CONTENTS

1 Global Report
6 Innovation
13 Bridges
20 Chat in the Den

Global Report

Removing the “Japanese language barrier”
and providing a favorable learning
environment for international students:
HGP is facilitating theadvancement of globalization
The latest increase in the number of inbound exchange students at Hitotsubashi University wasachieved through a program in which we revised our admission requirements for Japanese
proficiency, which had previously acted as a barrier for prospective international students, andreformed our international education provision. This article introduces the initiatives adopted aspart of the Hitotsubashi University Global Education Program (HGP). This program has played
an important role in promoting the advancement of globalization throughout the university
while also helping to increase the number of inbound exchange students studying here and thenumber of Japanese students going abroad to study.
Japanese universities are currently pursuing a wealthof initiatives aimed at promoting globalization. One
such example is the effort to promote the influx of international students. As part of the 300,000 International
Students Plan enacted by the Japanese government in2008, which aims at “boosting the number of international students to 300,000 by 2020,” each university inJapan has continuously striven to create a campus withan international appeal.
If a university wishes to attract more international
students, simply expressing a desire to do so is notenough. It must also enhance its educational infrastructure and internationalize the education it provides.
Hitotsubashi University has established its own uniqueglobal education program, known as the “Hitotsubashi
University Global Education Program (HGP),” and dramatically increased the number of inbound exchange
students on campus as a result.

Lowering the admission
requirements for language
proficiency to improve the student
exchange system
The critical issue that Japanese universities facewhen admitting international students concerns therequirement of Japanese language proficiency for applicants (prospective students). In the past, Hitotsubashi
University required these students to have intermediate Japanese language proficiency (N2 in the Japanese

Language Proficiency Test) or higher. In other words,
exchange students from our overseas partner institutions who wished to study at Hitotsubashi University
needed to have studied Japanese for a considerable
time, and those who did not have some degree ofachievement in and strong motivation for studying Japanese were ineligible for admission, regardless of theiracademic merits. Moreover, with the impact of English
as a de facto lingua franca and the rise of the Chinese
language due to globalization, the number of inboundexchange students gradually declined as our partner
institutions scaled back their Japanese language education. Several of our partner institutions abolished theirJapanese departments or majors, and we experienced
problems such as the discontinuation of student
exchange programs. In 2010, the university establishedthe HGP as a way of addressing this situation. With afocus on enhancing the scope of English-medium
instruction (EMI) courses and basic Japanese language
courses, the HGP aimed at reforming the student
exchange system so that even students who had notstudied Japanese could enter the university on thestrength of their English proficiency. This would enable
us to secure academically capable inbound exchange
students and expand the pool of partner institutions. In
2010, when the program began, there were 58 courses.
However, the number of HGP courses has continued toincrease, reaching 136 courses in 2016 (a combined totalof 106 EMI courses consisting of Japanese Affairs
courses and specialized courses in social sciences, 19
basic Japanese courses, and 11 Academic Skills in English courses). The number of exchange students comingfrom partner institutions abroad has also increased significantly, from 47 in 2009 to more than 130 in 2016.
Already one of the top-ranking higher education institutions in Japan, it can be said that Hitotsubashi University was an appealing academic destination for ambitious students at our partner institutions. The measures
we took to ease the obstructive admission requirements
for Japanese language proficiency (replacing them withrequirements for English proficiency) and expand thescope of EMI courses proved successful and widened
the potential for admitting outstanding inboundexchange students.

