International exchange on campus
International Commons
Located on the first floor of Building 7 on Aoyama Campus, the International Commons is an international exchange area equipped with a global lounge, event space, chat rooms (described below), and a facility where English-language counseling is available. It is a place designed for interaction among international students and between international students and Japanese students, providing spaces for students to relax and study together. In addition, games and other items are available for loan as tools for interaction, and various international exchange events are held. This facility was renovated as part of the Aoyama 150th Anniversary Commemorative Project.
Opening hours: Weekdays 10:30-18:00 during the academic term (closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Note: Opening hours may change on event days.
Wellness Services
To help you live your university life with peace of mind, Aoyama Gakuin University students, primarily international students, returnees, and students from multicultural backgrounds, can consult with psychological experts in Japanese and English (free of charge). The service is open three days a week (Wednesday to Friday) during term time and requires a reservation, but can also be used without a reservation if there is availability. To make a reservation, there is a link to the reservation form in the "International Exchange" section of the menu bar on the Student Portal; please make your reservation from there.
Counseling is provided with full consideration for privacy, so you can feel safe to consult about any topic, including cross-cultural adaptation, academics, relationships, gender, and everyday life concerns. Counselors with extensive overseas experience will listen carefully and provide appropriate support as needed. We also hold group sessions from time to time, providing a space where students can talk with each other in peace, deepen mutual understanding, and grow together.
Chat Rooms
This is a place where you can have international exchange on campus through communication in foreign languages (English, Chinese, Korean, etc.). Different topics are set every day, so you can enjoy chatting about a variety of topics. We also hold chat sessions in Japanese for international students. Users can make reservations through the student portal, and are free to choose beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels according to their language ability. Please feel free to use it between classes.
Advisor and Tutor System for International Students
At Aoyama Gakuin University, advisors (supervising professors) are selected in all faculties and some graduate schools to support international students. In addition, tutors (supervisors) are selected for undergraduate students and exchange students.
Advisors are full-time faculty members in each faculty/department/graduate school who serve as academic advisors for international students, supporting your university life. There are 1-2 advisors in each faculty (1 per department in faculties with multiple departments), and 1 in some graduate schools. They plan cultural exchange activities (social gatherings) for each faculty/graduate school and provide academic advice. You can also ask your advisor to write a letter of recommendation when applying for a scholarship, but in that case, prepare a draft yourself and ask them well in advance.
Information on each faculty advisor will be announced on the student portal in Aoyama from mid-April onwards (and at the orientation for privately financed international students at the beginning of the academic year Sagamihara). Please be sure to check it and keep it safe until the end of the academic year.
Tutors are student volunteers who support international students' university life. They are assigned to all freshmen (undergraduates), second-year students and above who wish to participate, and exchange students, and their role is to support international students academically and in their daily lives. Tutors are the closest people to you, so contact them regularly and ask them questions whenever you need help. Tutors may also contact international students at the request of the International Center. Please be sure to respond to any contact from your tutor.
International Exchange Events
There are many opportunities for international exchange not only abroad. Even on the campus where you usually study, Aoyama Gakuin University has many opportunities for international exchange!
Exchange meeting between international students and general students
At both Aoyama and Sagamihara campuses, we hold social gatherings where international students and Japanese students can deepen their intercultural understanding through games and other activities.
Date: Held several times each semester (during class periods)
How to participate: Check the portal for details and apply online
Ambassador Session
In the Ambassador Session, exchange students called "Ambassadors" become speakers and introduce a variety of topics in English, ranging from their partner Aoyama Gakuin University at our institution to the culture, lifestyle, and hobbies of their home countries.
Through presentations by ambassadors, Q&A sessions, and free conversation time, this provides an opportunity to deepen interaction between exchange students and Aogaku.
How to participate: Please check the details on the portal and register online.
Cultural Training
At both Aoyama and Sagamihara campuses, international students and regular students study Japanese culture together and take part in one-day off-campus training programs.
How to participate: Check the portal for more details and apply online.
Exchange meeting with overseas visiting groups
Several times a year, groups of students from overseas partner universities visit Japan to engage in discussions and other exchanges with Japanese students, and the International Center sometimes accepts applications from students to participate.