Northwestern and Japan

Partnerships
Students
Units and Groups
Highlight
Alumni
PDF Snapshot

Northwestern has a long relationship with Japan which is quite evident today. We have partnerships with several universities in Japan that serve Northwestern students in a wide range of fields, from medicine to business. We also have approximately 1,400 alumni living in Japan, which help deepen our partnerships.

Partnerships

Partner Institution	Partner Type & Sponsor
Keio University: Graduate School of Business	Graduate Student Exchange > Kellogg School of Management
Keio University: School of Medicine	Clinical Rotation > Feinberg School of Medicine
Tokyo Institute of Technology	Research > McCormick School of Engineering
University of Tokyo	Cooperative Agreement > Buffett Institute for Global Affairs Undergraduate Student Exchange > Global Learning Office

Students

*Scholars category includes visiting faculty, researchers, post-doctoral fellows and lecturers

94 students and scholars from Japan at Northwestern:

15 Undergraduate
23 Masters
16 Doctoral
40 Scholars

For historical data, visit the Office of International Student and Scholar Services website.

48 Northwestern students in Japan

43 Undergraduate
5 Graduate

Units and Groups

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures offers an education in the languages, cultures, and literature of Asia. Students acquire linguistic and transcultural competence in one or more regions of Asia and get to know Asia as a dynamic site of international cultural relations.

More Here

Asian Studies Graduate Cluster

Faculty in the Asian Studies Graduate Cluster (ASGC) offer comprehensive yet focused exposure to Asian cultures, histories, and societies with an emphasis on transdisciplinary research and methodologies. The program trains students in advanced research and interdisciplinary studies across the humanities and social sciences.

More here

Student Groups

Japan Club
Northwestern Anime Club
Japanese American Student Association
Karate Club
Treblemakers
Asian Pacific American Coalition

More here

Highlight

The Kakehashi Project

Northwestern students pose for a photo in Japan’s National Diet Buidling — a governmental institution that holds sessions with the House of Representatives and House of Councillors.

In December 2022, the Kakehashi (“Bridge”) Program invited 23 Northwestern students to travel to Japan for an opportunity that promoted personal exchanges and focused on hands on experiences with Japanese culture. The week-long program was sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Center, and was coordinated by Northwestern's Office of International Relations. During the trip, the students spent time learning about Japanese culture through various activities that helped them develop a deeper understanding of the country. Besides exploring Tokyo, the students visited educational sites and institutions, high-tech and traditional industries, participated in cross-cultural workshops, and had discussions with local people.

Alumni

~1,400

Northwestern alumni are based in Japan.

The NU Club of Japan and the Kellogg Alumni Club of Japan offer social and networking opportunities to keep alumni connected to Northwestern and fellow alumni in Japan. Other ways to get and stay involved can be found here.

PDF Snapshot

Download the Northwestern and Japan Brief — a compressed version of the information featured on this page.

Download Brief

This page features data and information from the 2022-2023 academic year and gets updated annually. The last update was made in October 2023. For questions or comments about the information listed here, please contact Janka Pieper, Senior Director of Communications and Intercultural Learning.