Apr 28, 2021PRESS RELEASE
Rikkyo Study Project, a new system to accept international students, to be launched from September 2022
Student recruitment website opens on April 16
Keyword:INFORMATION
OBJECTIVE.
Rikkyo University will launch the Rikkyo Study Project (RSP), a new system to accept international students, from September 2022 with the aim of increasing the number of such students and further stimulating international exchanges on campus.
Rikkyo University has set a goal of increasing the number of international students to 2,000 (including 1,000 regular international students) by the end of the 2024 academic year. The goal is one of the key indicators in the university’s globalization efforts under its Rikkyo Global 24 international strategy, which was unveiled in 2014. Under the RSP, Rikkyo University aims to expand the range of countries and regions from which it accepts students.
The project differs from Rikkyo’s existing entrance examination for international students, which requires sufficient Japanese language proficiency at the time of admission. The RSP has two programs: the NEXUS and PEACE programs. The NEXUS Program is an undergraduate degree program for international students with Japanese language skills equivalent to the N3 level in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test at the time of application. The PEACE Program is also an undergraduate degree program for international students who want to study specialized courses entirely in English.
The RSP makes it possible for more high school students from outside Japan to directly enter a Japanese university without first studying at a Japanese language school or other institutions to brush up their language skills. Through the project, Rikkyo hopes to create a campus environment where students from inside and outside Japan with diverse cultural backgrounds can study together.
The project differs from Rikkyo’s existing entrance examination for international students, which requires sufficient Japanese language proficiency at the time of admission. The RSP has two programs: the NEXUS and PEACE programs. The NEXUS Program is an undergraduate degree program for international students with Japanese language skills equivalent to the N3 level in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test at the time of application. The PEACE Program is also an undergraduate degree program for international students who want to study specialized courses entirely in English.
The RSP makes it possible for more high school students from outside Japan to directly enter a Japanese university without first studying at a Japanese language school or other institutions to brush up their language skills. Through the project, Rikkyo hopes to create a campus environment where students from inside and outside Japan with diverse cultural backgrounds can study together.
Programs under the RSP
(1) NEXUS (NEXt generation for Unity & Solidarity) Program (Admitted in September)
This program accepts 60 international students each year by expanding the existing recommendation entrance examination system for international students, which has been implemented only at the College of Intercultural Communication, to eight undergraduate colleges. They are the Arts, Intercultural Communication, Economics, Business, Sociology, Law and Politics, Community and Human Services, and Contemporary Psychology colleges. NEXUS students are required at the time of application to have Japanese language skills equivalent to the N3 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. They are then required to take intensive Japanese language classes during their first semester to improve their Japanese proficiency, and then take specialized courses conducted in Japanese.
(2) PEACE Program (Admitted in September or April)
This program accepts 28 international students each year based on recommendations from a designated overseas high school conducting a student acceptance agreementand a new examination system specifically set up by the university (application document screening by using scores students have achieved in the common international, state or provincial curriculum tests designated by the university). The program offers three majors :Intercultural Communication, Global Business Law and the Global Liberal Arts Program. Courses are taught entirely in English. The program does not require Japanese proficiency at the time of application, but does require high English language proficiency (equivalent to TOEFL iBT 94 or IELTS 6.5). The university opened a dedicated website for student recruitment on April 16, 2021.
Furthermore, Rikkyo University will establish or expand support systems for international students so that they can become accustomed to their new campus life at Rikkyo University and living in Japan. The support measures include establishing a scholarship for which international students can apply before being admitted, and another to encourage learning once they are admitted; expanding the existing scholarships (to a total amount of 100 million yen per year); and preparing dormitories for them.
Reference 1: Framework for recruiting international students in the 2022 academic year and beyond
| Name of system | Japanese proficiency required (rough standard) | Working language in courses |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance examination for international students (same as before) | Equivalent to N1 in the JLPT | Mainly Japanese |
| NEXUS Program (new) | Equivalent to N3 in the JLPT | Mainly Japanese |
| PEACE Program (new) | No Japanese proficiency required, but high English proficiency required | Only English |
*There are five levels in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test from N1 to N5. N1 is the highest level, while N5 is the lowest.
Reference 2: Overview of the two programs under RSP
