May 24, 2019
Material for the International Collaboration Promotion Committee meeting

FINAL VERSIONISAS 2.0
Achievements Report
Achievements in Internationalization
Strategies and Challenges to Be Solved
Toyo University
2019/05/24

This report examines the current status and achievements of Toyo University’s
internationalization strategies, to prepare the University to receive International
Strategies Advisory Service (ISAS) 2.0 offered by the International Association of
Universities (IAU).

Table of Contents
1.

Introduction ....................................................................................................................2
1-1. Background for Toyo University’s decision to seek an ISAS 2.0 review ......................2
1-2. Objectives of Toyo University’s ISAS 2.0 review ..........................................................2
1-3. System for helping conduct the ISAS 2.0 review .........................................................2
1-4. Conducting self-study and compiling a report to prepare for the ISAS 2.0 review ......3

2. Policy, Governance, Funds, Monitoring for Internationalization .................................3
2-1. Internationalization strategies and action plans ...........................................................3
2-2. Governance structure for internationalization ..............................................................4
2-3. Latitude in the promotion of internationalization at each faculty ..................................6
3. Internationalization under the Toyo Global Diamonds (TGD) Project .........................7
3-1. Overview of the TGD project ........................................................................................7(1) Process of planning the project ..................................................................................7(2) How project information is shared ..............................................................................8(3) Strategies and purposes of the TGD project ..............................................................8(4) Structure for implementing the TGD project ...............................................................9(5) Internationalization funds and budgets .......................................................................9(6) Systems for review and monitoring ......................................................................... 10
3-2. Initiatives and achievements ..................................................................................... 12(1) Staff assignment and personnel structure ............................................................... 12(2) Internationalization of faculty and staff members .................................................... 13(3) Acceptance of international students ....................................................................... 16(4) Sending students abroad ......................................................................................... 23(5) Curriculum internationalization ................................................................................ 28(6) International initiative for students / Toyo Global Leader Program ......................... 31(7) Availability of internationalization-focused student organizations and collaboration
with them ....................................................................................................................... 35(8) Internationalization of research ............................................................................... 36(9) International partnerships ........................................................................................ 37
4. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 39
List of Appendices.............................................................................................................. 44
List of Basic Materials on Toyo University, etc. .............................................................. 44

1

1. Introduction
1-1. Background for Toyo University’s decision to seek an ISAS 2.0 review
In order to review its internationalization initiatives and systems based on theassessments of overseas experts, Toyo University decided to receive International
Strategies Advisory Service (ISAS) 2.0, which is offered by the International Association of
Universities (IAU), and to host international symposiums as part of its activities aimed at
establishing and ensuring the quality of highly internationalized education programs. These
are among the goals of the Toyo Global Diamonds (TGD) project—Toyo University’s central
internationalization strategy and plan. The University has recently determined to focus onprogress in the University’s TGD project and chose to receive the service of Assessing
Strategy and Monitoring Achievements among the four strands of ISAS 2.0.
1-2. Objectives of Toyo University’s ISAS 2.0 review
The objectives of Toyo University’s ISAS 2.0 review are for the University to review theinternationalization initiatives that it has implemented so far as well as the progress in thoseinitiatives as of FY2017–18 (the middle point of the University’s 10-year internationalization
strategy based on the TGD project, which was selected for the Top Global University
Project1 of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology[MEXT] in 2014), and quantitatively and qualitatively identify the current status of the
progress and challenges to be solved, which will be shared university-wide. Also, the review
is intended to obtain suggestions from discussions with the Panel of Experts organized by
the IAU for the University in order to reach more effective approaches toward success in the
TGD project and solutions to the identified challenges.
1-3. System for helping conduct the ISAS 2.0 review
To prepare for the ISAS 2.0 review, Toyo University defined the Super Global University(SGU) Project Committee2 under the President’s direct control as the decision-making
organization. It also established an ISAS 2.0 Steering Committee under the Section. This
Committee is chaired by the Vice President in charge of international affairs and comprises
responsible staff members of the relevant sectors and faculty members engaged in global
education (one or more members selected from each campus) (see Appendix 1). The
Committee has served as a substantial operating body, making various preparations for the
ISAS 2.0 review while making arrangements and having discussions with the IAU Expert

Since MEXT calls the Project “Super Global University Project” in Japanese and “TopGlobal University Project” in English, the two terms coexist as a term to indicate the Project..
2 Same as the above
1

2

Panel. The SGU Project Committee has received updates on the plan drawn by the ISAS
2.0 Steering Committee and progress in the Committee’s operations.
1-4. Conducting self-study and compiling a report to prepare for the ISAS 2.0 review
To prepare for the ISAS 2.0 review, each of the taskforces comprising the SGU Project
Committee conducted self-study (①) in the relevant fields based on guidelines provided by
the IAU titled “ISAS (2.0) Advancing strategic internationalization at HEIs—Assessing
Strategy and Monitoring Achievements: Description, methodology and guidelines.” The
University also held roundtable talks (②) with domestic and international students, faculty
members, and staff members (see Appendix 15) to obtain qualitative informationon theUniversity’s internationalization. In addition, to acquire quantitative information about theviews and needs of students, staff and faculty members, the University conducted aquestionnaire on university internationalization (③) with Japanese and international
students, full-time faculty and staff members at all campuses (see Appendix 16).
This report, compiled by the ISAS 2.0 Steering Committee, covers information obtained
through ① the self-study by each sector, ② the roundtable talks, and ③ the questionnaire
on university internationalization above, as well as information obtained through pastmonitoring, and the analysis results concerning those pieces of information.

2. Policy, Governance, Funds, Monitoring for Internationalization
2-1. Internationalization strategies and action plans
Toyo University currently has the following system of an internationalization vision,
strategies and plans.
Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020”
Globalization
計画

Internationalization
strategy

TGD projectMedium- andlong-termplans of thefaculties /
graduateschools

International-ization planInternational-ization planInternational-ization planInternational-ization plan

Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020” (2016–2037) (Appendix 2)
3International-ization planThis is Toyo University’s medium- and long-term vision confirmed by the Board ofTrustees in July 2016. Covering the period ending in 2037, which will mark the 150th
anniversary of the University’s founding, the Vision includes university-wide objectives
and action plans in the five fields of Innovation, Education, Research, Globalization, andManagement. One of the action objectives in the field of Globalization is to achieve thegoal of the TGD project mentioned below. (The fields of Innovation, Education, and Research also
include internationalization objectives.)

Toyo Global Diamonds (TGD) Project Statement (2014–2023) (Appendix 3; for moredetails, see page three and subsequent pages.)
This statement, prepared for Toyo University’s application for MEXT’s Top Global
University Project, includes the University’s internationalization strategies, objectives, andaction plan. As a medium-term strategic plan, the statement serves as the core of the
University’s internationalization initiatives. Progress in the initiatives is not only monitored
and assessed by the University itself every year, but also reviewed every two years by anExternal Evaluation Committee independently organized by the University. Moreover, theUniversity is subject to an IAU ISAS 2.0 review, and to monitoring and a review in MEXT’sinterim assessment in 2017 and 2020.
Medium- and Long-term Plans of the faculties/graduate schools (2016–2023)(Appendix 4)
The medium- and long-term reform plans of the faculties/graduate schools include
internationalization plans to fulfill the Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020” and the goal of
the TGD project at the faculty/graduate school level. The medium- and long-term facultyplans were reviewed in 2019 and will be reviewed again in 2023 on the initiative of the
President’s Office. The medium- and long-term graduate school plans are also reviewed
annually. All medium- and long-term plans mention “Steadily promoting the Toyo Global
Diamonds project” as one of the major challenges.
2-2. Governance structure for internationalization
Toyo University promotes internationalization under the governance structure shown inthe chart below. (For a detailed explanation about the structure chart, see Appendix 6.)

4

President
Subcommittee

SGU Project Committee
Subcommittee
Taskforce

部会
部会

International Collaboration
Promotion Committee

Subcommittee

部会
TaskforceCenter for Global
Education andExchange

SGU Project Committee (decision-making organization concerning internationalization
measures and policies, under the President’s direct control)
At Toyo University, the SGU Project Committee is the central organization for promotinginternationalization, and the President, as the head of Toyo University as an educational
institution, is responsible for the SGU Project Committee. (The President is not only thehead of the educational institution but also has a certain level of management authority as amember of the Board of Trustees, which is the University’s highest ranking decision-making
organization.) The SGU Project Committee comprises 16 members, including the President,
Vice Presidents and other executive faculty members, executives of the Toyo University
Incorporated Educational Institution as a corporation, faculty members, and administrative
office heads. The Committee collects information about planning, promotion, and progress
related to the TGD project; discusses various issues at monthly regular meetings; andformulates guidelines for the promotion of internationalization. The tasks of achieving thenumerical targets and the system design tasks defined in the TGD project are allocated tonine task forces under the Committee for Coordination and Promotion of Internationalization(see the next section). Furthermore, subcommittees are established under the direct controlof the SGU Project Committee to discuss important issues intensively. The ISAS 2.0
Steering Committee is among the subcommittees.
Committee for Coordination and Promotion of Internationalization (a university-wideorganization under the President’s direct control)
This Committee was established to implement the TGD project smoothly on auniversity-wide basis. This university-wide organization comprises a total of 70 members,
including the members of the SGU Project Committee, all faculty deans, graduate schooldeans representing the campuses, and managerial staff members of the administrative
5

offices. The Committee meets three times a year regularly. The tasks of achieving thenumerical targets and the system design tasks defined in the TGD project are allocated tonine task forces under this Committee.
Center for Global Education and Exchange (organization offering and supervising global
education under the direct control of the Vice President in charge of international affairs)
Headed by the Vice President in charge of international affairs, this Center supervises
university-wide global education. In AY2019, the Center has four regular faculty members,
seven contract instructors for English, and three contract instructors for Japanese. They
research, develop, and offer global education programs, global exchange programs, andglobalization promotion programs. The Center for Global Education and ExchangeManagement Committee, which manages the Center, comprises the three regular faculty
members belonging to the Center, the Head of the International Affairs Office, therepresentatives of the 13 faculties, and members from graduate schools representing thecampuses. The Committee regularly meets once a month to collect information about anddiscuss the planning, promotion, and progress related to the various programs offered by
the Center.
2-3. Latitude in the promotion of internationalization at each faculty
Planning
Each faculty sets objectives and plans initiatives to implement the TGD project in its
medium- and long-term plan, and carries out its internationalization initiatives based on theplan. Each faculty can carry out its original initiatives with only the approval of its FacultyCouncil or similar conference body (which differs according to the faculty); there is no need
to obtain approval for planning from outside bodies.
Budget setting and spending
Each faculty/graduate school requests that the President’s Office allocate it a certain
amount of the budget (including a budget for activities for promoting internationalization). To
examine the results of budget spending in the previous fiscal year, the President interviews
the Dean of each faculty/graduate school in person, and then decides how to set budgets forthe next fiscal year. Meanwhile, budget spending at each faculty/graduate school is allowed
through the process of obtaining approval for a budget spending plan from the FacultyCouncil or similar conference body (which differs according to the faculty), formulating abudget spending proposal to be circulated among the relevant staff and offices (including
the Chairman, trustees, the President’s Office, and the Budget and Finance Office), andobtaining their approval for the proposal. (Since FY2018, a budget of up to two million yen
can only be received with approval from within each faculty.)
6

In the questionnaire on university internationalization, 55.6% of faculty members and78.2% of staff members answered, “The amount of the budget for internationalization
initiatives has increased” since the University was selected for the Top Global University
Project, while 44.4% of faculty members and 51.8% of staff members answered, “It has
becomeeasierto

implement

theoriginal

internationalization

initiatives

of

the

faculty/graduate school.” These responses suggest that a solid foundation for encouraging
the original internationalization initiatives of each faculty/graduate school is being built.

