Director of the Institute for International Initiatives

ARIKAWA Tomoko

The Institute for International Initiatives was established on 1 April 2025 as an organization to oversee the entire university’s international affairs by integrating two centers, the Center for Global Initiatives, which is responsible for the university’s international strategies and overseas collaboration, and the Center for International Education and Exchange, which is fundamental for the university’s international exchange. Under the same organizational framework, we will build a system that enables strategic planning based on data analysis, the implementation, evaluation, and improvement of university-wide initiatives for acquiring, supporting, and nurturing global human resources. As a research university of the world’s highest standard, we aim to further strengthen the university’s commitment to fostering individuals who transcend cultural differences and can lead the creation of new social values.

Through the close collaboration with internal departments at the university under the Office for International Strategic Planning within our institute, “International Institutional Research” (International IR) will consolidate and analyze multifaceted information and data related to international activities such as global partnerships and student exchange to develop and disseminate evidence-based international strategies throughout the university.

Additionally, the Global Admissions Support Office (GASO) will be established to centrally handle the strategic recruitment of outstanding international students based on data analysis, serve as a one-stop contact point for enrollment inquiries, provide support for faculty members responsible for hosting international students, reducing the burden on both students and their academic advisors, and contribute to increasing the number of international students to enhance the university’s inherent quality, character, and diversity.

The Center for Overseas Operations will utilize four Overseas Centers in North America, Europe, the ASEAN region, and East Asia to develop data-based recruiting strategies in each area and leverage the strong networks established through the university’s unique strategic initiative, the ASEAN Campus Project.

Furthermore, the Center for International Education and Exchange will enhance the university’s fundamental infrastructure for international education and exchange and enable a seamless connection of support services for international students, starting from pre-enrollment, while strengthening career education and support with a focus on their future career paths, establishing a comprehensive international student life cycle support system that extends from pre-enrollment through enrollment to post-graduation and completion. Additionally, the center will oversee student exchange programs (both incoming and outgoing) and manage the planning, improvement, and quality assurance of international education programs, including multicultural collaborative learning.

Each division of this institute will strive to make the most of its strengths to develop global collaboration initiatives while cooperating with all departments within the university and support all members of the university to cooperate as one in their endeavors to widely promote our activities locally and globally. Any and all support for our initiatives would be greatly appreciated.

April 2025
ARIKAWA Tomoko
Director of the Institute for International Initiatives