Internationalization at Nodai

To exert our presence in student education as an agricultural and life sciences university dealing with the issues of food production, the environment, health, and biomass energy on a global scale, we are working to (1) make locations around the world into subject matter for educational research, and (2) set up educational and research partnerships with top level agricultural and life sciences universities in each country.
(Partly described below)

Build a global network of agricultural and life sciences universities.

We will strengthen our alliances with top level agricultural and life sciences universities around the world. To take advantage of how NODAI makes subject matter out of everything the world has to offer, we will increase the number of overseas partner schools that we work with. We currently have 30 worldwide partner schools, and expect to have 50 by the year 2020.

Offer a broader range of overseas education and research opportunities.

NODAI is establishing both short term and long term overseas study programs to offer students a larger number of educational opportunities abroad. We have the distinction of offering a wide range of global programs that includes not only language study programs, but also a variety of courses and trainings with global agricultural and life sciences partner universities as well. Language study programs include the “English & Homestay Program” at the University of British Columbia, and the “Learn English in Southeast Asia Program” at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. These programs are enjoyed by around 100 students each year.
The programs are as follows.

Short Term Study Abroad Programs (during the 2014 and 2015 school years)

Thailand: Kasetsart University	Tropical agriculture training program(s)
Indonesia: Bogor Agricultural University	Tropical environmental ecology training program(s)
China Agricultural University	China agriculture training program(s)
Taiwan Chung Hsing University	Subtropical agriculture training program(s)
Tanzania: Sokoine University of Agriculture	Program(s) to understand agriculture in Africa
Brazil: Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia	Agroforestry & practical agriculture program(s)
USA: Cornell University	Food related (food safety & food production) specialized program(s)
Mexico: Universidad Autónoma Chapingo	Latin American agriculture training program(s)
France: LaSalle Beauvais Institut Polytechnique	European Union food specialization program(s)
Australia- The University of Western Australia	Agriculture related language program(s)

Long Term Study Abroad Programs

Additionally, there are between five and ten students each year who receive long term (one year or longer) specialized education at overseas partner universities through our study abroad programs.
NODAI aims to double the number of students participating in short term and long term study abroad programs by the year 2020, by motivating students to be more globalized. This will be achieved by restructuring the programs to incorporate teachings of various departments, and linking them with freshman seminars and international relations courses to make it possible for students to participate from lower grade levels.

Promote diversity with more foreign exchange students.

There are currently around 230 foreign exchange students at NODAI (around 2% of the total student body), representing roughly 25 countries. This is below the national average enrollment of foreign exchange students at Japanese universities. However, there is a distinctive diversity of countries represented at NODAI, with roughly 40% of exchange students hailing from China, and under 50% from East Asia when including Taiwan and Korea. 23% come from ASEAN countries and 8% are from Latin America. Regions which have recently been increasingly represented are the Middle East (Afghanistan) 6%, and Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, etc.) 5%.
Networks are the lifeblood of a university. To strengthen our network of global human resources, NODAI aims to increase the number of countries represented by exchange students to 50 by the year 2020, and the number of students to 300.

Holding the “International Students Summit on Food, Agriculture, and the Environment in the New Century” on a continuous basis.

Every year, NODAI holds the “International Students Summit of Food, Agriculture, and the Environment in the New Century.” This year marks the 14th time the summit has been held. The International Students Summit provides an international forum to consider global food, agricultural, and environmental issues. It features presentations and discussions about the role that students themselves play in sustainable development for humankind. Students representing our overseas partner universities are invited to make presentations. Overall discussions of these issues give way to heated debates on ways to deal with these issues and what the students can possibly do.

To the Tokyo University of Agriculture Student Summits Page

Promote Global Community Student Tutoring Services (GCSTS).

GCSTS is a win-win program in which (1) GCST students support exchange students from overseas with their academics and life in Japan, and (2) GCST students have the rare opportunities to use English, and also get acquainted with other foreign languages.

Faculty from foreign countries are hired every year, adding multinational dimensions that enhance education and research.

For students to understand other cultures, and to cultivate diversity and flexibility, internationalism in laboratories is essential. Daily interaction with people who have different backgrounds and ways of thinking is necessary for developing people into global human resources. Our education system is becoming globalized through the hiring of more faculty from foreign countries.

Supporting long term overseas study based on the NODAI educational philosophy of “Practical Learning.”

With tuition exemptions and recognition of designated credits we are promoting not only existing overseas practical agriculture studies, but also hands-on learning (learning that is interconnected to all academic subjects, not limited to practical learning but inclusive also of internships, working holidays, and arrangements set up by the students themselves) in agriculture and fields related to agriculture in an overseas setting.

Supporting human resources development for international and governmental organizations.

NODAI has continuously carried on the university’s mission to “send talented individuals back into the fields around the world” by taking in exchange students from developing countries in Africa, the Middle East, ASEAN, and South America.
15 students from Afghanistan ”Bridge to the Future – Project for the Promotion and Enhancement of the Afghan Capacity for Effective Development” and 5 students from the “African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE Initiative)” have been accepted to the graduate program. From 2016, the “Myanmar Agricultural Sector Core Human Resources Development” initiative will begin. These are important initiatives to support the development of human resources from the standpoint of cooperation for international development. In this area we aim to admit a total of 50 foreign exchange students by the year 2020.

Special Program (Conducted in English): Agriculture, Food and Environment “Technical Education Programs in English” as a means to develop global human resources

Students will be able to study courses for their major in English, with 26 common subjects under way across faculties. This is a distinctive program involving more than 100 NODAI faculty members. This program is a part of NODAI global human resource development to increase number or participants. We are aiming for 500 participants on a single-year basis by the year 2020.

Special Program

Establishment of overseas offices

We are establishing overseas bases for NODAI educational research activities through cooperation with overseas partner universities alumni association members. We are taking the initial steps in Southeast Asia, which has a solid track record in the fields of tropical agriculture and international development; and South America, where NODAI alumni have been active after immigrating from Japan.

Maintenance and Improvement of Crisis Management Overseas

Since NODAI educational research activities happen in locations all over the world, crisis management must be thorough. The following measures are being taken to ensure that student safety is the highest priority.
1) Establishment of a system for dealing with urgent matters overseas by setting crisis management guidelines and creating the “Overseas” Crisis Management Committee
2) Accident and disaster prevention and security systems maintenance with overseas crisis management, overseas travel insurance, and condolence payments.