Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura (left) and TUJ Dean Matthew Wilson (right) sign an accord at the Ehime Prefectural Government Office
Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) and Ehime Prefecture have agreed to establish a comprehensive cooperation agreement to advance educational excellence, cultural exchange and community development, aiming to benefit students, faculty and companies. This will be TUJ’s first accord with a prefecture in Shikoku, one of the four major islands of Japan.
On March 26, 2024, a delegation led by TUJ Dean Matthew Wilson traveled to Matsuyama City, the capital of Ehime, where Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura and Dean Wilson signed the agreement during the ceremony held at Ehime Prefectural Government Office. This marked the third collaborative accord TUJ has secured on the prefectural level, following agreements with Nagasaki Prefecture earlier in the month and with Yamanashi Prefecture in December 2022.
The collaboration agreement with Ehime includes plans for TUJ to offer a series of English language courses, such as English teacher training courses for Japanese educators, English camps and online English conversation programs for high school students Both parties will aim to foster an immersive learning environment to enhance language proficiency.
TUJ and Ehime will also collaborate on sharing resources related to global human resource development and explore opportunities for joint research projects. Practical initiatives will focus on internships for TUJ students at local companies in Ehime Prefecture and facilitating studies of tourism and hospitality within Ehime. These opportunities will mutually benefit the prefecture and TUJ students enrolled in Temple University’s world-renowned and highly ranked Tourism and Hospitality Management undergraduate degree program, which was introduced to the Japan campus last year.
Commenting on the agreement, Ehime Governor Nakamura said: “We are delighted to announce the signing of a partnership agreement between Temple University, Japan Campus and Ehime Prefecture. In our prefecture, there are growing concerns about the contraction of local businesses stemming from the rapid decline in birthrates and population in recent years. Developing human resources with a global perspective has become increasingly important, especially as local companies show a rising interest in expanding their business overseas and human exchange opportunities expand with the increased international flights to Matsuyama Airport. As we continue to reorganize prefectural public high schools, our focus remains on promoting English education and fostering international exchange. We believe that collaborating with TUJ will significantly contribute to enhancing the development of global human resources for companies in the prefecture. Moreover, we are optimistic that this partnership will elevate the teaching skills of high school English teachers, improve the English proficiency of high school and university students, and nurture an international mindset. I sincerely hope that students from [TUJ] will visit Ehime and immerse themselves in our rich nature and culture. Through exchanges with students in Ehime, I am confident they will form meaningful friendships and gain valuable experiences.”
Dean Wilson said: “We are thrilled to formalize this groundbreaking collaboration between TUJ and Ehime Prefecture. This marks our third prefectural accord – one in Shikoku, one in Kyushu and one in Honshu. This new partnership underscores our commitment to advancing excellence in international education, critical cultural exchange and community development throughout Japan. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we aim to facilitate a global learning environment that benefits students, faculty and local communities in Ehime prefecture. This agreement represents a significant milestone in TUJ’s legacy of fostering global education. We look forward to the positive impact this collaboration will have on the Ehime community and our students.”
Established in 1982, TUJ has excelled in building bridges between cultures and advancing the globalization of higher education. TUJ is the largest and longest-running branch campus of a foreign university in Japan. The Japan campus is the flagship Asian operation of Temple University in Pennsylvania, a leading public university with more than 360,000 alumni worldwide. At TUJ, undergraduate enrollment has reached a record high of more than 2,200 students in the spring 2024 semester. In addition to the undergraduate programs, the university has the Graduate School of Education (MSEd, PhD), Master in Management Program, and Law program (LLM), as well as non-degree programs such as Continuing Education, Corporate Education and the Academic English Program to serve a wide range of needs. TUJ was recognized by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and was officially designated as a Foreign University Branch in 2005.
Other related stories
- Temple University Japan Expands Impact Through Collaborative Agreement with Nagasaki Prefecture (March 8, 2024)
- Temple University, Japan Campus Makes History with Expansion into Kyoto (February 26, 2024)
- Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) and Yamanashi Prefecture Sign Cooperation Agreement (December 13, 2022)