The Kyushu University Summer Program, later renamed Asia in Today’s World (ATW), was first launched in 2011. From its inception, the seven-week program was offered intensive, rigorous undergraduate-level courses addressing the past, present, and future of Asia. Each year ATW hosts some 40 participants from leading universities of all over the world including Asia, North and South America, and Europe.
Kyushu University, home to ATW, itself dates from 1911, when it was founded as one of Japan’s original seven imperial universities. It has grown considerably in its first 100 years and now includes 11 undergraduate schools, 18 graduate school, four research institutes and a hospital. total student enrollment currently exceeds 19,300, while instructional staff number over 2,000. Some 2,100 international students from more than 90 countries are studying presently at Kyushu University.
Kyushu University is located in Fukuoka, a pleasant coastal city of 1.5 million people and the largest metropolis on the island of Kyushu. Thanks to its favorable location close to China and Korea, the city has prospered as Japan’s gateway to continental Asia from ancient times. In light of Fukuoka’s special history and strategic position, Kyushu University has made a focus on Asia of its educational mission.
ATW Academic Program
The ATW curriculum design provides a uniquely productive educational experience relating Asian Studies courses (ASC) to Japanese Language courses (JLC) in a synergistic learning opportunity for students. As they broaden and deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Japan and its neighboring countries through the ASC offerings, students are made aware of the various sociocultural contexts of communication, thereby enhancing their synthetic understanding of the Japanese language as developed in the JLC.
The program requires students to enroll for credit in two of four available Asian Studies offerings (see below) and in one skill level-appropriate Japanese Language course. Selections should accord with student’s home university study plan. Those who satisfy all ATW expectations will be awarded a certificate of program completion in recognition of their effort.
Asian Studies Courses
The Asian studies course component distinguishes ATW as a more comprehensive academic program that complements the study of Japanese language with edifying lectures on Japan’s sociocultural conditions and characteristics. Course topics are not limited to the Japanese scene but cover as well Asia more broadly and the Pacific region, which increasingly are playing a central role in the world. It is an valuable feature of the curricular variety that students are enabled to learn about Asia and Japan in multiple respects and from different perspectives.
ATW’s Asian Studies courses, taught in English, are presented by eminent scholar-specialists invited from around the world. ASC offerings planned for the 2016 program are follows:
- Japan in East-Asia: the Dynamics of Politics and Society
- Death in Traditional Japanese Literature in the Asian Context
- Mind and Behaviour Across Asia
- economic Integration in Asia
Course descriptions and syllabi soon will be available at:
http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/atw/courses.htm
Eligibility for Admission
to be considered for admission to ATW, applicants must be:
- currently enrolled in degree program at an accredited university or college outside Japan;
- in good academic standing (with a grade point average of 3.2 out of 4.00 or higher);
- proficient in English for academic purposes (if a non-native speaker, able to demonstrate a TOEFL iBT score of at least 79 or the equivalent); and
- planning to continue university study following ATW
Japanese Language Courses
Language instruction is offered from beginning through advanced levels. Elementary courses aim to improve students’ abilities to the points where they can cope practically with the communicative demands of a home stay or the experiences of daily life in Japan. In the intermediate and more advanced courses, students will learn how to give a presentation in Japanese and debate on various subjects relating to Japanese society or culture. Students will be assigned to the appropriate course as determined by a placement test given before the start of the program.
Scholarships
Kyushu University offers a limited number of scholarships to students who present a strong undergraduate academic record. All applicants are considered; recipients are selected by the University.
Application
Required Documents:
- A completed ATW application form
- An 800 word essay on “Why I want to join ATW”
- Official academic transcripts of all undergraduate study
- a university or college diploma copy
- one letter of recommendation
- A copy of a recent official TOEFL, IELTS, or other English assessment report
- Academic Transcript
- Letter of Enrollment from Faculty
- Recommendation Letter from Academic Supervisor
- Nomination Letter from Faculty (Addressed to Head of Office of International Affairs
For application instructions and forms, see:
http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/atw/application.htm
Application deadlines: 18 February 2016
Please send 2 copies of all documents above to Kantor Urusan International UGM (Bulaksumur, F13).
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