Matthew Wilson (left), TUJ Dean, and Tatsuro Mizuno (right), Superintendent of the Osaka Board of Education during a photo session following the signing of the MOU in Osaka. Photo courtesy of the Osaka Board of Education.
Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) and the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education signed a memorandum of understanding on November 25, 2024, to foster educational collaboration aimed at enhancing global learning opportunities for students and supporting English-language professional development for educators. As TUJ expands and prepares to open its new location in Kyoto in January 2025, this new partnership in Kansai enables the exchange of human and intellectual resources, with both organizations working together to advance international education in Osaka.
The new collaboration will open new internationally minded pathways for high school students in Osaka and elevate the scope and quality of English-language teacher training initiatives through TUJ’s acclaimed Graduate College of Education and Academic English Program. TUJ and the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education will also strive to work together to build a foundation for long-term cooperation that aims to create impactful educational outcomes that benefit both students and teachers across the region.
The collaboration comes as TUJ has been experiencing remarkable growth in its undergraduate and graduate programs. TUJ hosts students from about 80 countries and regions, and undergraduate enrollment has more than tripled in the past decade, surpassing 2,500 students for the first time. Including graduate programs in education, business, and law, TUJ’s student body has exceeded 2,700 in the degree programs. The university is also undertaking one of the most significant initiatives in its over 40-year history with the opening of a multi-building satellite in Kyoto in January 2025.
Partnerships
TUJ supports internationally minded learners in the pursuit of their educational and career goals while encouraging a multicultural, cooperative, innovative, and entrepreneurial mindset. For the benefit of learners residing in Japan, TUJ also seeks to build bridges across cultures and advance the globalization of higher education. It is TUJ’s vision to cultivate excellence and foster student success. Based on these goals, TUJ recently established collaborative agreements with several Japanese prefectural governments, including Ehime Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture in March 2024, and Yamanashi Prefecture in December 2022. At the city level, TUJ has active partnerships with Setagaya City and Minato City in Tokyo.
TUJ has constantly sought to strengthen these partnerships through a variety of initiatives. For instance, TUJ annually attracts more than 1,000 elementary, junior high, and high school students to TUJ for its intensive summer English programs. These “study abroad in Japan” programs provide a full English immersion environment through expert professors, student assistants from a myriad of countries, and programs tailored to the English proficiency of each student.
According toTUJ Dean Matthew Wilson, “The agreement with the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education is an exciting step for TUJ as we continue to enhance our educational impact in the Kansai region. This partnership will pave the way for innovative and affordable programs that empower young students with global perspectives and equip educators with advanced English teaching skills. By sharing our expertise and resources, we are committed to building a collaborative foundation that fosters long-term educational growth and creates meaningful learning opportunities for globally minded youth and teachers throughout Osaka. We look forward to working together with Osaka to inspire and enrich the next generation of learners and leaders.”
About TUJ
Established in 1982, TUJ has excelled in building bridges between cultures and advancing the globalization of higher education. It is the largest and longest-running branch campus of a foreign university in Japan and currently hosts students from nearly 80 different countries and regions. The Japan campus is the flagship Asian operation of Temple University, a leading public university in Pennsylvania, with more than 360,000 alumni worldwide. In 2005, TUJ was recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and officially designated as a Foreign University, Japan Campus.
In addition to a wide range of undergraduate degree programs, TUJ offers non-degree programs through Continuing Education and Academic English Program to serve various needs of the local community. The university also provides graduate programs, including the Graduate College of Education, Master in Management Program and the Law program. In the fall 2025 semester, TUJ will introduce a new Master in Communication Management in Kyoto.
Other related stories
- Temple University Students and Setagaya Community Strengthen Bonds in Cultural Exchange Event Using Japanese (August 9, 2024)
- Temple University, Japan Campus Formalizes its Third Prefectural Accord with Ehime (March 26, 2024)
- Temple University Japan Expands Impact Through Collaborative Agreement with Nagasaki Prefecture (March 8, 2024)