Outline of the Institute

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Overview

Philosophy of IIR

The Institute for International Relations (IIR) was established in April 2009 to contribute to the internationalization of education and research and the development of human resources at Ehime University through the establishment of international strategies, the promotion of international collaborative projects, and the strengthening of international student exchange, in line with the philosophy and goals of the university.

Outline of the IIR

Ehime University’s internationalization in both education and research, as well as the further development of international contributions in the areas of academics and culture, are the goals of this organization. We have developed a variety of ambitious initiatives, including organizational efforts in response to the Japanese government’s 300,000 international student plan, the development of international partnerships specializing in local to local, the establishment of an employment support system for international students through the Global Human Resources Development Program, and collaboration with Asia through our Japanese language education program.

Ehime University’s International Strategy

Ehime University’s International Strategic Goals

Ehime University aims to be a “student-centered university,” “a university that shines with the community,” and “a university that connects with the world” through the realization of the goals stated in the Ehime University Charter. In terms of social contribution, the university is integrally promoting the production of outstanding human resources and contribution to the sustainable development of society by returning the results of its academic research.

Ehime University has contributed to the international community through these efforts, but as globalization accelerates and all activities in society are directly and indirectly connected to the world, the university must also actively respond to internationalization under a new philosophy. In a nutshell, this means creating a university that constantly interacts with the international community. To this end, we must further promote internationalization in the areas of education, research, and social contribution, and develop the infrastructure to support these activities.

Ehime University established the Institute for International Relations in 2009. The Institute has played a central role in developing a variety of ambitious initiatives, including organizational efforts in response to the government’s plan to increase the number of international students to 300,000, the development of international partnerships focused on core countries, the establishment of a job placement support system for international students, and collaboration with Asian countries through Japanese language education programs.

Based on these achievements, Ehime University has set forth the following basic strategies for promoting internationalization, aiming not only to realize a “student-centered university,” “a university that shines with the community,” and “a university that connects with the world,” but also to create “a university that produces internationally-minded human resources” and “a university that attracts people from around the world.

Ehime University’s Basic Strategy for Promoting Internationalization

We nurture human resources who can collaborate with people around the world.

~Human resource development through an internationally standardized education system~

International networking in academic research

~International expansion with a focus on Asia~

Working with people around the world to address local issues

~International collaboration based on local characteristics~

Creating an internationally competitive campus environment

~Development of soft and hard infrastructure~

We nurture human resources who can collaborate with people around the world.
~Human resource development through an internationally standardized education system~

  1. We will strive to develop internationally competitive educational systems and methods, such as credit transfer systems, double degree programs, and classes taught in English.
  2. We will expand the program of sending students abroad to interact with people from all over the world and to experience the international community.
  3. We systematically accept excellent international students and foreign researchers under international inter-university exchange agreements.
  4. As a university based in the region, we will enhance education and employment support for international students while utilizing our network with the region.
  5. We will create opportunities for domestic and international students to interact and enhance each other’s skills in both formal and informal education.

We will build an international network in academic research.
~International expansion with a focus on Asia~

  1. We will build an international network of research centers, centered on the Center for Advanced Research, to enhance the international presence of Ehime University’s knowledge.
  2. We will establish inter-university networks in Asian hub countries to promote joint research and educational research support.

Working with people around the world to address local issues
~International collaboration based on local characteristics~

  1. Based on the industry-government-academia collaboration established in the Shikoku region, we will promote international inter-regional collaboration in our base countries.
  2. We promote international cooperation from a global perspective to address issues of common importance in global society, such as the environment, disaster prevention, and infectious diseases.

Creating an internationally competitive campus environment
~Development of soft and hard infrastructure~

  1. We will create a campus environment where students, researchers, and staff from Japan and abroad can talk and collaborate on a daily basis.
  2. We will develop an infrastructure appropriate for globalization, including the establishment of an intra-university collaborative system for international affairs, training and capacity building for staff in charge of international affairs, and support for multilingualization of documents.
  3. We will improve the infrastructure for safe living, including housing for international students and foreign researchers.

Greetings from the Director

Profesor MITSUNOBU Kazuhiro

Exective Director and Vice President for International Relations

Director, Institute for International Relations

Ehime University

1．Mission of the Institute

In recent years, the globalization of society, economy, and culture has been rapidly changing and developing on a global scale at an accelerating pace, and it has become an important mission for universities to produce educated individuals who can think on a global scale.
In order to fulfill this mission, the Institute for International Relations (IIR), based on the basic principle of Ehime University’s Charter, “A University Connected to the World,” aims to contribute to the internationalization of education and research and the development of global human resources at Ehime University by developing international strategies, promoting international collaborative projects, and strengthening international student exchange.

