The Museum building itself was modeled on the Shosoin, an eighth-century wooden structure in Nara, Japan. An important teaching resource for faculty and students, the museum brings temporary exhibitions to campus each year, often in collaboration with course offerings in academic departments. In addition, approximately 2,000 Chinese and Japanese art history materials are stored in the Architecture and Allied Arts Library. The Yamada Language Center, a significant resource for foreign language instruction at the University of Oregon, was established in 1991 through a major gift from Mr. Osamitsu Yamada, a Tokyo businessman, and through equipment grants from Apple Computer and Sony Corporation. The University of Oregon provides a number of opportunities for students to study abroad in Asian and Pacific countries.
Programs range in length from eight weeks to a full year.
Students may choose among various models ranging from specially designed, stand-alone programs to complete immersion in the academic and social life of the host institution. Specialized programs in Japanese Business and Society and Thai Environment and Development are also offered, along with an International Cooperative Learning Program that brings together students from Oregon, Thailand, Japan, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia for fieldwork. The University's international student population constitutes a major resource for the campus and community. Other regional countries represented include Bangladesh, Burma, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palau, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Selected students participate in the University's nationally recognized International Cultural Service Program, which offers partial tuition waivers in exchange for students' commitment to service as cultural ambassadors in primary and secondary schools and other community organizations.