Ken Machida, Ph.D
Director, Education Center for International Students
Professor, Graduate School of Letters
The Nagoya University Education Center for International Students (ECIS) was established in April 1993 with the aim of educating foreign students in Japanese language and Japanese culture. It is committed to offering a high-quality service to all foreign students, providing guidance and advice concerning study and life in Japan and promoting student exchange between Nagoya University and numerous overseas institutions.
When the Center was launched, it comprised only two sections, namely, the Japanese Language and Cultural Education section and the Advising & Counselling Services. With the addition of NUPACE (the Short-Term Student Exchange section) in 1996, and the Japanese Education Media and Systems Laboratory in 1999, the Center now consists of four divisions.
At the time of the Center's establishment, approximately 600 foreign students studied at Nagoya University . Since then, our international student body has doubled in number to exceed 1,200 (more than 7% of Nagoya University 's entire student population). Most of them are graduate students and they come from more than 70 countries. Consequently, it is essential for Nagoya University to have a center that can provide a wealth of services and information on diverse issues in order to guarantee a rewarding cultural and educational experience of every foreign student. ECIS has 14 full-time and more than 20 adjunct staff who are all well-experienced and qualified to assist you with advice about a wide range of issues. As for studying abroad, every year over 100 Japanese students from Nagoya University travel to foreign universities and institutions for short-tem study and ECIS staff also give advice to these students.
In order to fulfill the Center's overall mission, each division of ECIS makes its own distinctive contribution. The Japanese Language and Cultural Education section provides a sophisticated range of courses in the Japanese language and culture to all foreign students at Nagoya University , including short-term exchange students, according to status and demand. It works in close cooperation with the Japanese Education Media and Systems Laboratory, the newest branch of ECIS, which aims at the development of innovative teaching materials and methods. The Advising and Resource Services section serves a joint function by, on the one hand, providing foreign students with general consultation and advisory services of the highest quality, and on the other, equipping Japanese students with the necessary 'know-how' for studying abroad. NUPACE implements the University's short-term student exchange program, facilitating the admission of foreign students on a short-term academic exchange basis. The program is characterized by a comprehensive curriculum that is taught in English, and it's popularity is reflected in the fact that it boasts a considerably larger student intake than similar programs in Japan . Finally, ECIS also contributes to the local community in that it provides professional training opportunities to Japanese language education volunteers, and promotes intercultural understanding through exchanges between foreign students and local residents.
Well-motivated and enthusiastic foreign students are inestimably valuable assets for Nagoya University who produce excellent intellectual outcomes. Also, we believe that foreign students serve as a vital "bridge" in advancing cross-cultural understanding between Japan and the rest of the world. Our goal is to promote positive international educational exchange through all of our programs and develop an indispensable human network of alumni who can contribute significantly to the process of internationalization.
As the director of ECIS, both personally and on behalf of all the staff, I would like to wish you the greatest success in all your endeavors. We are all looking forward to working for and with you. Let me assure you that I and all of the members of ECIS are committed to providing the best possible service to help you meet your expectations and needs.