3. Internationalization under the Toyo Global Diamonds (TGD) Project3-1. Overview of the TGD project(1) Process of planning the project
From November 2010, to prepare for the 125th anniversary (in 2012) of its founding, Toyo
University promoted philosophical education, internationalization, and career education,
which it defined as three pillars for the development of globally effective human resources.
On its 125th anniversary, the University issued a declaration for the future to become a
globally acclaimed university (Appendix 6), and announcing its intention to make progress inhuman resource development that could meet requirements for globalization toward the150th anniversary (in 2037) of its founding.
In 2012, Toyo University’s Faculty of Regional Development Studies (currently the Facultyof Global and Regional Studies and the Faculty of International Tourism Management) was
selected for MEXT’s Go Global Japan Project. With the aim of developing professionals witha global perspective who can contribute to community-based regional development andtourism promotion inside and outside Japan, the Faculty implemented various projects andprograms and accomplished achievements in the internationalization of undergraduate
education.
Then, Toyo University planned a project titled “Toyo Global Diamonds—Becoming an
Asian Hub University for Global Leaders” (the TGD project), aimed at accelerating
university-wide internationalization based on initiatives carried out at the Faculty of Regional
Development Studies. In September 2014, the University was selected for MEXT’s Top
Global University Project, together with 36 other universities, including 13 private
universities, out of 781 universities in Japan. The TGD project, planned on the great
initiative of the Chairman and the President, aims to produce strata ranging from a new elite
to a thick intermediate layer through initiatives to develop globally effective humanresources. The University has been executing plans based on the project, prioritizing thethree major reforms of establishing highly internationalized educational programs, providing
global education for all generations, and establishing sustainable educational platforms as7

new pillars. In June 2016, the University announced the Toyo University Vision “Beyond
2020,” a long-term vision based on the objectives of the declaration for the future thatinvolves implementing medium- and long-term plans up to 2037, the 150th anniversary of its
founding.
(2) How project information is shared
Information about the TGD project and initiatives implemented under the project is sharedwith executives, faculty, and staff members at various regular meetings (faculty deanmeetings, graduate school dean meetings, meetings of the Committee for Coordination andPromotion of Internationalization, and meetings of the Board of Trustees) and with all faculty
members, teachers, and staff members, including those working at Toyo University juniorand senior high schools, through the website dedicated to the TGD project and the in-house
SGU Newsletter (issued twice a year since July 2015). However, there was not enough timeto have thorough university-wide discussions in the process of planning the TGD project,and information about the project was first shared after its selection for the Top Global
University Project. Therefore, some pointed out that the University’s method of planning the
project was not appropriate. Asked whether or not they agree that the TGD project and its
philosophy have been clarified and appropriately shared in the questionnaire on university
internationalization conducted in October 2018, about 50% of faculty and staff members
answered “Undecided.”
To share information about the TGD project with students, the University uses theentrance ceremony and guidance meetings for new enrollees and various media, such as
the University website, student portal sites (a class-assisting system named ToyoNet-ACE
and an educational affair system named ToyoNet-G), booklets, and pamphlets. The
questionnaire shows that 84.5% of the students knew that the University was selected for
the Top Global University Project, though only 27.5% of the students knew about specificinitiatives under the project. This suggests that one of the major challenges we shouldovercome is sharing information with students more effectively.
(3) Strategies and purposes of the TGD project
The TGD project aims to provide education that develops students, as if polishing a
diamond, into globally effective, shining human resources. By developing a wide range ofhuman resources, from elites to a core stratum, the project aims to generally raise thecurrently pyramid-shaped university-wide structure of strata of produced human resources
who can work actively amid globalization. The project name “Toyo Global Diamonds” comesfrom the vision of a diamond-shaped structure of human resource strata with a thicker
8intermediate layer and the top further elevated. The project positions the three major
reforms of establishing highly internationalized educational programs, providing global
education for all generations, and establishing sustainable educational platforms as newpillars.
(4) Structure for implementing the TGD project
The organizational structure for implementing the TGD project is the same as thegovernance structure explained in 2-2 above.
(5) Internationalization funds and budgets
Toyo University’s funds and budgets for internationalization in AY2018 are shown below
Expenditure
Item

Budget amount

Note

(yen)
1

Top Global University promotion expenses

625,988,000

2Expenses for the Center for Global Education and Exchange

63,026,000

3Scholarships

861,720,000(1)Scholarships for Exchange Program and for Independent

113,434,000

For both Japanese andinternational students

Study Abroad ProgramFor both Japanese and(2)Scholarship for Study Abroad Program

100,992,000(3)Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students

206,337,000

For international students

9,600,000

For international students

302,042,000

For international students

international students(4)Masajuro Shiokawa Scholarship(5)Toyo Top Global Scholarships A & B

admitted through pre-arrival
entrance exams(6)Toyo Top Global Scholarship C

25,500,000

For

newly

enrolled

Japanese students(7)Scholarship for Overseas English Training Program for

20,000,000

For both Japanese andinternational students

Students in the Department of Regional Development
Studies, Faculty of Global and Regional Studies(8)Scholarship for Study Abroad Program for Students in the

83,815,000

For Japanese students

30,867,000

For both Japanese andDepartment of Global Innovation Studies, Faculty of Global
and Regional Studies
4Overseas training expenses for the Department of International
Tourism

Management,

FacultyofInternational

international students

Tourism

Management
5

International student dormitory lease contracts

6

International

student

dormitory

improvement

68,370,000
expenses

105,246,000(construction works for adding rooms to Toyo University
International House)
7

Expenses for grants for academic paper submission to920,000,000international journals
8

Expenses for promoting the international student career

25,000,000

development program
9Management of the International Secretariat of UMAP
Total

24,255,000
1,824,472,000

Details of fund sources
Item

Budget amount

Note

(yen)
1

University funds

1,712,883,000

2Top Global University subsidy from MEXT

61,192,000

3Commission fee from MEXT (international student career

25,000,000

development program)
4

Contribution from MEXT (management of the International

24,255,000

Secretariat of UMAP)
5

For both Japanese andinternational students

Donations (related to internationalization promotion)

1,142,000

Total

1,824,472,000(6) Systems for review and monitoring
1) Systems for review and monitoring
Toyo University’s internationalization initiatives generally go through three cycles ofreview and monitoring. The first cycle is self-review conducted by the SGU Project
Committee, which annually compiles, studies, and analyzes data on progress in initiatives toachieve the targets set in the TGD project. (The annual progress is also reported to MEXT.)The second cycle is review by the External Evaluation Committee the University organizes
independently by commissioning five to six experts from a wide range of fields, such as
higher education and industry (see Appendix 7). The External Evaluation Committee
reviews progress in the University’s internationalization initiatives roughly every two years.
(Previous reviews were conducted in March 2016 and August 2017.) The third cycle is
MEXT’s external review under its Top Global University Project. MEXT conducted an
external interim review in 2017, the third year of the implementation of the selected projects,
and will conduct further reviews in the seventh year (2020) and in 2024 after the selected
projects are completed. (Toyo University received an A rating 3 in the first interim review.) In
addition to these three cycles, Toyo University is subject to an ISAS 2.0 review in 2018–19
to have its initiatives reviewed and receive advice from the perspective of overseas experts.
2) Review by the External Evaluation Committee and the Top Global University Project3

MEXT ratings are on a scale of S, A, B, C, and D. The criterion for an A rating, which the University
received, was the judgment that the continuation of the past initiatives could enable the university toachieve the goals of the project.

10interim review
The review conducted by the External Evaluation Committee in August 2017 indicatedthat there was still room for improvement in the numbers of students sent abroad andstudents accepted from abroad. In particular, the Committee advised that the University
devise effective measures to plan better study abroad programs to send a certain number ofstudents abroad, in addition to sending students abroad based on partnership agreementswith overseas educational institutions. The review also pointed out that further promotion ofinternationalization would require the University to bring the university-wide curricula up to
the international standards in a concrete way and to shift from top-down, centralizedinternationalization initiatives to university-wide initiatives.
In the Top Global University Project interim review conducted by MEXT in the same fiscal
year, Toyo University received an A rating and generally positive evaluations of progress in
its project. The interim review especially expressed expectations for the University’s uniqueproject to found a business company to assure a source of funds for internationalizationeven after the TGD project is completed, and also to assure its pioneering initiatives for
introducing an international student transfer system and providing global education for all
generations, taking advantage of its location in central Tokyo. Meanwhile, the University was
far from achieving the numerical targets for the number of students participating in thebridge program,4 the number of international transfer students enrolled at the University,and the number of students accredited in the Toyo Global Leader (TGL) Program. Theinterim review pointed out that it would be hard for the University to achieve the ultimate
targets without additional measures, so it should carry out drastic improvements from theperspectives of students, faculty, and staff members, in addition to the perspective of theadministration’s policies.
In the first half of 2018, the nine task forces under the Committee for Coordination andPromotion of Internationalization reconsidered the TGD project in an expansive way basedon the results of the interim review. Moreover, to incorporate the views and needs ofstudents, faculty, and staff members into internationalization policy and measures assuggested by the External Evaluation Committee and the interim review, the President andthe administrative staff of the International Affairs Office held meetings with faculty andgraduate school deans to exchange views on internationalization in June and July of 2018.
Furthermore, as part of the process of the ISAS 2.0 review, the University held roundtabletalks and conducted a questionnaire on university internationalization in order to hear theopinions of faculty, staff members, and domestic and international students. The University
4

In the bridge program, students sent abroad learn a language at the host university’s affiliated language
school in the first term and, after acquiring sufficient language proficiency, take regular courses at the host
university in the second term.

