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Kumamoto is located in the center of Kyushu Island in Japan and is creamy. We have the enormous volcanic Aso mountain in the eastern part of Kumamoto Prefecture. On the west side, there is the picturesque Amakusa seashore with small islands connected by five bridges. So, the city is called FOREST CITY. We have a hill clad in fresh greenery behind the KU campus, giving us a tranquil atmosphere for studies. Kumamoto is also known for its high-quality freshwater springs, which provide drinking water to the residents. Kumamoto University (KU), a globally active research university with roots in local communities, has adopted a motto that symbolizes the university's brand attributes and expresses its essential quality: "KU Spirit." Kumamoto University aims to contribute to the community and global society by cultivating intelligent, moral, and skillful people while working for the creation, inheritance, and development of knowledge, following the Fundamental Law of Education's spirit, the School Education Law. KU is one of the oldest universities in Japan with seven faculties, eleven graduate schools, and 23 research centers/institutes (August 2017) that support a broad spectrum of educational and research activities. Currently, the university is home to around 8,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students, including 507 international students from 49 countries (May 2017). For over 100 years, our university has been at the forefront of culture, advancing science and technology, and contributing to the Japanese educational system's development. Recently, we have been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) for the following three projects the Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities, the Top Global University Project, and the Center of Community Project. Consequently, KU will be seeing increased internationalization brought about by international academic and student exchange programs (as of September 2017, we have partnered with 222 institutes from 44 countries and regions), global-collaboration research programs with the world's world's leading researchers, and other such international activities. The short-term international student exchange programs are conducted at both KU and our partner universities. Through these activities, KU has been contributing to local communities and global society. We seek to cultivate an open mind with a broad view, a creative imagination, the ability to solve problems, and the aptitude to communicate internationally. We believe this policy will ensure that many competent professionals and leaders of future societies will emanate from our university. To cultivate unique, creative people, the university provides a comprehensive education based on a consistent philosophy followed by all our undergraduate departments and graduate schools. With the help of a broad education, our undergraduate departments inculcate in students the abilities of international communication, adapting to the information age, and thinking and acting independently. Our graduate schools cultivate highly specialized workers with comprehensive reasoning ability, technical knowledge, and internationally recognized skills, and in-depth insight into human beings and nature, based on the undergraduate education that the workers have received. As an institution that is open to the public, the university offers a place where people can engage in lifelong learning. The university strives to protect and develop humankind's cultural heritage while enhancing its capabilities to function as a center of advanced academic research and proactively promote cutting-edge, creative academic research. Also, by making use of its unique features, comprehensively deepening knowledge in the fields of human science, social science, and natural science, as well as promoting interdisciplinary research, Kumamoto University is working to contribute to the harmonious coexistence of humans and the environment, as well as sustainable societal development. As a university located in a regional hub city, the university will strengthen its cooperation with the local community and serve as a central research facility and cultivate leaders in the local community. By striving to convey our academic culture to the world, the university will contribute to the promotion of local industry and to advancing the provision of information about the culture. The university also strives to promote international intellectual exchange, educate international students, and train graduate students capable of producing a bilateral international exchange. View full university

Since its foundation in 1942, Kumamoto Gakuen University has a long history of active international exchange participation. This history gives us the experience to respond to your needs and help you get the most out of your exchange experience. Our school is located near the center of Kumamoto City. We have a beautiful campus filled with green spaces. Our Ginkgo Avenue (echo Namiki) is well known in the city for its autumn splendor. Our campus is relatively small, so you will find it easy to make friends. Your teachers at KGU are knowledgeable and friendly. Your Japanese classes will have no more than 15 students. The inception of Kumamoto Gakuen University can be traced back to the Kumamoto International Association's founding in 1918. This local organization was dedicated to educating young people who could contribute to Japan's development by working overseas. The founding in 1942 of the Institute of Oriental Languages, the school from which our university developed, was an extension of that project. Since then, the university's growth has continued to be characterized by our twin commitments to community and internationalism. As our institution has grown, our ties to the local community have remained strong. When the Institute of Oriental Languages was established, Shigeru Ishizaka, who had represented Kumamoto in Japan's Imperial Diet and would serve as mayor of Kumamoto City, became its first director. Then, when we became a four-year university in 1954, Morio Takahashi, who had also served as Kumamoto City mayor, became our first president. With such support from leading figures in the local community, we have grown into a university with five faculties, twelve departments, and five graduate schools. Many of our more than 90,000 graduates have assumed prominent positions in local businesses and government. Our Open Research Center for Minamata Studies is another example of our deep connection to the local community. The center is devoted to promoting interdisciplinary, community-based research on mercury poisoning's physical and social effects that occurred near the southern border of Kumamoto Prefecture. As the only university in Japan with a research facility devoted exclusively to the study of Minamata disease, we can combine our commitment to contributing to our community with our commitment to international cooperation. The entering into force of the Minamata Convention of Mercury in August of 2017 is a clear indication of this local issue's global significance. The international research and educational activities of the Our Open Research Center for Minamata Studies constitute a prime example of the connection we see between local community and globalism. Educationally, we are committed to encouraging our students to experience foreign cultures and deepen their understandings of the connections between local and global communities. We are actively seeking to strengthen and extend our ties to universities outside of Japan and welcome students from other countries. We strive to foster the balanced growth of internationally-minded young people who can think for themselves as they learn to contribute to local and international communities. You can choose from over 100 clubs to join and make Japanese friends, keep up with your favorite sport, or learn a traditional Japanese sport or cultural activity. You can experience Japanese culture through the various festivals and events held on campus throughout the year. You can make friends from all over the world because KGU has exchange programs with universities in many countries. You will be supported by the helpful and friendly staff at the Office of International Education. You will live in our International Residence, located close to campus, which means you will spend more time meeting and interacting with students and less time traveling to and from school. View full university