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Since accepting its first international students in 1884, Waseda University has welcomed students from more than 100 different countries and regions, and created a diverse, inclusive community. Currently, the number of international students is over 5,000, and this number continues to grow as overseas application increase every year.

The University offers a transformative learning experience for its students by encouraging them to take part in various academic opportunities and extracurricular activities. Being located in Tokyo, one of the global centers for culture and technology, Waseda is where innovative minds from around the world meet to make positive changes at both the local and global levels. This April, Waseda University admitted 13,023 students, of which 13% are international.

Meet three of our newest students

Hyunji Kim, School of Commerce

Kim is very active on campus. She is part of Waseda International Club (WIC), the Waseda Advertisement Society (WAS) and ENJI, a fashion circle.

Hyunji Kim has been fascinated with languages since she was a child. She started studying Japanese and English in elementary school, and made friends overseas through pen pal programs. Though she has never left Korea until she came to Waseda, she has always had appreciation for Japanese culture, ranging from anime to fashion. Writing to pen pals was a great way to communicate with people overseas and learn new languages.

Having participated in many language-related activities such as speech contests in high school, Kim decided Waseda was the choice for her because of its international atmosphere.

“Understanding for international students was one of the biggest reasons why I chose Waseda. The University offers all kinds of resources and support for international students, including Waseda International Student House (WISH), where I currently live.”

A natural communicator, Kim intends to hone her language skills in English and Chinese to work for the marketing section of a Japanese or multinational company.

“I want to be in the fashion or cosmetics field and come up with international collaborative projects, especially to bridge gaps between Japan and Korea.”

*Waseda Business School, under the Faculty of Commerce, offers six programs to meet the needs from all over the world, including three that are conducted in English.

Jiahao Liang, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Liang is a Tottenham Hotspur fan who enjoys watching the Premium League and reading novels/history books.

Jiahao Liang was an accomplished soccer player in high school in Shanghai, and his team won the high school league championships twice. He has played soccer since he was 10 years old, but at Waseda, he is pursuing his passion for literature.

His favorite authors include Edgar Alan Poe and Bram Stoker, but Liang is also interested in Japanese culture and the Sengoku Period (Age of Civil Wars). He says that he was impressed by the Waseda University Central Library, which holds more than 2,700,000 volumes of books.

Liang is not only well-rounded in both academics and sports, but he is a person of humanity. As part of his extracurricular activities, he joined Comfort World, an NPO group supporting South Sudan.

Although he says he faced challenges when studying for the Examination for Japanese University Admission (EJU) and Waseda’s admission test, Liang came to Waseda because he was attracted to the University’s liberating atmosphere. He plans on studying Korean and going onto graduate school for doctoral study.

“Waseda University has a great reputation in China, and I am looking forward to broadening my views here.”

*In addition to its programs in Japanese, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences offers the Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program (JCulP), an English-based undergraduate degree program.

Sabrina Pai, Contemporary Japanese Studies Program (CJSP), School of Social Sciences *September 2016 admit

Pai is a member of Waseda Taiwanese Student Association, one of the largest international student organizations on campus.

Sabrina Pai, who is from Taiwan and has interest in working for the media, enjoys the small class size at CJSP. One of her favorite classes so far was one that covered monozukuri (craftsmanship). In this class, she learned about the different manufacturing industries in Japan, ranging from cars to traditional pottery, and gained a global mindset by finding international connections through discussion with her classmates from different countries such as Canada, East Timor, and Singapore.

“In my program, the students get to know their peers and professors through various opportunities, including field trips which are planned every semester. There is a close-knit community here at Waseda.”

As part the CJSP requirement, Pai is taking Japanese language courses five days a week, so her exposure to Japanese in and outside of class is helping her improve her fluency. Her favorite Japanese word is ichigo-ichie, meaning “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“I came to Waseda to step out of my comfort zone. I had lived in Taiwan all my life before coming to Japan and had never studied Japanese before. It was difficult settling in at first, but I wanted to challenge myself by learning a new language and embrace this lifetime experience.”

She hopes to make more Japanese friends this year by joining a photography circle and study abroad in Korea in the future.

*CJSP is currently making transition into the Transnational and Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Innovation (TAISI) Program.

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