Rikkyo University has signed new inter-university exchange agreements with five universities in four different overseas countries.

Rikkyo has been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a participant in the Top Global University Project (Global Traction Type). In accordance with the globalization strategy ‘Rikkyo Global 24’ announced in May 2014, Rikkyo will carry out a reform to become an outstanding global university through expansion of international partnership with various renowned universities from around the world.

The following are the universities with which we have entered into new inter-university exchange agreements.

1. Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
[Location] Rotterdam, South Holland, the Netherlands
[Year of establishment] 1913
[institution type] Public
[Enrollment (entire university)] Approx. 22,000
[URL]http://www.eshcc.eur.nl/english/
Erasmus University Rotterdam is consistently counted among the top 10 European universities in various university rankings. It is considered top-class especially among the universities that were established in the 20th century or later. The School of History, Culture and Communication offers English-taught courses in history and cultural studies as well as in media communication. It is the third partner institution of Rikkyo University in the Netherlands.

2. University of Turku
[Location] Turku, Finland
[Year of establishment] 1920
[institution type] Public
[Enrollment (entire university)] Approx. 20,200
[URL]http://www.utu.fi/
The University of Turku was established in 1920 as the first Finnish university through donations from regular citizens, following the country’s achievement of independence in 1917. Of about 20,200 students that are currently enrolled at the university, roughly 2,000 are international students. Since the signing of an inter-departmental agreement between Rikkyo’s College of Business and Turku’s School of Economics in 2006, the two universities have been building a mutually beneficial relationship through the exchange study program. It is hoped that the signing of the inter-university agreement will further expand the exchange activities between the universities. It is the first partner institution of Rikkyo University in Northern Europe.

3. University of Salamanca
[Location] Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain
[Year of establishment] 1218
[institution type] Public
[Enrollment] 26,845 (undergraduate: 24,818, graduate: 2,027)
[URL] http://www.usal.es/webusal/en/
Established in 1218, the University of Salamanca is one of the oldest universities in Spain and Europe with a rich tradition, which will celebrate its eight-hundredth anniversary in 2018. With over 25,000 students enrolled, the university vigorously recruits international students from all over Europe through the ‘Erasmus Program’ as well as from around the world through other exchange agreements. The university is also actively engaged in academic exchange with Japan, as marked by its establishment of the Hispanic-Japanese Cultural Centre in 1999. The university is the fourth partner institution of Rikkyo University in Spain.

4. University of Alicante
[Location] Alicante, Valencia, Spain
[Year of establishment] 1979
[institution type] Public
[Enrollment] Approx. 30,000
[URL] http://www.ua.es/en/
Established in 1979, the University of Alicante is a Spanish university with a relatively short history. The university is located in Alicante, Valencia, which is a popular European resort known for its warm climate. It provides students with a wide selection of courses both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Many courses offered at those programs are taught in English. It is the fifth partner institution of Rikkyo University in Spain.

5. Clemson University
[Location] Clemson, South Carolina, U.S.A.
[Year of establishment] 1893
[institution type] Public
[Enrollment] 20,768 (undergraduate: 16,562, graduate: 4,206)
[URL] http://www.clemson.edu/
The school was first established in 1889 as Clemson Agricultural College and then renamed Clemson University in 1893 as it had transformed into a public university. With the current enrollment of over 20,000, it is a highly ranked public university in the U.S. according to various university rankings. Clemson is especially reputed for its research and quality of teaching and is also enthusiastically engaged in international exchange. CU-ICAR, an automotive research center operated by the university’s Department of Automotive Engineering, is one of the largest of its kind in the world.