2．Reinforcement of functions through reorganization of the Institute

For more than 14 years since its establishment in 2009, Office for International Planning, Center for International Education, and Asia-Africa Center have been carrying out major tasks and achieving important results.
The following is an overview of the reorganization.

  1. Creation of the Internationalization Strategy Council
    The Internationalization Strategy Council (composed of all full-time IIR faculty and some administrative staff) will make decisions on international strategies, international networking, and other important matters related to IIR operations.
  2. Establishment of a work implementation system that integrates full-time faculty members
    IIR’s operations have been organized into four areas: “Sending Student Abroad,” “Support for Accepting, Training, and Retaining International Students,” “Promotion of International Academic Cooperation,” and “International and Regional Contribution”. The Deputy Director for Global Human Resource Development oversees the first two areas, and the Deputy Director for Global Exchange oversees the latter two, while full-time IIR faculty members coordinate and communicate with each other to carry out the work in a unified manner.
  3. Establishment of the Promotion Office (Strengthening of Ehime University’s distinctive initiatives)

    ①Career Development Program for International Students (Ryupro) Office
    We plan and implement programs to promote the employment of international students in Japan in order to develop international and Japanese students as global human resources and to promote the employment and retention of international students in Japanese companies.

    ②ASEAN Engagement Promotion Office (newly established)
    The office promotes Ehime University’s international collaboration projects through educational and research exchanges in ASEAN.

    ③SUIJI (Six-University Initiative Japan Indonesia) Promotion Office
    The office plans and implements programs to promote close collaboration among education and research initiatives within the SUIJI consortium, which consists of Gadjah Mada University, Bogor Agricultural University, and Hasanuddin University in the Republic of Indonesia, as well as Ehime University, Kagawa University, and Kochi University in Japan.

    ④Africa Engagement Promotion Office (newly established)
    The office promotes Ehime University’s international collaborative projects through educational and research exchanges in Africa and other activities.
  4. Establishment of International Collaboration Coordinator System
    The Coordinator for International Collaboration acts as a link between IIR and each department, and is involved in planning and drafting related to the promotion of internationalization of the university as a whole, as well as planning and holding symposiums, workshops, and other events related to international collaboration.
  5. Establishment of a system of international collaboration advisors
    We will hear opinions from experts outside the university who have abundant knowledge and experience in international collaboration, and link them to the improvement and review of IIR’s initiatives.

3．Future aspirations

Due to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 after 2020, international exchange, study abroad, and acceptance of international students, which had been conducted until then, have been forced to stagnate, and even now we have not fully recovered from the serious effects of the outbreak. However, with an eye on the future of the global society, we will continue to make creative efforts to enhance online contents, online exchange programs, and joint research, etc., and will make a concerted effort for the internationalization of Ehime University, with all faculty members working as one team.

Faculty & Staff Members of IIR

Faculty staff

Director of IIR（Exective Director and Vice President, Ehime University）
MITSUNOBU Kazuhiro（Professor, Faculty of Law and Letters）

Associate Director of IIR（Special Aide to the President, Ehime University）
SUMIDA Manabu（Professor, Faculty of Education）／KOBAYASHI Osamu（Professor, IIR）

Faculty Members of IIR
MURAKAMI Kazuhiro（Professor） 　／　TAKAHASHI Shino（Professor）　／　SHIMAGAMI Motoko（Professor）　／　KURITA Hideyuki（Associate Professor） 　／　ITSUKI Tomoko（Associate Professor）　／　HIDDING Adriana（Assistant Professor） 　／　FUJIWARA Emiko（Project Researcher／JSPS Postdoctoral (PD) Research Fellow）

Career Development Program for International Students（Ryupro）

DirectorITSUKI Tomoko（Associate Professor）
Associate DirectorIZUMITANI Michiko（Part-time lecturer / Coordinator）
KOBAYASHI Osamu（Professor）
Faculty membersMURAKAMI Kazuhiro（Professor, IIR）
AKIYAMA Eiji（Professor, Faculty of Law and Letters）
AKIMARU Kunihiro（Professor, Institute for Regional Cooperation）
YASHIRO Junko（Project Researcher / Career Consultant）
SHIRAISHI Miwa（Part-time lecturer / Career Consultant）

Administrative Staff

International Relations Support Department

International Relations Division

HeadTAKIMOTO Shoko
Institute Planning and Support TeamInternational Partnerships, SUIJI Program, International Academic Support, Ehime-Indonesia Friendship Association Secretariat
Student Exchange TeamInternational Student Support, Student Exchange Programs, Japanese Language Education, the International House, the AINECS Secretariat

