Akita International University

Akita International University (国際教養大学), or AIU, is a public university located in Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Established in 2004 and modeled on American liberal arts colleges, AIU is one of the few universities in Japan offering all of its courses in English. It has currently 205 international partner institutions in 51 different countries and regions.

The undergraduate program at Akita International University is unique in Japan. All courses are taught in English, with the exception of foreign language classes. As of 2024, the president of AIU is Monte Cassim.

History
During trade summit meetings in 1986, negotiations began between Japanese and American officials to establish a university in Akita Prefecture. In May 1990, the government of Minnesota in the United States reached an agreement with Akita Prefecture to establish a campus of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) on a 50,725 square meter plot of land. Students completed English classes and general education classes at the Minnesota State University—Akita campus and studied in the US to complete classes for their majors at one of the Minnesota State University campuses.

In 1997, the university was planned to shut down, with programs phasing out by 2001. Minnesota was spending an unsustainable $25,000 per student at MSU—Akita, five times more than $5,000 per student in the rest of the MnSCU system.

In October 1998, the Council for Enhancement of Higher Education in Akita founded.

In 1999, MnSCU Chancellor Morris J. Anderson continued negotiations with Japanese officials to try to find a way for the American-style university to continue operations in Japan.

The International University Founding and Preparatory Committee was formed in 2002 to prepare for a new university to be founded at the site.

Akita International University's establishment was approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan in November 2003 and the university was inaugurated in April 2004 with Dr. Mineo Nakajima as the founding president.

In March 2008, the library building was completed. It was originally known as the AIU Library until it was renamed the Nakajima Library in November 2014 in honor of the university's founding president. The library was designed by Mitsuru Senda and has won awards for its architecture.

Dr. Norihiko Suzuki was appointed as the second president in June 2013.

In June 2021, Dr. Monte Cassim was appointed as the university's third president.

Academics
Undergraduate students are expected to study overseas for one year of their academic program. Non-native English-speaking students are prepared for using English in the classroom through the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Program.

The university offers bachelor's degrees in Global Connectivity, Global Business and Global Studies, and its graduate program offers master's degrees in Japanese Language Teaching, English Language Teaching, and Global Communication Practices.

Campus
Akita International University campus is located in Akita, the capital of Akita Prefecture. The campus is located in a rural environment, but is accessible from downtown Akita city via bus and train and is less than 10 minutes by car from Akita Airport. Adjacent the university is a sports facility run by the local government (basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, and weight training, etc.). A variety of hiking, cycling, and golf courses are adjacent to the campus. A shopping mall is 10 minutes away from the campus by bus.

Accommodation
Akita International University provides a genuine cross-cultural environment for all of its students. Exchange and non degree-seeking international students are guaranteed housing in either the Komachi Dormitory or in the Global Village Apartments. International students usually share a room with a Japanese student.

Clubs and circles
Clubs and Circles at Akita International University are open to all students, including international students.

Off-campus activities
Akita International University offers its international students extra-curricular activities designed to improve their understanding of Japanese culture and people, and to provide community outreach opportunities.

Field trips
Field trips are organized each semester. Past field trip destinations have included local manufacturing plants, a sake brewery, a natto (sticky fermented beans) factory, museums, various festivals and events, hot springs (onsen), various cultural and sightseeing landmarks throughout Akita Prefecture, and an opportunity to observe local carpenters build thatched-roof huts.

Home Visit Program
International students are invited to participate in the “Home Visit Program,” which is arranged by a local international organization. Students are introduced to volunteer host families and can visit their home during the weekends and holidays.

Meeting the community
International students have opportunities to interact with local Japanese citizens. They visit elementary schools and junior and senior high schools, where they share their native language and culture. Students are also invited to community events, such as local festivals and cultural events.

Reputation
In 2011, AIU received a grant for the Re-Inventing Japan Project from MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan), the first case for Japanese Public University.

Rankings
AIU was introduced in Touyou-Keizai: Hontou-ni Tsuyoi Daigaku as being the best university nationwide in the field of international studies. According to the university ranking Yoyogi Seminar Data Research that evaluates the difficulty of admissions into Japanese universities, the liberal arts department of AIU was ranked 3rd in the fields of Economics, Business and Marketing, ahead of universities such as Kyoto University and Osaka University and 2nd in the fields of International Studies and Social Sciences, ahead of reputable universities like Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Also, AIU was introduced in Shu-kan Diamond : Shushoku ni Tsuyoi Daigaku Ranking as having the third-highest employment rate among all universities, and the highest among public universities. In the national ranking of Sunday Mainichi Journal (weekly news magazine published by Mainichi Shimbun), AIU ranked 4th in terms of teaching quality, 1st in international education and internationalization and 4th in student support services. According to an April 4, 2017 report in The Japan Times, In the Times Higher Education Japan University Ranking 2017, produced in cooperation with educational services company Benesse Holdings Inc., which emphasizes what the institutions offer students (graded on four categories: educational resources, educational satisfaction, outcomes, and international environment), AIU topped the educational satisfaction ranking out of all universities surveyed.