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International exchange on campus

International Commons

The International Commons, located on the first floor of Building 7 on the Aoyama Campus, is an international exchange area that includes a global lounge, an event space, a chat room (described below), and a facility where counseling is available in English. It is a place for international students to interact with each other and with Japanese students, and is equipped with spaces for students to relax and study together. Games and other items are available for rental as tools for interaction, and various international exchange events are held here. This facility was renovated as part of the 150th anniversary of Aoyama founding.

*The International Commons will be closed during the summer vacation period, but will be open from 9:30-16:00 on the following dates:
August 1st (Friday) to 3rd (Sunday), September 10th (Wednesday) to 12th (Friday), September 16th (Tuesday) to 18th (Thursday)

Chat Rooms

This is a place where you can have international exchange on campus through communication in foreign languages (English, Chinese, Korean, etc.). Different topics are set every day, so you can enjoy chatting about a variety of topics. We also hold chat sessions in Japanese for international students. Users can make reservations through the student portal, and are free to choose beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels according to their language ability. Please feel free to use it between classes.

Click here for details

Advisor and Tutor System for International Students

To support international students, all faculties and some graduate schools appoint advisors (supervising professors), and undergraduate and exchange students are assigned tutors (instructors).

Advisors are full-time faculty members in each faculty/department/graduate school who are responsible for supervising international students and supporting your university life. There are one or two advisors in each faculty (one per department for faculties with multiple departments) and one in some graduate schools. They plan cultural exchange activities (social gatherings) for each faculty/graduate school and provide advice on academic matters. You can also ask your advisor to write a recommendation letter for your scholarship application, but in that case, make sure you prepare a draft yourself and ask for it in plenty of time.
Information about advisors for each faculty will be announced on the student portal from mid-April at Aoyama (and at the orientation for self-financed international students at the beginning of the academic year at Sagamihara), so be sure to check it and keep it safe until the end of the academic year.

Tutors are volunteer students who support international students' university life. They are assigned to all new students (undergraduates), second-year and above students who wish to do so, and exchange students, and are responsible for supporting international students' academic and lifestyle aspects. Tutors are the people you will be closest to, so be sure to contact them regularly and actively ask them for help with anything you don't understand. Tutors may also contact international students at the request of the International Center. Be sure to respond to any contact from your tutor.

International Exchange Events

There are many opportunities for international exchange not only abroad. Even on the campus where you usually study, Aoyama Gakuin University has many opportunities for international exchange!

Exchange meeting between international students and general students

At both Aoyama and Sagamihara campuses, we hold social gatherings where international students and Japanese students can deepen their intercultural understanding through games and other activities.

Date: Held several times each semester (during class periods)
How to participate: Check the portal for details and apply online

Ambassador Session

In the Ambassador Session, exchange students called "ambassadors" will act as speakers and introduce a variety of topics in English, including the partner universities they are enrolled in, as well as their country's culture, lifestyle, and hobbies.
This provides an opportunity for exchange students and Aogaku to deepen their interactions through presentations by ambassadors, Q&A sessions, and free conversation time.

How to participate: Check the portal for details and apply online

Cultural Training

At both Aoyama and Sagamihara campuses, international students and regular students study Japanese culture together and take part in one-day off-campus training programs.

How to participate: Check the portal for more details and apply online.

Exchange meeting with overseas visiting groups

Several times a year, groups of students from overseas partner universities visit Japan to engage in discussions and other exchanges with Japanese students, and the International Center sometimes accepts applications from students to participate.