May 23, 2024
Mr. Adam RUBIN, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Education Abroad at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York (Buffalo, New York State, USA; hereinafter “University at Buffalo”), which is one of our international partner institutions, paid a courtesy visit to Meiji University. Mr. RUBIN held a meeting in the reception room on the 17th floor of the Global Front with Professor KIKUCHI Masao (former Director of International Student Center and Department Chair of the Department of Public Management, School of Business Administration), with whom he has had a close relationship.
During the courtesy visit, the first in eight years, Mr. RUBIN not only actively exchanged views with faculty members to promote inter-university exchange on the characteristics of those who want to study abroad, barriers to long-term study abroad due to differences in the semester system between Japan and the U.S., and support for international students, but also held a meeting with students from Meiji University who have studied at or are planning to study at University at Buffalo and exchange students from the University at Buffalo.
The meeting with the students was held in a friendly atmosphere throughout, and students from Meiji University raised questions on topics such as the difference in student life between Japan and the U.S. and how to get along with local students. Mr. RUBIN talked in detail about the support at University at Buffalo to students who were anxious before studying abroad. During the meeting, exchange students shared with Mr. RUBIN real impressions of their study abroad life, such as the difficulties the exchange students have in living in Japan, and exchanged views with students from Meiji University. It was a rare opportunity to get a clearer picture of studying abroad at Meiji University.
In the exchange program with University at Buffalo, 11 students from each university have been dispatched so far, 2 students from Meiji University and 1 student from University at Buffalo are scheduled to study abroad for a long term from the autumn semester of this fiscal year, and 1 student from University at Buffalo is also scheduled to participate in the Japanese language short-term program which is to be held during the long term vacation. Since the conclusion of the agreement in 2012, we have maintained a good exchange relationship. In recent years, the University at Buffalo has also focused on Asian studies, opening the Asia Research Institute in spring 2023. Japanese and Korean are high on the list of popular foreign languages among students, and many students are interested in studying in Japan. Further strengthening of the relationship between Meiji University and University at Buffalo is expected.
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Located near the border with Canada, in the City of Buffalo in Erie County, a northwestern part of New York State, University at Buffalo is one of the most research-oriented universities in the U.S. with a campus the size of about 117 Tokyo Domes. It is the flagship school of the State University of New York (SUNY) and is home to the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Medicine, Dental Medicine, Education, Business, Engineering, and Pharmacy, as well as SUNY’s only School of Law. The University has also produced winners in numerous fields, including the Nobel Prize for Medicine, Chemistry, Economics, and Literature. This international partner institution is a popular destination for Meiji University students to study abroad, as it is active in accepting foreign students and has an attractive international environment. There are more than 400 student clubs in the University. It has more than 15 sports teams in Division 1, which is the highest level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the U.S., and has an e-sports arena on campus.