11will compile the views and incorporate them into its subsequent efforts to reconsider
internationalization initiatives.
3-2. Initiatives and achievements(1) Staff assignment and personnel structure
Since the TGD project is a university-wide project, all sectors are responsible for promotinginternationalization in the fields that are in their charge. Among them, the Center for Global
Education and Exchange and the International Affairs Office are the core organizations foruniversity-wide initiatives to promote internationalization.
■ Organizational structure for implementing internationalization strategies ■Organizational structure for implementing internationalization strategies is shown in theattached chart.
Organization chart (Appendix 6)■ Personnel structure in sectors in charge of promoting internationalization as of April 1,
2018.
Center for Global Education and Exchange
One vice president in charge of Internationalization (center head)
Three regular faculty members; one assistant professor
three contract instructors for Japanese
seven contract instructors for English

two deputy center heads

Center for Global Education and Exchange Management Committee (26 faculty and staff
members)

Global education

Global exchange

programs

programs

Promotion of
globalization
Program research& development

International Affairs Office
One office manager; two section managers; 20 regular staff members; six commissioned full-time workers; 11commissioned part-time workers; some part-time workers
Note: Serves the secretarial function for the Center for Global Education and Exchange

One section
manager;
one staff
memberOne section
manager;
one staff
memberOne section
manager;
one staff
memberOne section
manager;
one staff
member12

One section
manager;
one staff
memberInternational
Secretariat of UMAP
(January 2016–December 2020)

One managerial staff member and one staff member of each faculty/graduate school
administrative office or major sector are assigned to concurrently serve as theInternational Affairs Office staff members.

■ Task allocation by Offices
Student exchange/Faculty

Center for Global Education and Exchange/International Affairs

exchange

Office (at a university-wide level); each faculty or graduate
school (at a faculty or graduate-school level)

Staff exchange

Human Resources Office

In-house

Center for Global Education and Exchange/International Affairs

internationalization

OfficePartnership building

Center for Global Education and Exchange/International Affairs
Office (inter-university partnerships); each faculty or graduate
school (inter-faculty or inter-graduate-school partnerships)

Recruitmentofinternational students

Center for Global Education and Exchange/International Affairs
Office; Admissions Office; each faculty or graduate school (at afaculty or graduate-school level)

Entrance

exams

for

international students

Admissions Office (entrance exam for international students
administered in Japan, and pre-arrival entrance exam in
spring)International Affairs Office/Center for Global Education andExchange (pre-arrival entrance exam in fall)

International

joint

Research Promotion Officeresearch
Overseasalumni

Office for Collaboration with Stakeholders

associations(2) Internationalization of faculty and staff members
1) Faculty members
The University’s efforts to employ faculty members of foreign nationality and faculty
members who hold a degree awarded by an overseas university, or have one or more yearsof experience in education and research abroad resulted in 347 regular faculty members(44.7%) meeting any of the requirements out of a total of 777 regular faculty members.
• Ability to teach classes in English as a requirement for employment (from 2015 on)
To promote the internationalization of faculty members, the University has imposed therequirement of being able to teach classes in English for employment of new faculty
members since 2015.
• Official research trips using research funds
The University has a system whereby a certain amount of research funds can be13allocated to faculty members’ research activities according to some criteria, such as thefaculty and position, and they can use the funds to cover expenses for official research
trips, including participation in overseas academic conferences.
• Sabbatical system (overseas research fellow system)
To encourage regular faculty members to conduct academic research abroad andenhance the education they provide, the University has a sabbatical system whereby
those who have continuously served as regular faculty members for five or more years, inprinciple, can conduct research at an overseas research institute for a certain period (90days to one year).
• Grant system for assisting faculty members in submitting academic papers tointernational academic journals (from 2018 on)
To encourage faculty members to submit academic papers to international academic
journals, the University gives them a grant for covering English proofreading fees andsubmission fees.
• Budget allocation to the development of overseas programs for students andpreparations to lead students during overseas programs
The University allocates a sufficient amount of budgets to the development of overseas
programs for students and preparations for faulty members to lead students during overseas
programs, including prior inspection.
• Various faculty development (FD) programs implemented by the Office for
Promotion of Higher Education or faculties/graduate schools
Various FD programs are implemented, including ones dealing with how to teach classes
in English.
• English Support Service (from 2017 on)
Instructors who are native English speakers visit the campuses to check English
sentences and expressions in syllabuses, class materials, academic papers,
administrative documents, and forms written by faculty members, graduate students, andstaff members.
• Accepting and sending researchers through a researcher exchange system
Using a researcher exchange system, the University sent two faculty members abroad
and accepted three instructors from abroad in FY/AY2017. The University also accepts
instructors and researchers from abroad using a short-term overseas instructor invitation
system or as visiting researchers.
2) Staff members
As of 2019, out of a total of 629 regular staff members, 45 regular staff members (7.2%)
14

are of foreign nationality, hold a degree awarded by an overseas university, or have one ormore years of experience in working or receiving training abroad. The University implements
the following measures to allow staff members to acquire knowledge necessary forinternationalization and raise their own awareness of internationalization:① Short-term training at overseas universities (Five participants in FY2017;
eight participants in FY2018)② English training at the University③ Grant for covering fees for certain external English programs④ Sending staff members in charge of education affairs to accompany students
during their overseas training⑤ English Support Service⑥ Training concerning particular internationalization-related themes, offered by
the International Affairs Office•

FY2017: Training in crisis control abroad•

FY2018:Training

concerning

other

universities’

goodpracticesforinternationalization
Staff members’ language proficiency is under the supervision of the Human Resources
Office, to which they report their TOEIC scores. Commissioned staff members can receive a
pay raise if they achieve a TOEIC score of 800 or more. Concerning staff exchange,
although the University has not yet accepted any staff members from abroad, it has sent
staff members to participate in short-term training mentioned in ① above, and othershort-term activities, such as study meetings, events, and research.
3) Extracurricular programs for international faculty members and researchers
While the Office for Promotion of Higher Education holds FD training meetings targeting
newly employed faculty members regardless of nationality, no FD training (in the Japanese
language, for example) or extracurricular programs especially targeting faculty members
and researchers of foreign nationality are provided. As part of its efforts to facilitate anunderstanding of Japanese culture, the University allows a wide range of people, including
Toyo University students, regular faculty members (by choice), and the general public toattend traditional culture programs, such as kabuki dancing, offered by the Faculty of Letters.
Some faculties and graduate schools establish committees that include international faculty
members to incorporate their views into education provided by the faculties and graduate
schools, and/or facilitate communication between faculty members, and especially between
Japanese and international faculty members through social gatherings among regularfaculty members or with part-time lecturers, or the activities of mutual aid societies.
15

The President’s Office has established an Internationalization Promotion Committee that
includes international faculty members, aimed at giving the President proposals on
measures to pursue quality education and research. The Committee meets to exchange
views on given themes with the aim of incorporating the views of international faculty
members into university-wide measures.
4) Faculty and staff members’ awareness of international matters and their cooperation
In the questionnaire on university internationalization, 41.4％ of faculty members and
54％ of staff members answered, “Faculty and staff members’ awareness of international
matters has increased.” This shows that the University’s various initiatives have raisedfaculty and staff members’ awareness of international matters. However, while cooperation
between faculty and staff members is important for promoting internationalization, only
18.1% of faculty members and 18.4% of staff members answered, “Faculty and staff
members are more strongly motivated to cooperate with each other than before,” in thequestionnaire. It is necessary to strengthen faculty and staff members’ motivation tocooperate on-site in promoting internationalization.
(3) Acceptance of international students
1) Target number of international students and changes in the actual number■ Table 1: Number of international students (year-round) out of the total number of students
Academic year

2013

2014

2015

TargetActual number
By type:481(1.6%)

608(2.1%)

706(2.4%)

2016

900(3.1%)
1,142(3.7%)
151

2017

1,509
(4.8%)
180

2018

1,990
(6.2%)
257

Exchange students

638

1,125

1,290

（U：427）（U：883）（U：1,075）

By type:
Degree recipients(U: Undergraduate)（M：175）（M：202）（M：180）(M: Master)（PhD：36）（PhD：40）（PhD：35）

353

204

443

China:

China:

China:(PhD)
By type:
Other non-regularstudents
Three top countries

68%

75%

71%

Korea:

Vietnam:

Korea:

in the number ofstudents

9%

6%

6%

Vietnam:

Korea:

Vietnam

16

2019

2023

2,000
(6.0%)

2,720(8.0%)

5%

6%

6%

(Unit: person) (%): Percentage against the total number of students

The number of accepted international students increased by four times, from 481 in
AY2013, the year before the TGD project was started, to 1,990 in AY2018. In AY2016 as well,
the actual number of international students vastly exceeded the target for the year,
continuing to grow steadily. Concerning the programs under which international students
were accepted, in AY2017 the University began to offer short-term programs (open/custom)
lasting up to one month, in addition to accepting international students who aim to receive a
degree and exchange students from overseas partner institutions, resulting in a significant
growth in the number of international students. In AY2018, bachelor’s degree recipients
accounted for 83.3%, Master’s degree recipients 13.9%, and PhD recipients 2.7% of allinternational students who received a degree. The three top countries in the number ofinternational students were China, South Korea, and Vietnam, with students from China
accounting for about 70% of all international students. The faculties that have more than 100
international students are 6 out of 13 faculties, namely the Faculty of Letters and the Facultyof Business Administration, the Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Sociology, Facultyof .Global and Regional Studies and Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Each faculty’s Medium- and Long-term Plan also sets a target for the number of acceptedinternational students, and many faculties have generally achieved the target.
To become an “Asian hub university” as declared in the TGD project, it is important for
Toyo University to build a flexible international student transfer system. In April 2018, as amodel case of international student transfer, the Faculty of Science and Engineering
accepted five Malaysian students through a transfer entrance exam in the Malaysia Japan
Higher Education Program. Furthermore, the University is discussing international student
transfer with higher educational institutions in such places as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hawaii
and Vietnam, with the aim of realizing international student transfer in the near future. The
University is currently arranging with the faculties to build a system for accepting transfer
students from overseas colleges in AY2019, with the belief that it is a major challenge to be
tackled to achieve the goal of the TGD project.
2) Academic fee structure, scholarships, academic fee exemption systems, and othersupport measures for international students
Toyo University has no academic fee structure dedicated to international students.
However, the University has the following scholarships and academic fee exemption
systems targeting particular types of international students.
• Partial tuition waiver for privately financed international students

