Representatives of four partner universities and 10 counselors from Temple’s Main Campus pose for a group photo in front of TUJ’s main entrance.
Representatives of study abroad advisors from four U.S. universities visited Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), along with a delegation composed of 10 counselors from the Main Campus between June 10 and June 14, 2024. They experienced the vibrant campus atmosphere and energy from the diverse student body representing about 70 countries and regions.
Every year, TUJ welcomes study abroad professionals to enhance relationships and provide them with various opportunities to deepen their understanding of Temple and the local community surrounding the campus. This year’s visit featured opportunities to observe classes and tour facilities, including the dormitories. The highlight of the trip was a visit to Kyoto, where TUJ plans to start offering classes in January 2025. This visit was especially important for the representatives of the four partner universities as it strengthened their partnership with TUJ and deepened their multicultural understanding.
The representatives from the universities were Robert Sloan, professor and department head of computer science at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC); Kyoko Omori, associate professor of Japanese and chair of East Asian language and literature department at Hamilton College; Robin Joseph, study abroad coordinator at Fordham University; and Courtney Johnson Fowler, associate director of the center for global programs at Denison University.
UIC’s Sloan was fascinated by the visit to TUJ and Japan as it was his first trip to the country. He showed particular interest in TUJ’s computer science program, which could appeal to the students in his department. TUJ recently announced that it will expand the option to complete the computer science degree entirely in Japan from September 2024. “TUJ is a very high energy (university) and your dean (Matthew Wilson) has extremely high energy,” Sloan said. He added that he was excited to see TUJ’s computer science program, which could be an option to introduce to the 2,100 students majoring in computer science at UIC.
Similarly, Omori from Hamilton in upstate New York said that the college has been sending students to TUJ over the past few years since the pandemic subsided. She was not only impressed by the quality of the curriculum but also stressed the high quality of student support offered at TUJ. “I was able to feel the energy from students attending several classes,” she said.
Study Abroad Coordinator Joseph said that students from Bronx-based Fordham have been studying at TUJ, with one student enrolled in the current summer semester and 12 more set to arrive in the upcoming fall semester in September. Fordham has a history working with TUJ, as well as Temple’s Rome Campus. She noted that Fordham is sending more students majoring in communications and business, and this number is growing. “A lot of our students go abroad,” Joseph said. “I feel that this school would be the perfect match because many of the subjects here match with what Fordham offers.”
Finally, Fowler, from Ohio-based liberal arts college Denison, said that she has been receiving positive feedback from students who have studied at TUJ in the past. Denison is scheduled to send students in the upcoming fall semester and the spring semester of 2025. For Fowler, this is her first trip to Japan and her experience at TUJ and the country will be invaluable. She said that she will be able to provide constructive advice to students considering studying abroad at TUJ.
Around the same period last year, representatives of five U.S. universities visited the campus. One of the participating institutions, New Orleans-based Tulane University, has agreed with TUJ to enable Tulane’s first-year students to study at TUJ as part of its Spring Scholars program, starting in the fall semester in September. TUJ’s annual effort to invite study-abroad experts has been producing positive results in this way.
Other related stories
- Temple University Leadership from Main and Rome Campuses Meet with Partner Universities in Japan (May 30, 2024)
- TUJ to Welcome Freshmen of Tulane University’s “Spring Scholars” Program Starting Fall 2024 (May 13, 2024)
- Delegation of Five U.S. Universities Strengthens Academic Collaboration with Temple University, Japan Campus (July 7, 2023)