The enhancement of global
education under theHGP has produced various
additional benefits
The HGP aimed at increasing the number of inboundexchange students at the university by establishing
more EMI courses and improving basic Japanese language courses. Over the last six years, it has not only
experienced remarkable success in achieving this aim

but has also produced other positive effects.
The first benefit is that our inbound exchange student
population has grown more diverse. Due to our efforts
to ease language requirements, the aspirations of students affiliated with our overseas partners who wish to
study at Hitotsubashi University have diversified. Ourinternational exchange students have various motivations and backgrounds: (1) Japanese language major
students aim to acquire intermediate or advanced Japanese proficiency through our Japanese language courses,(2) Japanese or Asian studies major students take courses
in Japanese affairs and Asian studies based on theirinterest in Japanese culture and society, and (3) others
pursue Japan-related studies while specializing in social
science subjects such as economics and management.
However, in addition to international exchange students“studying about Japan” (that is, focusing specifically onJapan), Hitotsubashi University has also begun toattract international exchange students “studying inJapan” (that is, specializing in social sciences with Japanas their target area) from all over the world. Moreover,because the HGP is open to all students at the university, our students as a whole are now able to learn
together, teach each other, and deepen their exchanges
with one other free from any divisions, for example
those between degree-seeking Japanese and international students, undergraduate and graduate students,and students of various majors and specializations. In
other words, by taking EMI courses in the HGP, students now have the opportunity to encounter a morediverse range of students on campus and experience a
more global environment.
The second benefit is the strengthening of the Center
for Global Education’s capacity to respond to morediverse Japanese language learning needs. Ever since
the introduction of the HGP, the needs for Japanese language among our exchange students have broadened:some students seek to acquire enough Japanese to get
1Global Report

2

Hitotsubashi University Global Education Program

by in daily life, some desire to study Japanese intensively, and others, who were already at the intermediate level before arriving in Japan, wish to acquire
advanced Japanese proficiency. To meet these various
needs, it is important to provide Japanese language
courses for different purposes, different skills, and different levels. This is where the strengths of the Center
for Global Education come into play. Because morecourses are now conducted in English, the demand forbasic Japanese language education has grown, which
has further strengthened the Japanese language teaching capacity of the Center for Global Education.
The third benefit is the increase in the number ofpartner institutions with which we engage in student
exchanges (from only 20 universities for universitywide student exchanges in 2009 to 66 universities foruniversity-wide student exchanges and 10 faculties forfaculty-based student exchanges in 2016) and the corresponding increase in the number of Hitotsubashi
University students studying overseas at our partner
institutions. When a student exchange agreement isconcluded between universities, the same number ofstudents are sent and received by each institution (out-with a certain level of proficiency in Japanese or English, we also introduced new admission requirements,
including a cumulative score of 2.7 on a 4.0 grade point
average (GPA) scale and recommendation letters fromacademic advisors/supervisors. These changes haveallowed us to focus on academic ability and diligenceand admit high-caliber students. In fact, several of ourpartner institutions have informed us that Hitotsubashi
University is the most popular and competitive exchange
destination in Japan.
At the same time as generating these various benefits and impacts, the introduction and development of
the HGP have become key factors in the promotion ofglobalization throughout Hitotsubashi University as awhole.

bound and inbound) each year. Students can study at
the partner institution by paying tuition fees to theirhome university (mutual exemption of tuition fees). In
other words, for Hitotsubashi University to send a certain number of students to a partner institution, wemust also admit the same number of students from that
institution to study at our university. Our efforts toenhance the scope of EMI courses and basic Japanese
language courses through the HGP were made in
response to the needs of renowned universities overseas, thereby increasing the number of partner institutions. Moreover, now that exchange students come to
Hitotsubashi University from a larger number of partner institutions, we send more of our students to theseoverseas institutions (a chain of expansion in international student exchange).
The fourth benefit is that we have been able to attract
excellent, hard-working exchange students from ourpartner institutions. As mentioned before, all international students previously needed to have at least anintermediate level of Japanese language proficiency to
study at Hitotsubashi University. However, although
the language requirements were lowered with theintroduction of the HGP so that students could enter

degree and of nurturing individuals who can contributeto the world through education conducted in Japanese.
Simultaneously, it is pursuing initiatives related tosecuring a wide range of international exchange students and responding to globalization through the HGP.
In addition to improving the quality and quantity of oureducation, one important point when approaching thesechallenges was to change the collective outlook of theuniversity. An example of this is making our basic Japanese language course a regular credit-bearing course.
Before the HGP was established, advanced Japanese
language skills were regarded as a minimum requirement for international students seeking a degree atHitotsubashi University. Therefore, the basic Japanese
language course was provided only as a preparatory
program for non-matriculated, international research
students and was not included in the course credit system because it was not a regular credit-bearing course.
Accordingly, international exchange students who completed the basic Japanese language course could neither earn credits for the course nor transfer them as
credits to their home universities. In contrast, courses
in non-English foreign languages (second foreign languages) have been included in the credit system since