※As of April 1, 2026

Organizations of IIR

Meeting Body

On April 1, 2024, IIR transitioned to a new organizational structure under the banner of “All IIR,” uniting faculty and staff as a single team. We have established the Internationalization Strategy Council (composed of all full-time faculty members and some administrative staff) to make decisions on key matters related to the Institute’s operations, including international strategy and the development of international networks. Additionally, to facilitate communication and coordination among the Institute’s faculty members and enable them to work as a unified team, the following four areas have been organized:

Areas of Task

● “Study Abroad”

Supports students studying abroad through the Study Abroad Support Office, the Study International Fair, and crisis management seminars that are essential for pre-departure preparation.

● “International Student Admission, Academic Support, and Retention”

Provides orientation upon arrival in Japan, Japanese language courses, daily life support, bus tours for international students, and career support.

● “Promotion of International Academic Collaboration”

Promotes academic and student exchanges with overseas educational and research institutions, expands and strengthens partnerships, and fosters international contributions. It also advances the planning, research, monitoring, and evaluation of international exchange programs, international public relations activities, international digital transformation (DX), and the development of an internationalized campus environment.

● “International Regional Contribution”

Promotes educational and research activities that contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through collaboration with higher education institutions, public-sector organizations, and private-sector enterprises in Japan and abroad.

Promotion Offices of IIR

To further strengthen initiatives that reflect Ehime University’s distinctive strengths, the Institute has established three promotion offices: the International Student Employment Promotion Program Promotion Office, which supports the employment of international students in Japanese companies and other organizations; the ASEAN Engagement Promotion Office, which strengthens educational and research exchanges with the ASEAN region; and the Africa Engagement Promotion Office, which promotes exchanges with the African region.

  • Career Development Program for International Students（Ryupro）

The Office provides Japanese-language education, career education, internships, employment-related events, and individual career counseling for international students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs who wish to pursue careers in Japan. Through these activities, the Office aims to help international students build successful careers and establish themselves in Japanese companies as highly skilled international professionals.

This program has been certified under MEXT’s Program for Enhancing Employment of International Students Accreditation System and is eligible for priority allocation under the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students.

“Ryupro” (Career Development Program for International Students) Website

  • ASEAN Engagement Promotion Office, Africa Engagement Promotion Office

The ASEAN Engagement Promotion Office and Africa Engagement Promotion Office within the IIR aim to strengthen academic and research cooperation with the ASEAN and African regions, contributing to sustainable development. These offices promote exchanges of students and faculty, advance joint research projects, and facilitate technology transfer and knowledge sharing through collaboration with ASEAN and African nations. Specific activities include planning and operating exchange programs, coordinating joint research, and building networks with local companies and research institutions. This aims to cultivate globally-minded talent and contribute to regional communities.

ASEAN / Africa Engagement Promotion Office Website

  • SUIJI Promotion Office

　Ehime University has formed the SUIJI (Six-University Initiative Japan Indonesia) Consortium with six universities in Japan and Indonesia (Ehime University, Kagawa University, Kochi University, Gadjah Mada University, IPB University, and Hasanuddin University), implementing multi-tiered joint education programs spanning undergraduate to graduate levels.

　At the undergraduate level, the SUIJI Service Learning Program (abbreviated as SUIJI-SLP) aims to cultivate SUIJI Servant Leaders — leaders who possess a global perspective and contribute to building a sustainable future from the local level, dedicating themselves to serving their communities. In this program, students from the six universities in Japan and Indonesia stay in rural, mountainous, or fishing villages in both countries for approximately three weeks. They learn together while tackling challenges faced by the communities, transcending differences in language, culture, and academic specialization.

The SUIJI Joint Program (abbreviated as SUIJI-JP) at the master’s and doctoral levels in graduate schools focuses on six educational and research fields in agricultural science: forestry, water cycle, soil, food science, plant environmental control, and marine production). Students from both countries take joint educational courses offered at the host university in the partner country and receive instruction and research guidance from faculty members at both their home university and the host university.

SUIJI Promotion Office Website

Overseas Satellite office

Ehime University has established Ehime University Overseas Satellite Offices in order to develop education and research activities in cooperation with the partner universities in academic exchange MoUs in a flexible and effective manner. Currently, satellite offices have been established at nine universities in five countries. Through the satellite offices, we promote student exchanges, mutual visits by faculty and staff, and international joint research.