PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- With no shortage of cultural experiences and opportunities, your semester at Kansai Gaidai will be one of the most memorable of your life! Live with locals, speak Japanese daily, and take truly unique courses focused on Japan’s cultural, political, and economic impact on the world.
- Experience Japan and Asia from multiple perspectives by taking classes in the social sciences, humanities, business, and economics complemented by Japanese language and culture classes.
- Kansai Gaidai’s international student team offers endless ways to integrate into the local culture, from weekend visits with Japanese families to learning traditional Japanese dancing.
- ISEP students are eligible to receive a merit-based scholarship of $7,000 if they maintain a GPA of 3.0 while at Kansai Gaidai.
LIFE ABROAD
Integrate into Japanese culture and take coursework exploring Japan’s impact on the world at Kansai Gaidai University, known worldwide for its high-quality Asian Studies program. Live in Hirakata, a safe, traditional, and family-oriented community nestled between Osaka and Kyoto. In town, explore ancient tombs, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines. Catch the train to Osaka or Kyoto when you’re ready for big city crowds and tourist sites. Join in on Kansai Gaidai’s MANY programs and activities to experience Japanese culture, including cooking classes, day trips, and trying on kimono.
INTERNSHIP
Add a credit-bearing internship extension into the early part of summer term and build your resume while living and working in Japan! Internships are competitive and selective. Prospective interns will complete the application and selection process during the spring semester at Kansai Gaidai.
Kansai Gaidai University Merit Scholarship
ISEP students who have a 3.0 GPA in the two prior semesters before studying abroad and who maintain a 3.0 GPA while studying at Kansai Gaidai are eligible for a $7,000 scholarship at the conclusion of the semester or academic year that they study abroad. The merit scholarship is automatic if you meet the criteria.
Learn more.
What We Love About Kansai Gaidai
The Kansai region is more laid back than the frenzied pace of metropolitan Tokyo, and it’s easy to travel to other parts of Japan. On campus, Kansai Gaidai has well-developed programs to help international students integrate with local students and even local families. Japanese and Asian Studies majors and minors will love the fascinating courses available at Kansai Gaidai. The classes weave Japanese history, culture, and politics into coursework relevant for the 21st century.
LEARN MORE
Visit the Program Page for
Study in Japan to learn more.
GET STARTED
You can meet with the ISEP Coordinator at your home campus or speak with an ISEP Student Services Officer, who will guide you through the application process, pre-departure, your time abroad, and your return.
To connect with ISEP, visit our website.
Details for KU students interested in ISEP:
ISEP is a total immersion program. In most cases, ISEP participants register as a regular student at the host institution, take the same courses and have the same assignments, and participate in the same activities as the local students at that institution. This means that a student applying for an ISEP site must be more proactive and prepared to handle being in a location where they may be the only KU student in the program.
Students interested in exploring ISEP sites are encouraged to review site options and availability and then required to meet with the KU Program Coordinator for the region in which they wish to study BEFORE meeting with the KU ISEP Program Coordinator.
Funding your Study Abroad Program
ISEP-Exchange is one of the most affordable study abroad choices for KU students, as KU students pay in-state KU tuition, room and board. ISEP-Direct is less competitive, so if a student meets the eligibility requirements, they will likely have no trouble getting placed at the site of their choice. However, ISEP-Direct program costs vary substantially by site and can either be cheaper or more expensive than ISEP-Exchange. The total cost to a KU student will include both the ISEP-Direct fees listed on the ISEP site as well as a KU ISEP fee.
The Office of Study Abroad can do personalized financial aid and scholarship advising for students. Please visit 108 Lippincott Hall or call 785-864-3742 to set up an appointment. KU students who qualify for financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Federal Grants, and KU or outside scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program.
KU Study Abroad supplemental scholarships are available to KU degree seeking students. Applications are available online. The scholarship application deadline is March 1 for Summer and Fall and Academic Year programs and October 1 for Spring, Winter Break and Spring Break programs.
For additional scholarship opportunities visit: www.studyabroad.ku.edu/other-scholarship-opportunities
The Andrew P. Debicki International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) Study Abroad Scholarship Fund created with generous support of Mary-Elizabeth Debicki Guinness, former Director of the KU Office of Study Abroad and former wife of Andrew Debicki, provides awards up to $2,000 for students on ISEP-Exchange programs. To apply for this scholarship, complete the KU Office of Study Abroad Scholarships application online.
Additional ISEP scholarships are available through ISEP directly. Visit the Student section of the ISEP website for further information and application instructions.
