Kawaijuku Group Launches Support Program for Japanese Universities Hosting International Students from Overseas Partner Institutions; First Implementation at Chuo University

KEI Advance Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Kenji Suzuki), a member of the Kawaijuku Group, is launching a support program for Japanese universities to host international students. The program is designed for hosting students from overseas partner universities for up to approximately one month. As the first initiative, it will comprehensively support Chuo University in hosting students from its partner universities in India and South Korea in June and July.

■ Total Coordination from Transportation and Accommodation to Exchange Program Setup

Due to the declining 18-year-old population, Japanese universities are facing an urgent need to secure and develop global talent and internationalize their campuses. A typical initiative is signing agreements with overseas universities. However, in people-to-people exchanges such as hosting students from partner universities, a shortage of staff and the complexity of administrative procedures have become bottlenecks, preventing universities from securing sufficient opportunities for exchange.

In particular, arranging accommodation and transportation, as well as crisis management during the stay, place a heavy burden on faculty and staff, consuming time that could otherwise be spent on education and promoting the university to attract long-term international students.

KEI Advance registered as a travel agency in 2024. Leveraging the know-how accumulated by the Kawaijuku Group, it provides end-to-end total coordination for hosting international students, including negotiations with partner universities, program design, recruitment support, arrangement of transportation and accommodation, and safety management. This reduces the administrative burden on universities, allowing them to focus on their core educational activities and care for international students. By strategically utilizing this service, universities can optimize their limited internal resources, revitalize exchanges with partner institutions, and enhance their international image.

As a specific example, KEI Advance will support Chuo University (Hachioji City, Tokyo) in its short-term programs for students from its Indian partner university in June 2026 and its South Korean partner university in July 2026. Under contract with Chuo University, the company will handle everything from undergraduate class experiences, exchange events with current students, Japanese language courses, internship training focused on employment in Japan, cultural exchange activities, and sightseeing in Tokyo, to the overall itinerary management from arrival to departure.

With the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for exchange with overseas universities are increasing, but many universities find the operational burden of hosting students to be a significant hurdle. This initiative aims to solve these challenges and accelerate the internationalization of campuses.

■ Overview of KEI Advance's "Support Program for Hosting International Students"

Business Content: Joint development and operational support for short-term reception programs that minimize the operational burden of hosting students from overseas partner universities and invitation-type exchanges.

Target: International exchange offices such as university international centers.

Example Duration: 6 days to 1 month (flexible).

Scale: Approximately 15-30 participants per session (guideline).

Estimated Cost: Approximately 300,000 yen per person for a one-week program. (In principle, the visiting side bears the cost. Please consult regarding the university's share.)

Main Support Services: Creation of visit programs, participant recruitment, reception agency, arrangement of transportation, accommodation, meals, insurance, etc., arrangement of interpreters and tour conductors, arrangement of on-campus and off-campus activities such as sightseeing in Tokyo and cultural exchange.

Additionally, Japanese language courses, short-term internships, corporate training, and career training can be incorporated as needed to create programs useful for academic advancement and job preparation.

Contact: KEI Advance Inc., International Student Division, 3-2 Kojimachi, HULIC Kojimachi Building, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083. Contact: Takahashi, Hoshino. TEL: 03-5276-2731. E-mail: keistudyabroad@keiadvanced.jp. Website: https://www.keisas.jp/. *Tokyo Governor Registered Travel Agency No. 2-8582.

Introduction of Chuo University Implementation Examples

[India] Global Japan: Understanding Law, Economics, and Society

● Target: 40 university students from O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) visiting Japan.
● Period: Sunday, June 14, 2026 – Saturday, July 4, 2026.
● Main Programs: University campus tour, exchange with international students and sessions/group work with Japanese undergraduate students, undergraduate class experience (Law, Economics), Japanese language preparatory course, internship training (industry research and lectures by foreign nationals working in Japan), Japanese cultural activity experience (tea ceremony), Tokyo sightseeing.

[South Korea] Chung-Ang University, College of Asian Studies, Department of Japanese Language and Literature Short-term Program

● Target: 20 university students from Chung-Ang University (South Korea) visiting Japan.
● Period: Monday, July 6, 2026 – Friday, July 12, 2026.
● Main Programs: Campus tour, exchange meeting with Chuo University current students, literature department class experience, Japanese language course, Japanese language proficiency test, fieldwork, cultural experience.