17

To promote the education of privately financed international undergraduate andgraduate students and reduce their financial burden, Toyo University partially reduces
the tuition fees that some of the privately financed students are required to pay. Eligible
students are selected from those who would otherwise have difficulty being enrolled forfinancial reasons, and who meet requirements that include academic performance. An
amount equivalent to 30% of the tuition fees is deducted. (From AY2018, only newly
enrolled undergraduate students have 30% of tuition fees deducted in their first year,
and may have 20%, 30% or 40% deducted according to their academic performance intheir second and subsequent years.) The waiver is valid on a yearly basis.
• Masajuro Shiokawa Scholarship
In line with the wishes of former Chancellor Masajuro Shiokawa, this scholarship wasestablished to facilitate international exchanges at Toyo University and help developinternational students. The scholarships are awarded to those selected from privately
financed international students who excel in both academic performance and character,
who are in good health, and who intend to contribute to the development of their
homeland after graduation. Up to two second-year or higher undergraduate students ofeach year from all faculties and up to two graduate students are eligible for ascholarship of 100,000 yen per month (1.2 million yen per year) for one year.
• Toyo University Category 1 ScholarshipA scholarship of 300,000 yen is awarded to one privately financed international
undergraduate student in the second or subsequent year who excels in both academic
performance and character and who is selected from each faculty and each year.
• Top Global Scholarship A
This scholarship is intended for international students admitted for the English track
curriculum (through pre-arrival entrance exams) to the Department of Global Innovation
Studies (30 students) and the Department of Regional Development Studies (10students) of the Faculty of Global and Regional Studies, and to the Department ofInformation Networking for Innovation and Design (20 students) of the Faculty ofInformation Networking for Innovation and Design. Eligible students are exempt fromacademic fees for four years and awarded a monthly scholarship of 150,000 yen for
four years.
• Top Global Scholarship B
This scholarship is intended for international students admitted through pre-arrival
entrance exams to 12 departments of five faculties who meet prescribed requirements.
Eligible students are awarded a monthly scholarship of 82,000 yen for four years.

183) Methods of recruiting international students
The Admissions Office is in charge of recruiting international students within Japan, while
the International Affairs Office is in charge of recruiting international students outside Japan.
The Admissions Office conducts recruiting activities mainly targeting Japanese language
schools in Japan. The International Affairs Office sends its staff abroad to participate instudy-abroad fairs and visit excellent high schools (participating in study-abroad fairs in 16
countries and regions in FY/AY2018) to recruit excellent students and achieve greater namerecognition for Toyo University. In addition, the University’s overseas offices in Thailand(Bangkok), Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Da Nang), Myanmar (Yangon), India (Dehli),
and the United States (Los Angeles) also conduct various PR and recruiting activities. The
University has created an English pamphlet introducing the University and a booklet
introducing the Top Global Scholarships (Appendix 8), and also uses Facebook and the
University website to attract excellent international students. Each faculty or graduate school
also conducts original recruiting activities abroad, an example being entrance exams
administered in Malaysia by the Faculty of Science and Engineering to admit local students
as second-year international transfer students.
Applications from outside Japan are accepted online (with no need to send documents bypost), and applicants are allowed to use a credit card to pay the application fee and makeother payments at the time of the admission procedure. Moreover, interviews during
entrance exams are conducted with an online conferencing system, and the entrance exam
results are announced online, while the enrollment procedure also can be conducted online,
to provide applicants from abroad with a comfortable environment in which to apply for andtake entrance exams without visiting Japan. It takes about 1.5 to 2.5 months to grant aninternational student admission to the University after receiving their application.
Although the University administered pre-arrival entrance exams only for spring enrollees
until FY/AY2017, it started also administering pre-arrival entrance exams for fall enrollees in
FY/AY2018 to suit overseas academic calendars, leading to a rapid growth in the number ofapplicants from abroad.
4) Support for international students in various forms• Guidance and support at the time of admission
To support international students, the Education Affairs Section allocates one day to
conduct procedures in advance prior to guidance meetings for new students after
admission. At the same time, some faculties and graduate schools provide new students
with preliminary education before admission. To support international exchange students
and full-scholarship students admitted directly from abroad, the University prepares19dormitories to which they can be admitted soon after arrival in Japan, offers assistancewith procedures at the local government, banks, etc., and holds welcome parties for them.
The International Affairs Office has two study-abroad coordinators who focus on
supporting international students with limited Japanese proficiency (international
exchange students and international students admitted through pre-arrival entrance
exams) in their everyday lives.
• Initiatives to facilitate communication between international and Japanese students① International exchange spaces (English Community Zones [ECZs])
All Toyo University campuses have international exchange spaces to facilitatecommunication between international students, and between international andJapanese students. The most actively used is Hakusan Campus’s ECZ, where students
are required to use only English. Two to four student staff members (including both
Japanese and international students) are always present, based on a duty roster
system, to play a central role in planning and holding various international exchange
events and supporting other students in studying English at one-on-one study sessions(held twice a week). Similar initiatives are being implemented at the Kawagoe
Campus’s international exchange spaces, called Global Communication Spaces(GCSs). The Hakusan Campus ECZ was used by 8,616 students in aggregate in
AY2018. These spaces serve as hubs for communication between Japanese andinternational students and play an important role in facilitating English communication
between students. The spaces also provide places for international exchange students
to actively work, places for Japanese students who aim to study abroad to experience
using English on campus, and places for Japanese returnee students to maintain thelanguage proficiency they have developed abroad. Meanwhile, these spaces tend to be
used only by fixed members, and the results of the roundtable talks and thequestionnaire on university internationalization show that many students felt it
uncomfortable to enter these spaces. The international exchange spaces at the Asakaand Itakura Campuses have not served as places for active communication because
they are seldom visited by international students, are not always open, seldom hold
events, and are located in secluded areas.
② Language Exchange Partner (LEP) programThis program is designed for international exchange students and others to form groups
with Japanese students and receive support from the Japanese students in their lives inJapan. In AY2018, 114 international exchange students and 136 Toyo University
students participated in the LEP program.
20

③ Japanese language and culture courses for international exchange students (NEST)The University offers Japanese language and culture courses intended for international
exchange students under the program entitled Nihongo for Exchange Students at Toyo
(NEST).
④ Support and systems intended for international students at each faculty
Faculty
Faculty

Support and systemsofLetters• Has a learning support system whereby one International Student Supporter isassigned from each department to work at the shared office• Has opened a Support Room for Faculty of Letters Students and International
Students, where assistant professors support the students

Facultyof

Economics• Holds International Student Liaison Meetings (networking events between international
and Japanese students) to facilitate communication between international students, andbetween international and Japanese students through workshops and social gatherings

FacultyofBusiness• Holds international student social gatherings to facilitate communication between
international students, and between international and Japanese students

Administration
Faculty of Law• Has adopted a system for assigning instructors to take charge of classes for the
Seminar on Legal Studies, an introductory course for first-year students, and placesinternational students in classes run by faculty members with a degree received abroador of foreign nationality• Allows international students to consult SAs about learning every Wednesday (10：00
a.m. – noon)• Holds lunch meetings to facilitate active communication between international
students, faculty members, and Japanese students

FacultyofSociology• Holds a welcome meeting for international students and gives them guidance on
course registration during the period of new student education

Facultyof

Globaland• Holds an orientation meeting in English and a welcome meeting for international
students

Regional• The Department of Global Innovation Studies, where international students account for

Studies

30% of the prescribed maximum number of students, holds a two-day, one-night camp
soon after new students’ admission to encourage faculty members, and Japanese andinternational students, to build friendships and actively communicate with each other

Facultyof• Same as above

International

21

Tourism
Management
Facultyof

Scienceand• Has a worship space for Muslim students• Holds international student meetings about eight times a year to prevent them fromEngineering
Faculty• Holds an orientation meeting in English for new studentsofbecoming isolatedInformation
Sciences andArts
Facultyof• Uses a tutor system for international students, with the system’s operational results

Human

Life

under the supervision of the Student Life Committee members and the Administrative

DesignSection through operational reports

Faculty of Life

• Assigns faculty members to take charge of international students and support them in

Sciencesregistering for courses and other matters

Faculty

of

Food

and

• Holds an orientation meeting for international students

Nutritional
Sciences• Career development support for international students
In 2017, Toyo University was selected as one of the 12 Japanese universities toimplement the Career Development Program for International Students commissioned by
MEXT (the only private university selected from eastern Japan) (see Appendix 9). This
program aims to encourage international students to develop their careers in Japanthrough collaboration between each selected university and local communities, including
the local government and industry, in spreading initiatives to create an integrated
environment where international students can increase their Japanese proficiency,
receive education about career development in Japan, and participate in medium- andlong-term internships. Toyo University collaborates with Shimane University andKanazawa Seiryo University in providing international students with the opportunities toparticipate in internships in various fields in Tokyo and attractive provincial cities (Shimane,
Ishikawa, Ibaraki, etc.). Toyo University also holds company explanation meetings forinternational students and offers them quality business Japanese programs. The
University aims to take advantage of this program to increase the percentage of its
international students who obtain a job in Japan from 40% before the launch of the TGD
project to 60% by 2025.
22

In the questionnaire on university internationalization, 56.5% of responding international
students answered that they were satisfied with the above-mentioned support programs
provided by the University. Concerning interaction with Japanese students, when asked
whether they had Japanese friends at the University, 77% of international students
answered, “Yes,” while 23% answered, “No.” Nevertheless, 84.3% of international students
answered that they hoped to have many more opportunities to interact with Japanese
students. The University has to provide many more opportunities for interaction between
international and Japanese students, and consider devising a system for preventing
international students admitted for the English track curriculum who have limited Japanese
proficiency and few fellow international students from the same country or region from being
isolated.
5) Collaboration with student organizations
The International Student Association is a student organization established under thesupervision of the International Affairs Office to encourage interaction and mutual support
between international students. Budgets for the Association’s activities are allocated throughthe International Affairs Office. The Association organizes cultural experience events forinternational students (local tours, visits to the Sumo Wrestling Club, tea ceremony
workshops, etc.) with cooperation from student clubs.
6) International student alumni associations
The Section for Collaboration with Alumni and Parents’ Associations of the Office forCollaboration with Stakeholders is in charge of encouraging the establishment ofinternational student alumni associations and enhancing collaboration with and among
those associations. Targeting five countries/regions—Thailand, Mongolia, Taiwan, China(Shanghai), and South Korea—the Section seeks cooperative alumni who will serve as local
key persons and encourages them to establish alumni associations. By January 2019,
alumni associations have been established in Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, China(Shanghai and Beijing), and Mongolia, while base organizations, though small, have been
being formed in Malaysia and Singapore.

