On November 14, a Japan-US university president conference was held, with the Embassy of the United States as the organizer. The conference was attended by the Bush administration's Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell, as well as by 12 university presidents from the United States visiting Japan, and 12 university presidents from Japan. Together with the presidents of Waseda University and Ritsumeikan University, Noriko Mizuta, President of Josai International University, was invited by the Embassy of the United States as one of the representatives of the Japanese side, and attended the conference.

During the conference, the attendants actively exchanged opinions on how Japan and the United States can cooperate in a time when universities are required to raise human resources dealing with globalization. There were further reports from both the Japanese and the American side on various activities concerning the acceptance and dispatch of exchange students.

In the exchange of opinions, Ms. Mizuta told about a case where a student of Josai International University had been denied a student visa in the US because she had a child – despite her strong desire to learn, and her commitment to return to Japan after her studies. Hearing this, Ms. Spellings immediately responded saying that this must not happen, and that the visa process will very soon be improved.

We will aim to expand and deepen programs and trainings, etc. so that the exchange with American universities will develop even further.