On Friday, March 27th, we held the opening ceremony for the 2026 academic year of the "Stanford e-KyuSan-U" collaborative educational program with Stanford University's SPICE *. This program is in its fourth year, and the second year of joint implementation through inter-university collaboration with Fukuoka Women's University.
This program is a customized version of Stanford University's SPICE online education program, which focuses on multicultural and international understanding, and will be implemented as part of our university's unique university-wide human resource development program, the "Global Leadership Program(GLP) (GLP)."
In the 2026 academic year, in addition to 18 students enrolled in the GLP program at our university,four students from Fukuoka Women's University, with which we havea partnership with three universities in the eastern region,will participate. A total of 22 students will deepen their learning through online classes conducted in English for approximately four months starting in April. Under the guidance of instructors from Stanford University's SPICE program, the course focuses on three themes: "Diversity," "Sustainability," and "Entrepreneurship." Active learning methods such as pre-course research, discussions, debates, and presentations will be employed. Guest speakers with ties to Kyushu and Fukuoka will also participate, facilitating learning that moves between global and local perspectives.
At the opening ceremony, Gary Mukai, Director of SPICE at Stanford University, attended online and sent a message of encouragement to the students participating in the program. Takeshi Mukai, Chairman and President of Fukuoka Women's University, also attended the event in person, warmly watching over the students from both universities as they took part in this new learning program and expressing his hopes for their future growth. From our university, Professor Fukazawa, a specially appointed professor at the Global Education Center who is in charge of GLP, strongly encouraged the students, saying, "Don't be afraid of failure, take on challenges wholeheartedly, and enjoy the learning process itself."
Following the opening ceremony, each participating student introduced themselves in English, confidently speaking about their expectations for the program, their desire to learn alongside peers from different universities and affiliations, and their aspirations for personal growth through the program. This exchange of perspectives, drawing on each other's diverse backgrounds and aspirations, heightened their enthusiasm for the collaborative learning that awaited them over the next four months.
Under its brand message, "Creative sensibility to shape the future. Practical skills to move the world.," our university will continue to promote practical global education through collaboration with overseas universities and local communities, and will work to cultivate the next generation of leaders.
*SPICE (Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education): A department at Stanford University that develops curricula from elementary to higher education, provides professional development for teachers, and develops distance learning courses.
[Global Leadership Program(GLP) / Global Promotion Headquarters]