(4) Sending students abroad
Toyo University implements the following university-wide programs to send students abroad.
In addition to ① to ⑧ below, the faculties and graduate schools also offer their original
23

short- and medium-term study abroad and overseas training programs.
Program name

①

②

③

④

⑤

⑥

Student

Independent

Semester

Language

InternshipUNexchangestudy

abroadseminarandvolunteerprogramabroadlanguagevolunteerprogram;programprogramactivity

TWC

youth

⑦

⑧

Diversity

NihongoVoyagePartners
Programabroad－－－－Three toTwo to six

Three to five

About 10Six to 11

four

weeks

monthsdays

monthsRegistrable

Applications

Registrable

－

as a

for credit

as a course

coursetransfer

Style

Undergraduate program

PeriodOne semester orThree toone yearsixmonthsweeks

Credits

Language program

Applications for credit transfer accepted

acceptedToyo University
Study

Available

Unavailable

AbroadScholarship(full type)
Scholarship for

Global leader type

ActiveChallenge

Challenge

Study

Top university type

type

type

type

AbroadProgram

Active type

Unavailable

(full

type)

1) Target number of Japanese students sent abroad and changes in the actual number■ Table 2: Number of Japanese students who have studied abroad and their percentage(year-round) (Those who have earned credits through credit transfer)
Academic

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2023

1,830
(6.5%)

2,870(10.3%)

year
TargetActualnumber490(1.7%)

By type:830(2.9%)

819(2.8%)

1,207(4.3%)
871(2.9%)
52

1,182(3.9%)
62

1,880(6.2%)
117

4

11

26

56

103

186

Exchange
program
Independent
study

abroadprogramSemesterabroadlanguageprogram

24

597

601

1,318

85
77

104
301

65
168

Three top host

UnitedMalaysia,

Taiwancountries

States,UnitedUnitedOther short-term
training
programs
Internship
Other

Thailand,States,States,Philippines

Thailand

Malaysia(Unit: persons) (%): Percentage against the total number of Japanese students■ Table 3: Rate of Japanese students who have studied abroad—Number of graduate
students who have been sent abroad for research for three months or more under theguidance of faculty members (year-round)
Academic year

2013

2014

2015

TargetActual number

0

0

0

2016

2017

5
(0.7%)
6(0.9%)

9(1.4%)

2018

2019

2023

20
(2.0%)

50(4.2%)

6(0.9%)(Unit: persons) (%): Percentage against the total number of students■ Table 4: Number of Japanese exchange students sent abroad through inter-university
partnerships (year-round) (Those who have earned creditsr)
Academic

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

634
（2.1%）

830(2.9%)
722(2.4%)

2018

2019

2023

1,160
(3.7%)

1,700(5.3%)

year
TargetActual number

565(1.9%)

724（2.4%）(Unit: persons)850(2.7%)

1,122(3.5%)(%): Percentage against the total number of students

In AY2013, the year before the launch of the TGD project, 490 Japanese students weresent abroad and earned credits (Table 2), and in AY2016 the figure increased by 1.8 times to871, which, however, did not reach a target of 1,207 for the academic year. However, thenumber has steadily grown to 1,880 in AY2018.
Although the target in the number of graduate students sent abroad for research (Table 3)
was achieved in AY2016, achieving the AY2019 target requires the University to send alarger number of graduate students abroad for research.
Moreover, the actual number of exchange students sent abroad through inter-university
partnerships (Table 4) in AY2016—722—also did not reach a target of 830 for the academic
year. Reasons for not achieving these targets include the fact that the frequent occurrence25

of terrorist attacks abroad and the depreciation of the yen encouraged Japanese students toavoid participating in medium- or long-term study abroad programs (such as exchange
programs based on inter-university partnerships and semester abroad language programs).
Instead, they chose short-term study abroad programs (mainly without credit transfer or notbased on inter-university partnerships), resulting in an increased number of students
participating in such short-term programs. The number of Japanese students sent abroad toparticipate in programs without credit earning was 1,501 in AY2016 and 2,146 in AY2017,
which vastly exceeded the figures shown in Table 2. In response to the issue, the number ofJapanese students participating in short-programs with credit earning increased in AY2018,
resulting in an increase of the total number.
In the questionnaire on university internationalization, 85.1% of all respondents answeredthat they agreed that playing an active role in society in the future would require them to gaininternational knowledge and experience, and to achieve a certain level of language
proficiency. This shows that most students recognize the necessity of international
knowledge, experience and language proficiency. In addition, 44.1% of the students
answered that they wanted to participate in overseas study, training or internship programs.
This suggests that students who wish to study abroad have a wide variety of needs, ranging
from long-term overseas study or internship programs to short-term overseas training
programs. Meanwhile, regarding their reasons for refraining from participating in overseas
study or training programs, the largest number of students mentioned “Heavy financial
burden” (26.5%), followed by “Not being confident about my language proficiency” (22.9%)
and “Concern about living abroad” (18.2%). Moreover, some roundtable talk participants
shared with us their view that, at faculties where students must attend designatedpracticums to acquire qualifications (including the Faculty of Human Life Design and theFaculty of Food and Nutritional Sciences) or where students are required to participate inpracticums or experiments over multiple semesters (including the Faculty of Science andEngineering), restrictions imposed by the curriculum prevent students from participating in
long-term study abroad programs. To allow students to choose optimal programs according
to their purposes, language proficiency, or curriculum, the University must offer a widelineup of overseas programs, systemize them in a plain manner, and further disseminate
information about scholarships, which help reduce the most crucial factor behind students’
avoidance of participating in overseas programs, the heavy financial burden.

2) Scholarships for students studying abroad
Toyo University has the following scholarship systems (grant-type) to encourage students
26

to study abroad and reduce the financial burden that their participation in study abroad
programs would otherwise impose on them.
・

Scholarships for Exchange Program, Independent Study Abroad Program, andSemester Abroad Language Program
All students who have decided to participate in exchange programs or independent
study abroad programs are awarded a scholarship equivalent to annual tuition fees
(students who have decided to study abroad for a semester are awarded half of theamount). (Only a small number of Japanese universities award a scholarship to allparticipants in exchange or independent study abroad programs.) Students who havedecided to participate in semester abroad language programs and who meet prescribed
requirements concerning language proficiency also can receive a one-quarter amountof annual tuition fees as a scholarship. 87,330,125 yen was paid to 300 students as thescholarship in AY2018.

・

Scholarship for Study Abroad ProgramThis scholarship is divided into four types according to the program, and the scholarshipamount, ranging from 70,000 to 3,000,000 yen, is determined mainly according to thestudent’s language proficiency. Challenge type and active type scholarships, up to
500,000 yen, are currently awarded to all students who meet prescribed language
proficiency requirements, and there is no limit on the number of recipients.119,181,573
yen was paid to 658 students as the scholarship in AY2018.
In addition to the above, the University encourages and helps students to apply for outsidescholarships.
3) Ways to encourage students to study abroad
As part of its efforts to share information about overseas study and training programs withstudents and to help students increase their interest in studying abroad as early as possible,
the University allocates about one hour to introducing study abroad programs during a
guidance meeting for all new students. Other efforts include holding study abroad fairs twicea year; giving students individual guidance during application periods for overseas study
and training programs; offering courses related to studying abroad that all students can takeregardless of the faculty (the courses “Invitation to Studying Abroad” and “Introduction to
Global Careers”); distributing a booklet introducing overseas study and training programs (tomost students); having faculty members encourage students to study abroad; and using
various tools for information sharing (the website, an email magazine, Facebook,
ToyoNet-ACE, etc.).
The University has the above-mentioned helpful full-scholarship systems to provide
27financial support for studying abroad. The Scholarship for Study Abroad Program, inparticular, has helped increase students’ motivation for language studies, because theamount is determined according to the student’s score in a language proficiency test taken
before departure for studying abroad. The University’s initiatives to help students enhancetheir language proficiency are explained at 3-2 (6) 2)”Language Policy” below.
Furthermore, the University allows students to raise self-awareness concerningintercultural understanding by offering intercultural understanding programs during
preparatory training and assessing progress in their intercultural competence before andafter their participation in study abroad programs by using the Intercultural Development
Inventory (IDI). (In AY2018, 1,328 students were subject to IDI assessment.) The University
also offers career development support programs to allow students to use the skills andexperience gained in study abroad programs for their own career design and study planning.
Moreover, in its university-wide Toyo Global Leader (TGL) Program (see Appendix 10), theUniversity has set the criteria of “Studying abroad or participating in an internship” (for three
weeks or more) and “Participating in an overseas activity” (study abroad, training, aninternship, etc., for one week or more) for accreditation as a “Toyo Global Leader,” toencourage students to study abroad and gain overseas experience.
During open campus for senior high school students, the University holds guidance andindividual consultation meetings for students and their guardians visiting the events (a totalof 770 people from July to September 2018). The consultations introduce them to the
University’s study abroad programs, with the aim of attracting senior high school students
interested in studying abroad. In the questionnaire on university internationalization, 34.3%
of faculty members and 61.3% of staff members answered, “More internationally oriented
students have been admitted than before,” while 46.7% of faculty members and 71.1% ofstaff members (who conduct the duty of serving students) answered, “More students areinterested in overseas study, training and internship programs than before.” This suggeststhat the University’s various initiatives to encourage current and prospective students tostudy abroad have resulted in changes in students’ awareness of studying abroad.
(5) Curriculum internationalization
In 2012, the 125th anniversary of its founding, Toyo University adopted the university-wide
policies of philosophical education, global education, and career education. Since then, theUniversity has devoted its energies to making the curricula of its faculties and graduate
schools more unique. For the purpose of internationalization, the University offers classes
taught in English in the specialized fields of each faculty, and has increased the number ofclasses in a dialogue- or discussion-focused style. This provides the students with education28

helpful for them to acquire the ability to consider questions to which solutions cannot beeasily reached. Since 2016, the University has adopted a new basic education curriculum
named the “Toyo University Standard,” which sets seven human resource development
objectives and clearly defines the desired learning effects. The University is currently
making university-wide efforts to have each department define the learning effects
necessary for next-generation human resource development and determine how to assess
the learning effects in order to revise the curriculum in 2021. As part of its initiatives tointernationalize the curricula, the University strives to achieve certain numerical targets, as
shown in the tables below.
■ Table 5: Number and percentage of subjects taught in languages other than Japanese
Academic

