Launching an International Leadership Development Programme in Collaboration with Africa

Founded in the early 20th century by European Jesuits, Sophia University has historically maintained strong ties with universities in Western countries, with student exchanges tending to concentrate in that region. While we will certainly continue to maintain and develop our relationships with Western educational institutions, looking ahead to the future globalization of our university, we felt it necessary to strengthen collaboration with Africa as a new region.

In fact, several factors underlie our focus on the African region. First, we are fortunate to possess substantial research and educational resources, including faculty members specializing in African countries across multiple faculties and graduate schools, represented by the Middle-Eastern and African Studies area within the Faculty of Global Studies. Furthermore, since 2017, we have held a university-wide event called “Africa Weeks” for approximately two weeks every May. This provides opportunities to learn about the region from various perspectives, including academic research, study abroad, and career development. Through this event, a broad network has been formed, encompassing researchers, practitioners, and administrators specializing in the African region. Concurrently, there has been a noticeable increase in students showing significant interest in Africa, undertaking short-term visits, and participating in exchange programs.

Furthermore, this programme has designed and implemented a university-wide curriculum that consolidates courses and seminars on African Studies, International Cooperation Studies, and Global Environmental Studies–dispersed across faculties, graduate schools, and centers–into a single, integrated curriculum; this represents a concrete step forward in the university’s new globalization initiatives at an institutional level.

Developing multilingual communication skills and practical knowledge of international cooperation theory

This program’s distinctive feature lies in its collaboration with seven universities across African nations. Through a combination of lecture-based subjects and field activities, it cultivates the next generation of leaders capable of excelling on the global stage. Participating students can obtain a certificate of completion for the Japan-Africa Collaborative Practice Programme by successfully completing both “Core Subjects” and “Specialized Subjects” lectures, alongside the field training component of the “Practical Programme”.

“Core Subjects” will be introductory-level compulsory courses focusing on Africa. Lectures will be delivered in both English and French. Utilizing Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), several sessions per semester will feature lectures by faculty from partner institutions in Africa and discussions with students from these partner universities. The aim of this course is to equip students with knowledge about the African region before their departure, while fostering an awareness of “international collaboration” with students from partner universities.

“Specialist Subjects” comprise three fields: “Japan-Africa Studies”, “International Cooperation Studies”, and “Global Environmental Studies”, with a requirement to complete at least three courses. Within “Japan-Africa Studies”, African international students learn about Japan while our students study Africa, deepening mutual understanding of each other’s regions. “International Cooperation Studies” equips students with the specialized knowledge and theories necessary for future international cooperation activities. “Global Environmental Studies” provides learning on environmental issues without geographical limitation, offering opportunities to deepen knowledge of global challenges from a worldwide perspective.

The knowledge cultivated through these subjects is expected to be applied in practical activities such as the short-term, practice-oriented programme “Learn from Africa” conducted during the spring and summer holidays, international collaborative volunteering, or short-term and medium-to-long-term study abroad programs in African countries.

Consequently, students acquire and improve their multilingual communication skills (Japanese, English, French) through lectures and practical application, utilize expertise about their assigned regions, and gain hands-on experience in international collaboration. Furthermore, for those students who wish to deepen their learning, opportunities are provided including long-term exchange programs, internships at African embassies or the African Development Bank with which the university has agreements, and pathways to postgraduate study.

Providing comprehensive support in financial and safety aspects to enable students’ overseas advancement and growth

However, travelling to Africa currently presents significant hurdles in terms of distance, security, and cost. Furthermore, even for study abroad programs outside Africa, costs are currently soaring reflecting the global economic situation. Amidst such rapid changes, we strive to provide students with a safe and secure learning environment.

As part of our financial support, we are enhancing scholarship assistance and endeavoring to reduce the financial burden by providing partial aid for travel expenses and living costs. Regarding safety management, we utilize expertise accumulated through existing program. Prior to launching new program, university staff always visit the destination to conduct thorough safety checks. We also constantly monitor changes in international, political, economic and social conditions. For instance, when recent delays in obtaining US visas made study abroad difficult, we liaised closely with partner institutions. After confirming the situation, we provided suggestions tailored to each student’s circumstances and requests, such as proposing postponements or alternative arrangements. At our university, the faculty and staff of the Centre for Global Education and Discovery mainly maintain direct communication and information exchange with partner universities. This fosters a robust relationship of trust, which we believe is fundamental to ensuring student safety and providing enriching study abroad opportunities.

Finally, Africa stands out globally for its exceptional cultural and environmental diversity. The students may well experience the unknown in ways that transcend their previous self-imposed boundaries. I hope this programme catalyzes many students from Sophia and Africa to broaden their horizons significantly, helping them become future leaders contributing to solving global challenges.

※Developing Leaders to Contribute to Solving Global Environmental Issues through International Collaboration