AICHI GAKUIN UNIVERSITYEXCHANGE PROGRAM
2020 - 2021

Aichi Gakuin University Exchange Program 2020-2021● Aichi Gakuin UniversitySince its establishment in 1876 as a branch training center of Soto Zen Buddhism, Aichi Gakuin
University (AGU) has been producing graduates who are able to contribute positively to theircommunities and to society as a whole. For over 140 years, it has been passing down the Buddhist
spirit that emphasizes humanity, compassion, gratitude and the dynamic connection between
learning and practice. Being one of the largest universities in the Chubu area, AGU, withapproximately 12,000 students at present, is composed of 16 departments in 9 faculties, one
department in the junior college, and 9 schools in the graduate school. It has four campuses:
Nisshin Campus, its largest campus; Kusumoto Campus, its oldest campus, and Meijo Koen
Campus, its newest; and finally Suemori Campus, home of its preeminent University Dental
Hospital. All four campuses can be found in or near Nagoya which is located at the center ofHonshu, the main island of Japan.
For more information, please refer to the URL : http://www.agu.ac.jp/english/【List of Faculties of Each Campus】<Nisshin Campus><Meijo Koen Campus>

・Faculty of Letters

・Faculty of Business and Commerce

・Faculty of Psychological and Physical Science

・Faculty of Management

・Faculty of Law

・Faculty of Economics

・Faculty of Policy Studies
・Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences<Kusumoto Campus><Suemori Campus>

・School of Pharmacy

・University Dental Hospital

・School of Dentistry

●Nagoya City and Nisshin City
Nagoya is one of the largest cities in Japan. The largest campus of AGU is located in Nisshin
City, just outside of Nagoya. Nisshin is a lively area where you can enjoy both natural beautyand everyday conveniences. It has nearly ten university campuses, so it has a youthful vigor,
but also a casual residential atmosphere. You can find various cafés, restaurants and shops thatappeal to people of all ages. The recent introduction of two large-scale shopping malls also adds
to the fun and convenience of living in Nisshin. Getting into Nagoya City is quick and easy too,
via the direct bus service from the AGU campus or the nearby subway service.
For over 400 years, Nagoya has played a crucial role in Japanese history. Today it's a bustling
center of Japanese innovation, industry and manufacturing. The city began its rapid growth in
the late 16th century when it was closely associated with the three unifiers of Japan: Oda
Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Throughout most of the city’s history,
Nagoya Castle has proudly stood at its center. You can enjoy the rich history of Nagoya all overthe city, but particular points of interest are, of course, the castle, as well as the nearby Tokugawa
Garden and Museum.

Nagoya’s other face, as the cutting-edge hub of Japanese industrial

innovation and manufacturing, can also be seen all over the city. Toyota is one of the largest andbest-known companies in Japan. It has deep ties to Nagoya, and you can learn about thedevelopment of manufacturing in Japan by visiting the Toyota Commemorative Museum ofIndustry and Technology.
Nagoya’s climate is generally mild with an average temperature of 15 to 25 degrees Celsius inspring and autumn. It can get as hot as 35 degrees Celsius in the summer, though, and it’s been
known to dip below freezing in winter.
For more information, please refer to the URL : https://www.nagoya-info.jp/en/

Nagoya Station

Nagoya Castle

AGU Meijo Koen Campus

●Academic Life at AGU
Exchange students can register for at least seven classes a semester. Those exchange students
with a beginners’ level of Japanese can choose from the Japanese language and culture classes
offered by the Center for Japanese Language and Culture (CJLC) and the classes available in
English offered by various departments of AGU.

Those exchange students with a Japanese

Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) score of N2 or above may enroll in any classes offered inJapanese in any department at AGU (with the instructor’s consent).

●Center for Japanese Language and Culture
AGU is pleased to announce that the Center for Japanese Language and Culture (CJLC) will beestablished in April of 2019. The CJLC will give classes in Japanese language and culture to
exchange students from affiliated universities. Also the Center will offer intensive Japanese andculture classes for short-term Japanese programs.

Language Classes
We will offer various levels of Japanese language classes ranging from Beginning level, up to
Advanced for students at an N2 level of Japanese proficiency or above. The content of the classes
will be tailored to the language level of individual exchange students, so any student at anaffiliated university can feel free to challenge the Japanese language classes, regardless of theirJapanese ability.