2013

2014

2015

2016

438
（4.0%）

772（6.9%）
907(8.7%)

2017

2018

2019

2023

1,200
(10.6%)

1,740(15.4%)

year
TargetActualnumber

223(2.2%)

283（2.8%）

1,095(9.4%)

1,309(9.5%)(Unit: subjects) (%): Percentage against the total number of subjects taught■ Table 6: Numbers of courses where students can graduate using only languages otherthan Japanese and students enrolled in those courses
Academic

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2023

15
(13.0%)

17(14.7%)

2,540(7.6%)

3,040(9.0%)

year
Target(number5(4.5%)

ofcourses)

ActualnumberTarget(number

4(3.8%)

4（3.1%）

4(3.2%)

of7(5.9%)
940（3.2%）

11
17(8.7%) (12.8%)

1,060(3.5%)

1,176(3.7%)

students)

Actualnumber82(0.3%)

87（0.3%）

98(0.3%)

2,149(6.7%)(Units: courses) (%) in the upper row: Percentage against the total number of courses(Units: persons) (%) in the lower row: Percentage against the total number of students■ Table 7: Subjects for which English syllabuses are available
Academic

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2023

14,140(100%)

14,100(100%)

year
Target (numberof subjects)

1,704（12.8%）

29

Actualnumber928(7.8%)

1,073(8.7%)

1,249(9.7%)

2,302(16.5%)

3,074(21.7%)

3,642(23.3%)(Units: number of syllabuses) (%): Percentage against the total number of subjects taught

Compared with a target of 772 subjects taught in languages other than Japanese for
AY2016, the actual number was 907, showing the University’s success in increasing thenumber at a faster pace than the targets. The number of courses where students cangraduate using only languages other than Japanese has also been steadily growing. In
2017, two years earlier than the original plan, the Department of Global Innovation Studies
was established, and it completely follows an English track curriculum at the Faculty of
Global and Regional Studies. In the Department, international students account for about
30% of the prescribed maximum number of students, while all Japanese students are
required to study abroad for one year in their second year. The Department is expected tolead the University’s internationalization. In AY2018, 17 courses (4 undergraduate courses
and 13 graduate courses) were offered. (For more information about courses wherestudents can graduate using only languages other than Japanese, see Appendix 11.) In
AY2016, the actual number of subjects for which English syllabuses are available exceeded
the target set for the year, and the University will continue efforts to have syllabuses written
in English in order to achieve the ultimate target of making English syllabuses available forall subjects.
In addition to the above, the University implements a wide variety of initiatives, including
setting a target for the percentage of regular faculty members of foreign nationality or with adegree awarded from an overseas university (refer to the TDG project) and requiring thatnew faculty members be able to teach classes in English; adopting an annual salary system
to enhance international personnel mobility (refer to the TDG project); and developing adouble-degree program (refer to the TDG project). The University’s efforts to achieve thesetargets and implement these initiatives have helped increase the number of subjects taught
in English, leading 49.8% of faculty members to find it advantageous that such subjects
have helped broaden students’ international perspective, as shown in the questionnaire on
university internationalization. The questionnaire also indicates that the number of students
who want more subjects to be taught in English is larger than the number of students who donot. Meanwhile, 60.2% of faculty members answered, “Class management has become
more difficult (due to a gap in language proficiency between attendees, and othercircumstances)” in the survey. Similar views were expressed by many participants in theroundtable talks, suggesting that students’ limited language proficiency and a wide gap inlanguage proficiency between students have made it difficult for faculty members to manage
classes and assure quality.
Toyo University has set no targets concerning the establishment of internationally oriented30

courses or courses dealing with international content. Similarly, the University does not offer
faculty members any incentives to internationalize courses or programs. However, when
asked, “Do you agree that it is important for you to incorporate international or global
perspectives and content into the course you teach?” in the questionnaire, 70.1% of faculty
members answered, “I agree” (while 9% of faculty members answered, “I don’t agree”). Thisshows that most faculty members recognized the necessity of an international perspective intheir academic pursuit, whether or not they deal with international themes.
ICT is used for curriculum internationalization and virtual mobility through original initiatives
implemented by the faculties and graduate schools, as well as individual faculty members.
For example, the Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation and Design provides
international students admitted through pre-arrival entrance exams with pre-admission
education using the massive open online courses offered by the Faculty. Moreover, somefaculty members give ICT-based remote seminar guidance to students studying abroad.
Concerning double-degree/joint-degree programs, Toyo University currently has thirty
double-degree programs. Active programs out of these are offered by the Graduate Schoolof Interdisciplinary New Science in partnership between the Graduate School’s Doctoral
Program and the Université de Nantes and Sorbonne Université. These universities are
based in France. Both double-degree programs originate from the background of active joint
research that was conducted between Toyo University faculty members and the partner
universities. Although the establishment of the double-degree programs has allowed Toyo
University to win greater international recognition, differences in the curriculum and degree
conferment process between the Japanese university and the French counterparts forced
people involved to spend a great deal of time and labor to make arrangements. A Toyo
University student currently participates in the double-degree program with the Université deNantes for the first time. (As of yet, no students have completed those programs.)(6) International initiative for students / Toyo Global Leader Program
1) Toyo Global Leader (TGL) ProgramThis is a university-wide human resource development program aimed at strengthening
students’ three abilities mentioned in the TGD project as necessary for them to become
globally active citizens: the abilities to express thoughts and ideas in English in interculturalenvironments, to create cultural values, and to solve problems in settings with various
cultural backgrounds. The Program categorizes seven activities as the means to developthese abilities, defines criteria for recognition as a Toyo Global Leader concerning the sevenactivities, and awards eligible students Gold, Silver, or Bronze status according to their levelof achievement. The Program also sets a target in the number of students awarded with31

each of the three status, as shown in the table below. (For the mechanisms of the TGL
Program, see Appendix 10.) The introduction of this Program has especially motivatedstudents with strong international orientation to make active efforts to participate in the
Program, while finding incentives in the results of their own efforts and the possibilities of
winning a higher recognition status.
■ Table 8: Number of students awarded with Gold, Silver, or Bronze TGL status
Academic year

2013

2014

2015

Target number
of Gold status
students
Actual number
of Gold status
students
Target numberof Silver status
students
Actual numberof Silver status
students
Target numberofBronzestatus students
Actual numberofBronzestatus students

2016

2017

2018

0

0

13

91

439

230

460

1,000

1,100

2,500

2,500

458

1,200

176

2023

26

600

32

2019

1,687

In the third year of the implementation of this Program started in AY 2015, 13 students
were awarded with Gold status for the first time. In AY2018, 26students were awarded withGold status (200% vs. the previous year), 458 students with Silver status (503% vs. theprevious year), and 1,687 students with Bronze status (384% vs. the previous year). Whilethe number of students with TGL recognition has been growing year by year, the University
has faced the major challenge of a wide gap between the target number and the actual
number of students with TGL recognition.
This Program is connected with all of the University’s internationalization initiatives, andits results will constitute the ultimate outcome of human resource development in the TGD
project. Therefore, even a minor delay in the entire process of promoting internationalization
can severely affect the Program. The criteria for status recognition in this Program aresubject to revision. For example, concerning the criterion of participating in overseas
activities twice during enrollment (① one activity of one week or more; ② one activity of
three weeks or more), a new measure of permitting students to treat an activity of four32weeks or more as both activities has been adopted to reduce the financial burden on them.
In addition, the Gold status criterion of writing the graduation thesis in English has beenrevised to permit students to write an assignment paper in any language other thanJapanese in place of the graduation thesis, so that students who are not required to write
the graduation thesis will be able to participate in the Program and so that students whowish to meet the Gold status criteria before starting job-hunting activities will be able tohighlight the status as an achievement during their job-hunting activities. The Program wasthus improved to allow many more students to take up the challenge of participating in it.
2) Language policy
As explained at 3-1. () “Curriculum internationalization” of this report, the TGD project
includes various measures to promote better learning environment, such as increasing thenumber of subjects taught in English and the number of students learning the English track
curriculum or taking courses where they can graduate using only languages other thanJapanese, making English syllabuses available, and employing faculty members who canteach classes in English. The University also offers its website in multiple languages, andprovides various information sources and systems in English, including the interfaces of alearning management system and a course registration system, the syllabus format, theAcademic Catalog, and campus bulletin boards.
In addition to promoting use of English on campus, the TGD project sets the following
targets in the enhancement of students’ English proficiency.
■ Table 9: Number of students who meet the standard for language proficiency: equivalent
to a TOEFL score of 550 (730 in TOEIC / 6.0 in IELTS)
Academic year

2013

2014

2015

2016

288
(1.0%)

350(1.2%)
418(1.4%)

TargetActual number

155(0.5%)

207(0.7%)

2017626(2.0%)

2018

2019

2023

800
(2.4%)

1,200(3.6%)

768(2.5%)(Unit: persons) (%): Percentage against the total number of students

Compared with a target of 350 for AY2016, the actual number of students who met thestandard was 418 in the year and 768 in AY2018, steadily growing to achieve the ultimate
target. Most faculties (excluding the Department of Philosophy in Faculty of Letters and all
departments in Faculty of Sociology) require students to take courses in English or any
language other than Japanese, while some departments require or encourage students toselect non-English foreign languages as well, positioning language learning as a core inbasic education.
33

In addition to language courses offered by the faculties and graduate schools, the Center
for Global Education and Exchange offers students at all faculties and graduate schools thefollowing regular courses and various extracurricular programs to allow them to enhancetheir language proficiency. To reduce the financial burden on students, the University offers
extracurricular programs for free, or covers most of the costs to offer such programs at much
more affordable fees than market prices. Some extracurricular programs have an award
system to incentivize students to enhance their language proficiency and increase theirscores in English proficiency tests. The University enables students to take various major
institutional English proficiency tests (TOEFL ITP, TOEFL iBT, IELTS, TOEIC L&R, TOEIC
S&W) for affordable fees at the University (or at the test center for some tests). Moreover,
the University strives to reduce the financial burden on students who aim to learn languages
by covering some portion (half in AY2018) of test fees when students take designatedsecure-program language proficiency tests (in English, French, German, Chinese, andKorean), to encourage as many students as possible to take language proficiency tests.

