The Japanese higher education institution helps international students prepare for entry into Japan’s workforce with careers support, language learning and global partnerships.
Founded in 1965, Ryutsu Keizai University (RKU) gives international students the chance to gain expertise in their field, learn the Japanese language and develop an understanding of the Japanese culture and mindset.
The university prides itself on welcoming overseas students. President Naoto Katayama highlights: “We provide vital one-to-one careers consultations to help our international students build careers in Japan and prepare them for Japanese corporate culture.” Such facilities and resources have led to the university winning the Japan Ryugaku Award in 2023 and 2024. This award spotlights RKU’s strong commitment to supporting students from abroad.
Currently, international students at RKU represent only 7.4 percent of the university’s population. Mr. Katayama notes that whilst there is no specific target, he is aiming to increase this number to a maximum of 20 percent. To encourage international students to enroll in classes, the university is leveraging the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and has started offering its classes through on-demand videos that are translated into English. “In the future, we believe that Japanese classes can be translated into English and many other languages in real time with AI, enabling us to accommodate students from diverse linguistic backgrounds.”
International Community Plaza
With the advancement of AI technologies like this, Mr. Katayama also hopes that many of the labor-shortage problems in Japan will also be mitigated, highlighting that this would encourage “more international students to come to Japan not only as laborers but also as experts who can contribute to Japanese companies.”
RKU has collaborated with Nippon Express, the Nippon Express Research Institute and other major Japanese logistics companies to establish the Logistics Innovation Center, with the aim of creating a research hub and developing talent to advance logistics capabilities. Such a collaboration is a great opportunity for international students as Nippon Express and its group companies offer internships and have a quota for employing international students. In terms of post-graduate employment, Mr. Katayama highlights the high success rate of the university’s international alumni, noting that about 50 percent of its foreign students landed jobs at Japanese companies in 2024. For international students that require more time to find employment, Japan offers a Designated Activities visa that allows them to stay in the country while they are job hunting.
RKU has recently expanded its network through partnership agreements with 13 institutions in eight countries and regions including Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand and Italy. Mr. Katayama is keen to expand this network further, highlighting that the university is looking to forge partnerships that are good exchanges which benefit both its students and faculty.
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