University Accreditation Results(Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for University)

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Oita, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Overview
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University proclaims “freedom, peace and humanity,”“international mutual understanding,” and “the future shape of the Asia-Pacificregion” as its basic ideals in the Declaration on the Occasion of the Opening of
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Based on this declaration, the University
defines its purpose as “offering a wide range of knowledge as an academic center inaccordance with the general principles and methods of education stipulated in theBasic Act on Education, as well as teaching and researching in-depth specialized
knowledge pertaining to the Asia-Pacific region to develop students’ intellectual,moral and practical abilities.” To achieve its mission and purpose, the University laidout the APU 2030 Vision in 2015 as a medium- to long-term vision based on a wide
range of opinions from not only students, faculty, and staff, but alumni, company
officials, and local citizens as well. To attain this vision, the University has
formulated the APU 2020 Second-half Plan and the Gakuen Vision R 2030 APU
Challenge Design (APU Challenge Design) as medium- to long-term plans toenhance its educational and research activities.
Regarding the University’s internal quality assurance, the Ritsumeikan
Asia Pacific University Internal Quality Assurance Policy, Self-Assessment
Implementation Policy, and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Assessment Policy
specify the university-wide policies and procedures, with the University Senate
Meeting, Self-Assessment Committee, University Evaluation Committee, andAdministrative Committee formed to operate the university-wide system. The
University’s internal quality assurance system is functioning effectively as amechanism used to conduct annual self-studies, reflect the results in the following
academic year’s plan and other programs, and adopt measures for educationalimprovements. In addition, the University earned international accreditations fromthe Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in 2015 andthe Association of MBAs (AMBA) in 2020. The University was also granted
UNWTO. TedQual (Tourism Education Quality) recertification in 2021 by the United
Nations World Tourism Organization. Through these international certifications, theUniversity is enhancing the credibility and international compatibility of its internal
quality assurance.

1

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

As for the University’s education, all faculties and graduate schools havesystematically designed their curricula based on the diploma and curriculum policies.
To enhance the quality of education, the University is promoting multicultural
collaborative learning throughout the university, with students taking full advantageof the multicultural educational environment to acquire diverse ideas andperspectives, overcome mutual differences, work together, and actively learn fromeach other. It is particularly notable that the University has adopted multicultural
collaborative learning to embody its mission and purpose with this educational
methodology taking root.
The University has appropriately established a student support system
based on its policy. The University has developed a systematic peer learning
mechanism for students to help and learn from each other, created the regular Peer
Leader Training subject to promote this mechanism, and adopted a teaching assistant(TA) system to actively support the management of multicultural collaborative
learning lessons. The learning support centers also operate based on the peer learning
mechanism with trained students participating as support staff. These are outstanding
initiatives that combine student support and education to encourage multicultural
collaborative learning with peer learning active in various settings.
In terms of student enrollment, the University is upgrading various
initiatives based on its policy by appropriately operating the systems for student
recruitment, applicant selection, and management. The University has set enrollment
goals and recruited students from many countries to achieve a high ratio ofinternational students, with the aim of realizing a multicultural and multilingual
campus unique worldwide in line with its mission and purpose. While acceptinginternational students makes the University highly vulnerable to external factors,
including international affairs, economic conditions, and natural disasters, theUniversity continues to pursue campus diversity by introducing digitalization andonline education, carrying out inspections and assessments from a marketing
perspective, and undertaking improvement and enhancement efforts based on thefindings. These approaches are highly commendable.
There are issues the University needs to address, however. In the diploma
policy of the Master’s Program of the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, theAsia Pacific Studies and International Cooperation Policy majors established in thesame master’s program award their respective degrees, but the student learning
outcomes stated in their diploma policies are identical. This issue should beaddressed.

2

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

In the coming years, the University is expected to advance its numerous
outstanding initiatives through internal quality assurance efforts, and progress furtherby stepping up its efforts to establish a new faculty and to enhance its international
compatibility.
Notable Strengths
Mission and Purpose
The APU 2030 Vision was formulated through a year-long exchange of views
with students, faculty, staff, and local community members to realize theUniversity’s basic ideals of “freedom, peace and humanity,” “international
mutual understanding,” and “the future shape of the Asia-Pacific region.” The
future vision specifies four types of human resources to be developed as “APU
graduates possess the power to change our world,” with specific initiatives forthe aims outlined to conduct educational and research activities. It iscommendable that the University is working with its school members andstakeholders to further clarify the basic principles, and that these principles havespread and taken root both on campus and off, and are contributing to thedevelopment of multicultural collaborative learning and other distinctive
initiatives.

Educational Program and Learning Outcomes

The Multicultural Cooperative Workshop is a required subject for first-yearstudents, with small mixed groups of international and Japanese students
discussing and giving presentations on given themes. The workshop helps
students acquire language skills, understand different cultures, and study withdiverse people. It is commendable that the University encourages students fromvarious backgrounds to work together based on the skills acquired in the firstyear subject, thereby cultivating individuals who can collaborate with others,
resolve conflicts through dialogue, and make a positive impact on society.

Student Enrollment
The University is actively accepting international students and promoting3

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

digitalization of online application and admissions processes in stages. TheUniversity was the first school in Japan to introduce an international mainstream
student recruitment and application system for its entrance examinations in
AY2021. This system allows prospective students to participate in student
recruitment events, file applications, hold interviews, receive announcements ofsuccessful applicants, and enroll on the same platform. With the system also
facilitating contact with applicants, the University was able to steadily accept
international students amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is commendable that
the University has successfully attracted students from various countries in aneffort to realize a multicultural educational environment based on its principles.
Student Support
The University positions peer learning as part of its education, and provides
opportunities for many students to serve as support staff in various settings, suchas resident assistants (RA) in the AP House dormitories, assistants for newstudents at the Library Commons and Self-Access Learning Center, and student
staff for community exchange support events. To create an environment forstudents to help and learn from each other, the Introduction to Peer Leader
Training subject is provided for first-year students to develop interpersonal skills,
discussion techniques using Japanese and English, and other abilities, with theaim of fostering and enhancing the skills required of student staff. It iscommendable that these efforts are contributing to the independence and growthof both students giving and receiving support while evaluating each other forimprovements.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning OutcomesIn the diploma policy of the Master’s Program of the Graduate School of AsiaPacific Studies, the Asia Pacific Studies and International Cooperation Policy
majors specify identical student learning outcomes despite different degrees
being awarded. This issue should be addressed.

4