Culture Classes
The Center will also offer classes allowing students to experience Japanese culture in English.
Students will be able to experience traditional Japanese culture such as shodo (Japanesecalligraphy), tea ceremony, origami and Zen meditation. They will also be able to take part inexcursions as well, including visits to Japanese shrines and temples near the AGU campus.
Cooking classes will also offer students a chance to make Japanese traditional dishes, and thenenjoy eating what they’ve made, all while learning about the history and cultural significance ofparticular dishes.

●Classes Available in English at AGU
In addition to the Japanese language and culture classes offered in the CJLC, all exchange
students can register for classes and seminars offered in English.

In particular, “JapaneseCulture and Society” offered in the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences is one that all
exchange students are sure to enjoy.

This class will present various topics pertaining toJapanese culture and society such as religion, law, family and marriage, and local history, each
topic taught by experts in the field, who have been chosen from the diverse faculty here at AGU.
The Faculty of Policy Studies will offer: Human Security Studies, Introduction to International
Organizations, Theories of International Development, International Security Studies,
Introduction to Globalization Studies.
The Faculty of Letters will offer: Area Studies of Oceania, Area Studies of North America, Area
Studies of Japan, Area Studies of Great Britain, Culture through English I, II, III.

●Important Dates
Spring Semester

Fall Semester

Application Deadlines

Late November

Late MarchArrival

Late March

Early SeptemberSemester begins

Early April

Mid-September

Semester ends

Late July

Late January

Summer Vacation

Early August – Mid-September

Winter Break

Late December – Early January

Spring Break

Early February – Late March●Cultural Exchange with Japanese Students
The AGU-CJLC offers exchange students a truly unique opportunity to immerse themselves inJapanese culture and language. Because the program is exclusive and open to only a small
number of students from abroad, those students will have to challenge themselves on a daily basis
to learn Japanese and adapt to the cultural environment. Exchange students will be able toenjoy making new Japanese friends and interacting with their classmates. They will also beencouraged to enroll in a seminar that suits their academic interests, something that willcertainly help them to make new friends.

Moreover, exchange students can be Learning

Assistants (LAs) at the AGU English Lounge where they can help Japanese students with theirEnglish speaking and listening skills. These LAs play an integral part in cultural exchange
events held at the English Lounge, giving them even greater opportunities to meet and interactwith Japanese students.

●ResidenceAn apartment will be provided for the exchange student. Monthly rent (including electricity andgas charges) will be around 60,000 yen and must be paid monthly by the exchange student.

●Insurance
Exchange students with a residence status of “College Student” must subscribe to the “Japan
National Health Insurance (JNHI)”. Subscribers to JNHI will pay 30% of medical fees. An
insurance premium (of approximately JPY 1,500 as a monthly average, although this may vary
according to the region) is necessary, and it will be a great help when the subscriber has seriousmedical problems or needs to be hospitalized. Particularly, for international students withdependent family members, joining the JNHI will reduce the financial burden of medical fees.

●Estimated Living Expenses (prices subject to change)
Rent¥50,000+/monthMeals¥30,000+/month

Fuel and lighting¥10,000+/month

Pocket Wifi

¥3,000+/monthMiscellaneous¥10,000+/month

Textbooks¥10,000~¥20,000/semester

●Exchange Student Testimonials

Kelsea Dyer

Australia

Bond University

I have had an interest in Japan since a young age. With the prospect of studying Japanese inJapan, I changed my degree at Bond to Arts and majored in film production and Japaneselanguage. My Japanese teacher knew I was aiming for fluency and recommended I go to Aichi
Gakuin University (AGU), in Aichi Prefecture, for a challenging, immersive exchange. As thiswas my first time leaving Australia, I didn’t know what to expect. I was faced with many newchallenges, but walked away from the experience with new friends and unforgettable
memories.
I arrived in Japan in peak cherry blossom season. AGU was covered in pink and white blossoms.
The staff at AGU were extremely helpful with setting up my apartment and bank account,shopping and anything else I needed. Even my class schedule was organised for me. I tookclasses in Japanese conversation, listening, writing and calligraphy, as well as three otherclasses conducted in English. I took a seminar focused on cultural differences with the Englishmajor students. In this class, and in the English Lounge where I was available for students
studying English, I met many of my closest friends. They were some of the most helpful andcaring people I had ever met. The memories we made together were truly incredible.
Going on exchange to Japan was the most incredible experience of my life. Studying at AGU
was challenging but rewarding, and I would encourage those who are keen for a challenge todo so. You will absolutely not regret it.
(The above is based on Kelsea Dyer's testimonial which appears, in longer form, on the BondUniversity website.)