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

Kobe City University of Foreign Studies

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PublicLocation: Hyogo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2016
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2017 – March.31.2024）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
For Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
Overview
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies (hereafter, the University) succeeded Kobe
Municipal College of Foreign Affairs (founded in 1946) and expanded into a singlesubject university with a faculty of foreign studies consisting of three departments:
English, Russian, and Chinese. After the addition of departments and the creation of a
new graduate school, the University has the Faculty of Foreign Studies (consisting of theDepartment of English Studies, the Department of Russian Studies, the Department ofChinese Studies, the Department of Spanish Studies, the Department of International
Relations), the Faculty of Foreign Studies (evening courses), and the Graduate School ofForeign Studies. With its campus in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, the University isengaged in education and research activities based on the mission of “instruction andresearch of so-called ‘foreign study’ with the aim of comprehensively understanding andstudying the language, culture, politics, laws, economy, and other topics in each region,
with a focus on mastery of the foreign languages.”
After its accreditation review by Japan University Accreditation Association(JUAA) in 2010, the University worked to establish a standing organization toprioritize university reform. The Reform Promotion Committee was established inApril 2016. Since then, the University has worked to develop a comprehensive review
system covering a variety of areas, from its mission and purpose to the facultyorganization, educational content, and methods.
The distinctive features of the University noted in this accreditation review
include its active involvement in local contribution activities, taking advantage of itsrole as a university specializing in foreign languages and located in the international
city of Kobe. The Regional Collaboration Promotion Center initiative facilitates theUniversity’s response to local requests. Contribution activities include sending
students as volunteer interpreters to events such as international conventions. Also,
student volunteers organize theatrical troupes based on specialized language plans
and have managed their performances for many years. These activities help students
develop their foreign language skills and facilitate their understanding of different
cultures.
However, the University has several issues to address, such as theunderdevelopment of enrollment management in several undergraduate programs, thepurpose of the graduate school and the curriculum design policies of the graduate
school, and the lack of sufficient criteria for professor qualification and examinationof the degree-seeking thesis and dissertation. In the future, the newly established
Reform Promotion Committee is expected to lead efforts to improve these issues andto further develop the University in cooperation with the Management Council andthe Education and Research Council, which are mainly responsible for internal
quality assurance.
Notable Strengths
Student Support

It is commendable that the University promotes students’ voluntary activities,
and these efforts help strengthen their language skills and facilitate crosscultural understanding according to the mission of the University. In particular,
the Language Drama Festival is held regularly, and students from the various
language departments perform in events specific to their language ofspecialization. The University, while respecting the students’ autonomy, actively
supports them by providing pronunciation practice, financial assistance, and3

practice space as well as inviting acting coaches from overseas to participate.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
It is commendable that the University makes efforts to realize its basic purpose,
which was adopted from the first mid-term plan: “In cooperation with Kobe City
and local companies, the University provides the local community with its
intellectual resources in various ways to vitalize cultural, social, and economicactivities.” In particular, with regard to the “support of volunteer activities,”
which is listed in the second midterm Plan, the University has focused on
activities for international cooperation under the initiative of the Regional
Collaboration Promotion Center and in cooperation with various sections, suchas the International Office and the Volunteer Corner. Furthermore, by taking
advantage of its identity as a university specializing in foreign languages, theUniversity made “contribution to International city of Kobe” by sending a
number of students as volunteer interpreters to international events, including
sports competitions and academic conferences, to meet multiple language needs
in response to a request by Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture and private companies
in the prefecture.

Suggestions for Improvement
Mission and Purpose
Although the purpose of the Graduate School of Foreign Language Studies isdefined, the purpose of each program (master’s and doctoral) is not stated clearlyin the school regulations and related standards. This should be improved.

Faculty and Faculty Organization
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The Graduate School of Foreign Language Studies does not define thequalification examination criteria for the professor or other academic staff incharge of the graduate school. This should be improved from the perspective ofquality assurance.

Educational Content, Methods, and OutcomeIn the master’s and doctoral programs in the Graduate School of Foreign Studies,
the basic ideas of educational content and methods are not stated in eachcurriculum design policy. This should be improved.

In the Faculty of Foreign Studies, the maximum number of credits a student cantake per year is set high at 50. This should be improved considering the purposeof the credit system.

In the Graduate School of Foreign Studies, the Degree-Seeking Theses Coursein the master’s program and the doctoral program have common criteria for
examining degree-seeking theses and dissertations. Each program should develop
its own criteria and indicate these in the student handbook. Also, the Research
Project Course in the master’s program does not stipulate its examination criteria
for the research project. These issues should be improved.

Enrollment
In the Graduate School of Foreign Studies, the master’s program and the doctoral

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program do not set their own individual admission policies. This should beimproved.
The ratios of enrolled students to the student enrollment cap are high at 1.25 in
the Faculty of Foreign Studies, 1.26 in the Department of Russian Studies, 1.27 in
the Department of Chinese Studies, 1.25 in the Department of Spanish Studies,and 1.36 in the Department of English Studies Evening Course. These numbers
should be improved.