members have in common: extensive and successful experience in international, cross-cultural, or global education – including research advising, guidance, and support – based on their continuous engagement in cutting-edge research and refining of their pedagogy in international education. All the faculty members are passionate about and dedicated to working closely with students from any part of the world and of any academic background.
Click here to meet the ISC faculty members:
PEOPLE
Message from the Director, International Student Center
Welcome to the website of Kyushu University International Student Center (ISC)!Our core mission is to nurture the next generations of leaders, domestic and abroad, who will thrive in and make contributions to our increasingly globalized world, based on their advanced cross-cultural competencies as well as their solid academic and hands-on knowledge of the values, issues, and future prospects of contemporary Japanese society, culture, and economy.
The ISC faculty members are a group of educators and researchers who have extensive and successful experience in international research and cross-cultural education. We are dedicated to working closely with international students of all levels, academic backgrounds, and status categories including degree-seeking students, exchange students, and short-term visiting students.
The ISC faculty members organize and operate the nation’s top-rate curricula in Japanese language learning and comprehensive study programs taught in English and Japanese that are internationally renowned. Annually, a number of international students from all over the world – including Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and Oceania – join our campus community by enrolling in the ISC’s study programs, or advance their proficiencies in Japanese culture and language through the Institute’s curricula during the period of their study in other departments at the University.
The ISC also takes initiative to support the University’s Japanese students, particularly those who desire to achieve personal growth and academic development through international learning. The Institute offers those students various opportunities, resources, and guidance to engage in cross-cultural exchange with international students, many of whom come to pursue their own study abroad experiences based on those exchange experiences.
To date, the ISC has contributed to generating many leaders and advanced professionals in many fields, including business, research, and public services based on their learning experiences through the ISC’s educational services. Please take a moment to closely examine what the ISC offers to help you meet your academic interests and future objectives. A unique, invaluable, and deeply gratifying learning experience awaits you.
Kenji IWATA, Professor
Director, Kyushu University International Student Center
Executive Vice President, Kyushu University
Message from the President, Kyushu University
Kyushu University was founded in 1911 as one of Japan’s former Imperial Universities. Since its inception, the University has ceaselessly dedicated itself to pursuing world-class excellence in international exchange, cross-cultural learning, and global leadership. Today, Kyushu University has grown to become one of the most internationalized institutions of higher education not only in Japan but also across Asia and beyond. Among the factors behind this success is the role of the ISC: thousands of students from all over the world, undergraduate and graduate, have studied with the ISC, enjoyed quality academic and cultural experiences, and gained the confidence and competence necessary for thriving in our rapidly changing and ever more globalized world.
Please explore what you may learn from the ISC’s programs, curricula, and other services for your academic development and personal success. I very much look forward to seeing you in the near future experiencing the exciting, challenging, and quality academic life that the ISC is prepared to offer you.
Tatsuro ISHIBASHI, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Kyushu University
