Students at APU learn English and Japanese by watching videotaped lectures in other subjects. The language class is held at a computer laboratory where all students have access to a computer. The campus has about 1,000 computers, so students can submit their homework and research results by e-mail. The faculty staff likewise reply by e-mail after evaluating their work. APU President Kazuichi Sakamoto's philosophy is that giving Japanese students a chance to study with students from other countries and the resulting opportunity to learn about their languages and their backgrounds could fill a gap in the nation's existing education system.
Students relax at a dormitory for foreign students.
Alex Zhang, a Chinese student brought up in Tokyo, said he chose APU because he wanted to meet people from different backgrounds. Bahk Yong Soo, a South Korean who studied for three years at a high school in the United States, chose APU rather than a Korean university. By the time the Asia-Pacific region becomes a core part of the world's economy, I would like to learn as much as I can here. This has a positive influence on other students, he added. The different levels of proficiency in Japanese among foreign students mean that some teachers are expected to help more than others during class.