LEAP

Language Center

Toyo Achieve English

English proficiency test
prep program

Regular/

Regular course

Extracurricular

Extracurricular

Extracurricular

ExtracurricularPurposes andSpecialEnglishOffersoutlineeducation

courseaimed

allowing

students who wish to

Englishspeakers

to40-minute lessons in a

increase their scores in

study

allow

students

togroup of about four

TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC

enhance their writing

members and weekly

L&R,

endingproficiency

one-on-one

takingtheatabroadacquireto

Englishproficiency sufficient tovariousPrograms focusing on

Extracurricular

one-on-one programs

Englishprograms

aimed

at

taughtcomprisingallowing

students

tobynativetake regular courses atgiven

overseassemesterhost

conversation,daily

lessons

duringwithtargetedtheEnglish proficiency test

Charged (about 42,500

Charged (about 16,000

to 100,000 yen)

to 20,000 yen)

universities
PeriodFees

Spring and fall semesters
Free (regular course)

IncentiveFree

Credit transfer

AwardsystemforAwardsystemforstudents

who

have

students

who

have

achieved target scores

achieved target scoresNote: In addition to the above, short-term lessons and programs are offered during summer and spring breaks.

3) Role expected of students who have returned from exchange programs
The requirements for study-abroad scholarship payment include cooperating in PR
activities after returning home. The University encourages students who have returned from34

exchange programs or other study abroad programs to actively participate in PR activities
by presenting their experience at study abroad program briefing sessions or during open
campus, or writing articles for PR publications. Some faculties also implement similar
initiatives at a faculty level. The University offers students who have returned from exchange
programs and international students the opportunities to share their experiences with otherstudents, faculty, and staff members. This includes the university-wide Toyo University
Study Abroad Fair, where booths are set up by country and, in each booth, international
students from the country or Japanese students who have studied in the country are
consulted by interested students and share their experience with visitors. Some faculties
and seminars also implement initiatives to have students who have studied abroad share
their experience with other students or to encourage interactions between Japanese andinternational students.
As extracurricular activities open to the local communities, Toyo University sends
international exchange students to nearby schools (including Toyo University-affiliatedschools) and the neighborhood to participate in international exchange activities or weekend
homestay activities, with the aim of facilitating interactions between international exchange
students and the general public outside the University. The University asks users or
participants to respond to a questionnaire as necessary, to improve the programs.
(7) Availability of internationalization-focused student organizations and collaboration withthem
The Hakusan Campus ECZ and the Kawagoe Campus GCS, both of which are introduced
as international exchange spaces above, are operated by (Japanese and international)
student staff members employed as part-time workers by the University. At the Asaka
Campus, student clubs play an important role in holding events at the ECZ or the campus incollaboration with the campus administration. The University has approved and financially
supports four internationalization-focused student organizations, including an English
conversation club whose members aim to develop their language proficiency.
Moreover, the University collaborates with student organizations engaged in traditional
cultural activities, such as tea ceremonies, Japanese calligraphy, and sumo wrestling, inproviding students from overseas universities with short programs focusing on experiencing
and observing Japanese culture. Furthermore, the International Affairs Office takes theinitiative in organizing a student support organization named Toyo Gem Stone. Japanese
students who have studied abroad are the main members of this system designed forstudents to play a central role in international exchange in various short programs forstudents accepted from overseas universities. The Department of Sociocultural Studies,35

Faculty of Sociology, cooperates with a student organization named SPIRIT, which
originated from extracurricular activities in the Department, in holding a consultation titled“Multilingual Senior High School Guidance” to give advice to children and their families witha non-Japanese mother tongue on advancing to senior high school in Japan. The student
organization is engaged in international exchange and social contribution activities by
supporting participating children and families.
Though not activities of student organizations, students play an important role ininternational initiatives, such as the Language Exchange Program (LEP) aimed at
supporting international exchange students, or as Resident Assistants, who are in charge ofstudent support in international dormitories.
(8) Internationalization of research
The Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020” includes the promotion of internationalization ofresearch as a specific action plan in the two fields of Innovation and Research. In thesystem for promoting the internationalization of research at the University, the Academic
Research Promotion Committee is in charge of deliberating on promotion methods anddesigning various programs. (The criteria for screening the focus research strategic
programs designed by the Focus Research Strategy Council include whether or not eachprogram can be implemented through international joint research.) Researchers areencouraged to apply for external research funds, while the Research Promotion Office isdedicated to assisting in research based on external research funds. The Office encourages
faculty members to participate in international research projects, and regularly sharesinformation on the website and in email newsletters. The Industry-Government-Academia
Partnership Center has specialists with extensive knowledge in areas such as external
research funds, joint research projects, and intellectual property rights, and has anestablished system for being consulted by researchers and supporting them. Meanwhile, nofaculties or graduate schools implement original initiatives to internationalize research or
give faculty members incentives to internationalize their research, consequently leaving theinternationalization of research to individual faculty members. The Toyo University Vision“Beyond 2020” sets specific numerical targets concerning international research, including
the number of acquired external research funds and the number of international research
projects. The University recognizes that it has insufficiently internationalized research,
analyzes factors behind the University’s failure in achieving the targets, and discloses theanalysis results at various relevant meetings.
■ Table 10: Data on the current status of research internationalization
36

Academic

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

217

223

208

220

242

Total

year
Number of

1,110

papers*Number of

Number of
papersCitation
count

Number of thepapers

top 10％published in

papers

top 10%Times Higher
Impact factor

Education(FWCI)

paper ranking
pointsjournals

Number of

1,110

4,470

83

183

0.68

6.5

papers**Number of papers appearing on Scopus

In addition to those mentioned in 3-2 (2)”Internationalization of faculty member”, in-housefunds and support programs for research internationalization include the Enryo Inoue
Memorial Research Grant, which can be used to cover expenses for participation ininternational academic conferences, official trips, and joint research with partner
universities; the Focus Research Promotion Program, which awards grants to research
institutes and groups engaged in research on focus subjects designated in the Toyo
University Vision “Beyond 2020;” and the Toyo University Olympic and Paralympic Research
Grant, aimed at contributing to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
To combine international research projects with educational programs, the University
employs graduate students as RAs or research supporters, and allows them to accompany
researchers during official research trips.
As a strategy for international information sharing and communication about its researchcapabilities, Toyo University has devoted efforts to increase the relevant indicator values
aiming to be ranked in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. As aresult, it has succeeded in being ranked since AY2017. The University’s efforts todisseminate information about its research capabilities to universities overseas include
sending the Vice President in charge of Research to attend overseas conferences related to
the World University Rankings. Most of the international joint research projects currently inprogress at the University have been launched through partnerships between individual
researchers.
(9) International partnerships
Toyo University currently has 182 inter-university partnership agreements (including 115
student exchange agreements) and ●● departmental partnership agreements. (For the listof partner universities, see Appendix 12.) The number of partnership agreements has
37increased by 243% from 75 before the selection of the TGD project for the Top Global
University Project, with the number of partner universities increasing each year.
Inter-university partnership agreements are concluded after the process of faculty and staff
members’ seeking partner universities through joint research or official trips abroad,circulating proposals to members of the Center for Global Education and ExchangeManagement Committee and the President’s Office Council to obtain their approval, andobtaining the President’s approval. (The process of concluding inter-university partnershipagreements is specified in an agreement conclusion flow.) Departmental partnershipagreements are concluded after faculty members who have a network with counterpart
universities lead negotiations, and the Faculty Council or Graduate School Council approve
the agreements.
To satisfy students’ needs and encourage students to study abroad, the University has set
a target of concluding 120 partnership agreements, including student exchange agreements,
giving preference to universities based in English-speaking areas. Only some faculties andgraduate schools give preference to specific countries and regions concerning the locationsof partner universities, while most faculties and graduate schools do not. The International
Affairs Office has compiled a complete list of partner universities in inter-university anddepartmental partner agreements. The Office has posted the list on the University website,
and updates data on inter-university partnership agreements monthly and data on
departmental partnership agreements about twice a year. When an inter-university
partnership agreement has to be renewed due to its expiration, the Center for Global
Education and Exchange Management Committee and the President’s Office Council
discuss whether or not to renew the partnership in consideration of exchange achievements,
and approve the renewal. This process is used to improve exchange achievements and forother purposes.
The University views partnerships with universities that meet the following requirements
as “strategic” partnerships.
① Universities based in English-speaking areas
Reason: Many students wish to study abroad at universities based in
English-speaking areas.
② Universities based in English-speaking areas that offer bridge programs (language
programs or regular courses)
Reason: Such universities are appropriate as host universities for students withlimited English proficiency, who wants to take regular courses after increasing his/herEnglish proficiency.
③ Universities, junior colleges, and community colleges with a Japanese language
38

courseReason: Such institutions are appropriate as partners in an international student
transfer system mentioned in the TGD project.
④ Universities that match the original objectives of faculties or graduate schools
Since January 2016, Toyo University has served as the International Secretariat of
University Mobility in Asia and Pacific (UMAP)5 as part of the University’s initiatives tobecome an “Asian hub university” as mentioned in the TGD project. By functioning as theInternational Secretariat of UMAP, the University aims to further facilitate student exchanges
in the Asian-Pacific region, and encourage various exchanges at the higher education levelin the region. UMAP currently has 290 member universities from 20 countries and regions(the number of target is 36 countries and regions). (For details about the UMAP member
states, the number of member universities and more, see Appendix 13.) Toyo University
plays a central role in UMAP, managing various (short-, medium-, and long-term) study
abroad programs and joint research projects in nationwide cooperation with MEXT—with theJapan Student Services Organization (JASSO) serving as the National Secretariat—and
other member universities in Japan. Since 2018, the University has implemented a joint
project with Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) led by Kansai University,
actively participating in facilitating human and educational exchanges among higher
education institutions.
In addition, the University has a strong connection with ISEP, sending about 15-20 Toyo
students abroad and accepting the same volume of international student through ISEP.

