Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, was established in April 2000. Though relatively new to the academic scene, the school is one of the most popular universities among Japan's leading corporations today, with over 400 companies visiting the campus to recruit.
What makes APU so popular? What is unique about the school? These are among the questions answered in this four-part interview series.
The first interviewee is Susumu Yamamoto, a professor at the College of International Management (APM), one of two undergraduate colleges at APU, who also serves as the dean of careers.
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Q: You were working for a leading Japanese company before starting to teach at APU. Why the switch and why APU?
Yamamoto: Yes, that's true. Before taking up my current position at APU in 2006, I worked for Sony, but I also loved studying and I obtained my doctorate. Actually, I had a vague longing to eventually teach at a university. The offer from APU came at such a time and I found it appealing.
APU is very unique for giving most of its lectures in English and Japanese. This means that the students are able to choose from a lecture conducted in Japanese or English.
Q: Tell us about your students. Where do they come from? What is their attitude toward study, work and social life?
Yamamoto: About half of our students as well as professors come from overseas. It is the only school in Japan where undergraduate students come from about 80 countries. They come to APU straight after graduating from high school. Generally speaking, these students enter our school on an English basis with no command of the Japanese language. Consequently, they receive very intensive training in Japanese during their first year.
The students themselves are highly motivated and are hard workers. The same also goes for our Japanese students. Those who come to APU are enthusiasts with a clear objective, often with a rich international experience. They study in Japanese, but then receive intensive training in English. So by the time of graduation, all APU students become fluent in at least two languages, English and Japanese, regardless of nationality.
Our students are very active in after-school club activities, too. For example, our traditional Korean dance group club has become a local sensation for their fine dancing. The distinctive advantage of this club is that many members are not Korean. They learn from each other, from different cultures.
Many also take up part-time jobs during their free time. I don't know when they sleep, but their campus life is so rich and full that I often wish there was a school like APU when I was a young student.
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Q: Why do you think APU has become popular among many leading companies in Japan?
Yamamoto: For one thing, because our students are fully bilingual. We also provide "practical" knowledge by having numerous professors with different business backgrounds teaching our courses. Each class is also very interactive, encouraging everybody to speak up, which in turn enhances the communication ability of each student.
Another background factor is the materialistic change of the Japanese corporations themselves. Japanese companies are seeking manpower that are global in a true sense. Also, research shows that companies plan to hire more international students next year. They are after those who can battle and survive anywhere in the world.
APU develops students with such capabilities. What I mean by "battle and survive" does not mean to fight and win one's way. It is the ability to communicate and solve the issue at hand. The outside world is filled with myriad uncertainties and you never know what may happen next. Those who excel merely in their academic studies often sit at their desks and contemplate for hours, days or even weeks to obtain the "very best solution." But when working on-site, you don't have that time to spare as things change minute by minute. Under such pressing conditions, you must go for the "second-best answer." That thought process is respected at APU, making our courses very realistic and practical.
Q: How well is APU evaluated in the global arena?
Yamamoto: Our reputation is growing rapidly. Many of our graduates go back to their hometown on their holidays as proud workers of prominent Japanese companies. Their parents boast about their children, too, saying that APU is the way to get their children into general management at good companies. Such word-of-mouth information quickly spreads around the community. The good reputation helps us obtain more high-level students from around the world.
All this encourages us. We are also happy that many graduates keep coming back to visit us whenever they have the time. They say that they've come to like APU even more after graduating.
Q: Tell us about the role of APU's career office now and toward the future.
Yamamoto: We support the students' job hunting activities in our own way, by giving guidance on resume preparation, rehearsing their interviews and so on. As the next step, we want to further improve the quality of our career support services. Since image is often different from reality, we must study the details of each company so that we can provide clearer information on what kind of work is actually conducted at a certain company.
Toward the future, we hope to extend our support to our graduates who may continue their studies and find work in other countries. Ultimately, we want our students to become happy, regardless of whatever choice they make in their life after graduating from APU.
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is at 1-1 Jumonjibaru, Beppu, Oita. For more information, call APU at (0977) 78-1114 or visit www.apu.ac.jp.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/global-career-viewpoint.html?ymdh=2011110709
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