Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), held its 2012 commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 3 at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, Tokyo. The event recognized the achievements of 227 graduates in the class of 2012, encompassing undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs.
TUJ is committed to promoting global citizenship through an American liberal arts education and professional training to help students acquire the skills and capabilities required by modern society. The total number of such global talents who have graduated from the Japan Campus exceeded 5,000 in the 30 years since the campus opened its doors in 1982.
Fifty percent of this year’s bachelor’s and associate degree graduates are Japanese. The other half consists of 30% Americans and 20% other nationalities from more than 20 countries and jurisdictions. Those international students extend beyond family members of foreign expatriates in Japan. In fact, the majority of them are “long-term study abroad” students who apply to TUJ directly from overseas, complete their studies without leaving Japan, and graduate from TUJ.
These “long-term study abroad” students have increased sharply and now make up about 40% of the undergraduate student body. This increase resulted from TUJ receiving a designation from Japan’s Ministry of Education as a Foreign University’s Japan Campus which enabled the school to sponsor student visas. After graduation, 30-40% of those long-term study abroad students stay and work in Japan, making an important contribution to the Japanese economy. Those who leave Japan remain active worldwide, many of them applying the advantages they gained during their Japan experience. Japanese students who have developed bilingual skills and critical thinking capabilities at TUJ also enjoy high job placement rates.
Sunday’s ceremony in Tokyo was part of Temple’s 125th commencement which began on May 10 at the Main Campus in Philadelphia. Including those at the Japan Campus, more than 8,600 Temple graduates were conferred degrees this year. Temple University’s 9th President, Ann Weaver Hart, congratulated the TUJ graduates who have overcome the difficulties associated with the Great East Japan Earthquake and other challenges to reach this day, and emphasized that education is the most important investment in life.
Four graduating students gave speeches on behalf of the undergraduate and the three graduate programs. They spoke about their memories of life at TUJ and their future ambitions. See interviews of the four speakers here.
The event was streamed live on the internet, allowing friends and family from around the world to tune in and share the experience with the graduating students. (See archived video here.)
Total number of graduates in the TUJ Class of 2012: 227
- Associate of Arts: 8
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Business Administration: 135
- Master of Laws: 28
- Master of Business Administration: 9
- Master of Science in Education: 42
- Doctor of Education: 5
This year’s graduates are from more than 20 countries and jurisdictions
President Hart emphasized “Education is the most important investment in life”