4. Conclusion
4-1. How the University’s internationalization strategies match the needs of the entire
university community, and correspond with the goals of the University as a whole
Progress in globalization has increased international mobility as well as demand forhuman resources with a new type of knowledge and expertise that can cope with emerging
global challenges. The necessity of reconsidering how higher education can cope with theera of globalization is widely recognized not only in Japan but also internationally. 6
Since around 2010, Toyo University has implemented various initiatives with the belief
that it should be internationalized as a whole. As a positive result of those efforts, theUniversity’s TGD project was selected for MEXT’s Top Global University Project, and the5

UMAP is a consortium of governmental and non-governmental representatives, formed in 1991 to facilitate student,
faculty, and staff exchanges among higher education institutions in the Asian-Pacific region. In Japan, MEXT provides
overall support for UMAP.
6 On the Ideal State of Higher Education in an Era of Globalization (Report of the University Council on November 22,
2000)

39

University also formulated the Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020,” which includes thepromotion of the TGD project as one of its pillars. At the same time, all faculty and graduate
school medium- and long-term plans have the promotion of internationalization as animportant item. The overall University has thus established a structure for implementing
initiatives

topromoteinternationalization.

In

the

questionnaireonuniversity

internationalization, more than 70% of faculty and staff members answered that theenhancement of education and 80% of research would require university internationalization,and more than 60% of faculty and staff members answered that they agreed that the
University’s selection for the Top Global University Project had been beneficial to thepromotion of the University’s internationalization. This fact indicates that the University’s
internationalization strategies match the needs of faculty and staff members working in thefield for internationalization.
4-2. Prospect of the achievement of targets
As explained at 3-2 of this report, some of the 37 numerical targets set in the TGD project
are expected to be achieved, while some others appear difficult to achieve unless we takeaction. We have already upgraded the numerical targets that are expected to be achieved
through university-wide efforts. Also, we have revised downwards the targets that appear
difficult to achieve that MEXT has allowed us to revise, to more realistic ones. In addition, we
have begun to drastically reform the measures to achieve the downward revised targets.
(Not all targets we hoped to revise were allowed to be revised.) It is expected, based on thecurrent situation, that we will be hardly able to achieve the target in the number of Japanese
students participating in overseas programs with credit transfer (including bridge programs),
the target concerning international student transfer, and the target in the number of students
with TGL recognition.
We requested permission from MEXT to revise downwards the targets in the number ofJapanese students participating in overseas programs with credit transfer to a more realistic
one, but were unable to receive permission. Meanwhile, as mentioned before, taking into
account the current gap between the number of students we actually send abroad and thenumber of students who can be counted based on the TGD project (students participating inoverseas programs with credit earning only), it is desirable for us to position overseas study
and training programs in the entire educational program of each faculty or graduate school,
more actively encourage students to participate in overseas activities, and allow them to use
the credit transfer system. Improvements in the credit transfer system will make it more
beneficial for students to participate in overseas programs, and allow the University to counta number of students that is closer to the actual number of students send abroad. At the40same time as these initiatives, we must continue to emphasize the significance of students’participation in overseas study and training programs, and disseminate information about
the helpful scholarships and solid support the University provides for students sent abroad.
Concerning the international student transfer system, the University has been seeking
student transfer partner universities and building a system for accepting internationaltransfer students. In June to July 2018, the President met representatives of all faculties toexchange views on this issue in particular, and requested their cooperation in considering
how to build a system for accepting international transfer students. The keys to acceptinginternational transfer students are the credit transfer system and the international students’Japanese proficiency. The launch of a newly established student transfer system may allow
us to rapidly achieve the target.
Although we have been permitted to revise some interim targets in the number of students
with TGL recognition for AY2021, it is supposed that we will not be likely to achieve thetargets. We have already begun to discuss how to handle the criterion of taking courses
taught in English—which has made it difficult for many students to obtain TGL
recognition—in order to make the TGL program system more realistic.
The TGD project lacks a goal based on the perspective of research internationalization,
because the project was designed based on the target indicators designated by MEXT. The
Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020” sets specific objectives and an action plan for theinternationalization of research, while the medium- and long-term plan of each faculty or
graduate school also includes the internationalization of research.
4-3. Use of monitoring
As explained above, Toyo University has organized an in-house structure for promotinginternationalization, and it compiles data on progress in its efforts to achieve the targets andmonitors the progress annually. The results of monitoring are shared among various
conference bodies, including the SGU Project Committee, which discuss measures to solve
challenges identified through monitoring. Advice and recommendations from external
experts, obtained through the External Evaluation Committee and the MEXT interim review,are used to devise and implement necessary measures and solve challenges.
While a system for monitoring changes in the target indicators has thus been established,target monitoring has entailed a larger number of clerical duties, including compiling data. In
the questionnaire and roundtable talks, some faculty and staff members pointed out that the
University’s internationalization initiatives place too much importance on numerical targets.
Campuses other than Hakusan lack a strong personnel structure for internationalization,
imposing a heavy work load on a limited number of staff members, which is a major
41

challenge to be solved in the University’s initiatives to promote internationalization.
4-4. Toyo University’s most powerful strengths concerning internationalization
Toyo University’s most powerful strength concerning internationalization lies in the factthat university-wide internationalization strategies are incorporated harmoniously into faculty
and graduate school medium- and long-term education and research plans, creating anestablished university-wide system for promoting internationalization. Under this system, theuniversity administration, led by the President, exercises strong leadership in promotinginternationalization on a top-down basis, with the support from the Board of Trustees as the
University’s highest ranking decision-making organization. This strength has allowed the
University to rapidly implement initiatives to promote internationalization by acquiring large
subsidies, including that of the Top Global University Project, and establishing new faculties,
within 10 years after shifting to internationalization around 2010. These internationalization
initiatives have met with a favorable reaction from prospective students and senior highschool teachers, and often attracted media coverage as a “vigorous university” or a“university making active efforts toward internationalization.” 7 The University is, therefore,
expected to attract higher-quality students (more excellent, highly internationally oriented
students). Similarly, its acquisition of government subsidies for the Top Global University
Project and the international student career development program, as well as its
appointment as the International Secretariat of UMAP, have enabled the University toestablish a stronger international presence.
Another strength of Toyo University lies in its stable financial foundation. The University
has recently attracted a steadily increasing number of applicants, and it had over 120,000
applicants for its AY2019 entrance exam, which is ranked 2nd in all universities in Japan, an
all-time record. Since the large number of applicants ensures a certain amount of revenue
from various fees, the University’s financial foundation has been evaluated as solid. (Forexample, the Japan Credit Rating Agency has given Toyo University an AA rating.) The
University currently offers the Scholarship for Study Abroad Program for Japanese students
and the Top Global Scholarships for international students using its own funds, instead ofsubsidies from JASSO and MEXT. Furthermore, to be able to continue implementing
internationalization initiatives even after the period of MEXT’s subsidy for the TGD project
expires, Toyo University declared its intention to found a business corporation as a funding
source for the project. Ultimately, the Toyo University Incorporated Educational Institution

7

Recently, Toyo University has been mentioned more often in news focusing on the keyword “global” than before. For
example, the University was ranked 18th in the Top 100 Global Education Universities in Japan rankings based on thevotes of senior high school teachers in charge of academic and career guidance, announced by Daigaku Tsushin Co.,
Ltd., in May 2018.

42

founded a wholly owned subsidiary named Toyo University Global Service Co., Ltd. The
stable financial foundation for the overall University and measures to ensure sustainable
efforts beyond the expiration of the subsidy period firmly underlie the sustainability of the
University’s internationalization initiatives.
4-5. Toyo University’s weaknesses and points to improve concerning internationalization
Since launching the TGD project, Toyo University has increased the number ofinternational students accepted, but it has to enter the next development stage andinternationalize its campuses. Although each campus has English-only spaces forinteractions between international and Japanese students, such as the ECZ, only fixedinternational and Japanese student members use such spaces. Another challenge theUniversity should tackle is that international students seldom interact with Japanese
students. The encouragement of active intercultural communication between international
and Japanese students on campus will lead to further progress in university
internationalization.
Furthermore, as the internationalization of research has a major impact on world university
rankings such as THE and QS, receiving higher rankings will require Toyo University tofurther promote the internationalization of research.
In addition, the administration’s strong leadership in internationalization may probably
entail the risk that personnel transfer or retirement of core leaders in internationalization,
including the President, could adversely affect the University’s internationalization initiatives.
4-6. Post-TGD project
In its fifth year, the TGD project has reached the stage of expansive reconsideration,
where we must deliberate about what goals or targets we should set and what action planwe should formulate for a post-TGD-project period, and do so by the expiration of thecurrent project. We hope that the ISAS 2.0 review will give us advice, about a path towardsustainable development to fulfill the Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020” in view of the
post-TGD-project period.

43

List of Appendices
Appendix 1: List of the ISAS 2.0 Steering Committee members
Appendix 2: Toyo University Vision “Beyond 2020”
Appendix 3: Toyo Global Diamonds (TGD) Project Statement
Appendix 4: Medium- and Long-term Plans of the faculties/graduate schools
Appendix 5: Declaration for the future to become a globally acclaimed university
Appendix 6: Organization chart for promoting internationalization
Appendix 7: List of the External Evaluation Committee members
Appendix 8: Top Global Scholarship booklet
Appendix 9: Overview of the international student career development program
Appendix 10: Toyo Global Leader (TGL) Program
Appendix 11: Japan Times (October 22, 2018)
Appendix 12: List of overseas partner universities
Appendix 13: Material on the International Secretariat of UMAP
Appendix 14: Report on the questionnaire on university internationalization
Appendix 15: Final report on roundtable talks on internationalization

List of Basic Materials on Toyo University, etc.
1. University overview pamphlet
2. Organization chart and personnel structure
3. Summary material on MEXT’s Top Global University Project
4. TGD Newsletter Vol. 5
5. TGD Newsletter Vol. 6
6. TGD Newsletter Vol. 7
7. TGD Newsletter Vol. 844