Changing our mindset to focus oninternational education that can
respond to globalizationHitotsubashi University has maintained its originalpractices of welcoming international students who
have high-level Japanese proficiency and are seeking atheir inception. For international students, Japanese is aforeign language studied just like any other, so it could
be considered quite unfair that they were unable toobtain credits for the basic Japanese language course.
The evidence suggests that many international exchange
students now choose Hitotsubashi University because
basic Japanese language courses are treated as regularcourses that carry credits.
We must also develop an international outlook as auniversity that provides education from a global perspective, not only for the citizens of our own country
but also for people from all over the world. This implies
that we must be willing to improve the quality of theeducation we offer by considering the diverse viewpoints of international students without being caught
up in the conventional Japanese “model/form.” Professor Hiroshi Ota, from the Center for Global Education(HGP Director), explains, “To promote international education for a globalizing world, wemust first improve the ‘openness’ of the university as well as our ‘flexibility’ in welcoming adiverse range of students. Then, by improving
the international ‘compatibility’ of our educa-

ulty of Commerce and Management and the Faculty ofEconomics, giving impetus to efforts to establish anEnglish-based learning environment on a large numberof specialized EMI courses throughout the HGP as awhole. Moreover, each faculty has begun to offer agreater number of specialized EMI courses in its own
way, with the Faculty of Law expanding its scope ofcourse offerings primarily in the areas of political science and international relations and the Faculty ofSocial Sciences introducing more sociology courses
since 2015.
From now on, the HGP will aim to increase the number of Japanese students taking its courses. Open to allstudents at Hitotsubashi University, HGP courses
reduce the barriers between international students andJapanese students and between undergraduate andgraduate students. Reportedly, Japanese students whotion, we will enhance ‘connectivity’ with other universities around the world, allowing us to improve the‘mobility’ of our students and staff and faculty members
through a network of various universities throughout
the world. Through this process, the ‘diversity’ of theuniversity will be enhanced. By setting this chain inmotion, we will be able to become more international in
the true sense.”

are anxious about their English proficiency tend to hesitate about registering for HGP courses, as they are concerned that their GPA might decline. However, theHGP also provides a series of courses called “AcademicSkills in English” in which students can acquire theEnglish skills necessary to take classes in English. Furthermore, the “HGP Seminar,” which features guestspeakers from outside the university, is open to anyoneand provides students with an opportunity to experience what it is like to take classes in English. In addition to enhancing the scope of EMI courses, we will
improve the quality of both Japanese language coursesthat match the diversifying needs of international students and academic skills courses aimed at eliminating
Japanese students’ anxiety about taking classes in English. Through this broad range of initiatives, the HGP isspearheading the globalization of the university as awhole.
Universities must reform their systems from an international perspective to keep pace with the progress ofglobalization. As the nucleus of Hitotsubashi University’s international education, the HGP will undoubtedly
continue to play an important role in promoting furtherreform.

More EMI(English-medium instruction)
courses and globalization at theinstitutional level
More than six years have passed since the HGP wasestablished in 2010. During this time, the number ofEMI courses has continued to increase. This is partly
due to the “Shibusawa Scholar Program” in the Facultyof Commerce and Management and the “Global Leaders
Program” in the Faculty of Economics, both of whichwere selected in 2012 for the “Go Global Japan Project”
sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. These programs increased the number of EMI courses in the Fac-3