Tsuru University, a public university specialising in Arts and Humanities in Japan, is looking for a partner university in the UK to establish an exchange programme.

Overview of the proposal for a partner university:

Incoming students:

Number of students is flexible. Programme duration is one semester (Spring: February-July, Fall: August-December). Participating students are expected to have had at least one year of university level Japanese training. The programme consists of a two-month Japanese language intensive course (offered at three different levels), followed by four-month undergraduate courses chosen from a range of subjects including Japanese Studies in Language and Society, History and Culture, and Economics and Politics. Students are required to register in two elective courses, one of which can be an elementary school internship programme. (This makes a total of 16 credit units).

Outgoing students:

One academic year. (Therefore, two incoming students equate to one outgoing student). Undergraduate registration (non-ESL). Credits will be transferable.

University profile:

Tsuru University offers international exchange students a unique experience, providing an intimate and lively campus environment embedded within a traditional historic country town, just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Mountain Fuji (recently accredited as a world heritage site) and its five lakes, while at the same time allowing convenient day-trip access to the vibrant cityscape of Tokyo. We also offer exchange students the otherwise rare opportunity to undertake an internship in a local primary school - an invaluable 'taster' for students considering visiting Japan again on the JET Programme.

Tsuru University is a public arts university in the City of Tsuru, a historic town located at the southeastern foot of Mountain Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 1955 as a two-year teacher training college, Tsuru University became a four-year college of Humanities in 1960, with an underlying aim of university education is to nourish young people to become mature, responsible citizens with a deep understanding of humanity. The university now offers degree courses in Elementary School Education, Japanese Literature, English Language and Literature, Sociology, and Comparative Culture Studies. Currently, 3200 students are enrolled as undergraduates, in addition to 44 students in postgraduate programmes. Meanwhile, about 35 full-time international students are pursuing degrees in those subject areas.

Within a conveniently arranged campus, the University has all the facilities of a modern international tertiary institution: as well as five main lecture buildings, we recently erected a new, state-of-the-art, four-storey library; students also benefit from an extensive range of sports facilities, including multi-purpose pitches, tennis courts, and a gym. Meanwhile we are continuing to invest in the improvement of our facilities, and while there is already a dedicated meeting and study space for international students on campus, we are planning the addition of a new building which is due to house an expanded and improved international exchange centre.