Kyoto University of Foreign Studies

In addition, a faculty of global engagement that includes global studies and global tourism.

• Name — Kyoto University of Foreign Studies • Native Name — 京都外国語大学 • Motto — Pax Mundi per Linguas • Motto Lang — Latin • Motto Eng — World Peace Through Languages • Established — 1947 05 • Type — Private university • Chancellor — Horikawa Tetsushi • President — Ono Takahiro • City — Ukyō-ku, Kyoto • State — Kyoto • Country — Japan • Campus Type — Urban • Mascot — Anthropomorphic Globe • Undergrad — 4445 • Postgrad — 97 • Website — www.kufs.ac.jp (engl.)

Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS) was founded in 1947 as the Kyoto Foreign Language School, with the aim of promoting foreign language education in postwar Japan. In 1950, the institution established the Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Languages, launching a Day School English Department and, in subsequent years, expanding to include an Evening School, teacher training programs, and commercial and non-degree courses. The university’s development continued with the establishment of Kyoto Nishi High School in 1957, followed by the foundation of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies in 1959. The newly formed university began with the Department of British and American Studies under the Faculty of Foreign Studies and included its own teacher training program. During the 1960s and 1970s, KUFS expanded its academic offerings significantly. New departments in Spanish, French, German, Brazilian and Portuguese, and Chinese Studies were created. The university also launched its first overseas seminars in the Americas (1965) and Europe (1969), reflecting its growing commitment to international engagement. In 1971, the Graduate School (Master’s Degree Program) was established, offering advanced study in several foreign language fields. The institution signed its first international exchange agreement with San Francisco State University in 1974, initiating a tradition of global academic collaboration. It later established consulates and honorary consulates for various Latin American nations within the university, underlining its diplomatic and intercultural reach. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, KUFS continued to grow. The Japanese Studies Center for International Students was established in 1980, and new programs were added in fields such as curation and librarian training. The International Research Institute for Studies in Language and Peace was launched in 1990, further advancing the university’s interdisciplinary research efforts. In 1997, KUFS marked its 50th anniversary with the introduction of new programs in East Asian languages and cultures. The Kyoto Career College of Foreign Languages was opened in 1998 to expand vocational opportunities in language education. By 2001, Kyoto Nishi High School was renamed Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School, reflecting its integration into the broader KUFS network. The 2000s saw the creation of the Department of Italian Studies, expansion of graduate programs to include doctoral degrees, and the founding of the Kyoto Institute of Latin-American Studies. The university also updated its infrastructure, opening new residence halls and athletic facilities. In the 2010s, KUFS further diversified its academic structure with the establishment of the Faculty of Global Engagement, which houses departments such as Global Studies and Global Tourism. Honorary consulates of Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other nations were also established at the university during this time. In 2017, KUFS celebrated its 70th anniversary. In recent years, KUFS has continued to evolve in response to global trends in education. A Department of Russian Studies was launched in 2020, while the Department of Global Affairs was phased out in 2023.

There are 8 specialized language departments under Faculty of Foreign Studies in addition to *a course in Japanese studies for overseas students. • Department of British and American Studies • Department of Spanish Studies (renamed from "Hispanic Studies" effective April, 2007 • Department of French Studies • Department of German Studies • Department of Brazilian and Portuguese Studies (Portuguese: Departamento de Estudos Luso-Brasileiros da UEEQ) • Department of Italian Studies • Department of Chinese Studies • Department of Japanese Studies • Department of Global Affairs • Department of Global Studies • Department of Global Tourism • Course in Japanese Studies for Overseas Students (in Japanese) (in English)

Kyoto University of Foreign Studies has agreements with three domestic universities for student exchanges, and 169 universities in 40 countries and regions (as of March 2025) for the purpose of sending and accepting international students. The list of partner universities and details may be subject to change in the future:

• Asia • South Korea — Incheon National University • Hankuk University of Foreign Studies • Dankook University • Busan University of Foreign Studies • Taiwan — National Chengchi University • Soochow University • Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages • China — Guangdong University of Foreign Studies • Shanghai International Studies University • Shanghai Normal University • Xian International Studies University • Dalian University of Foreign Languages • Tongji University • Beijing International Studies University • University of Macau • Philippines — University of the Philippines • Lapulapu Cebu International College • Brunei — University of Brunei Darussalam • Vietnam — Hanoi University • Malaysia — National University of Science Malaysia • Oceania • Australia — Australian National University • Griffith University • University of Technology Sydney • The University of Sydney • Deakin University • The University of New South Wales • RMIT University • New Zealand — The University of Otago • The University of Waikato • North America • United States — San Francisco State University • The University of Georgia • Central Washington University • The University of Texas at San Antonio • Florida State University • Canada — University of Winnipeg • University of Quebec in Montreal • University of Guelph • Douglas College • Trent University • Niagara College • North Island College • Huron University College • Argentina — University of Belgrano • Costa Rica — University of Costa Rica • Brazil — University of Sao Paulo • University of Brasilia • Fluminense Federal University • Peru — Catholic University of Peru • Mexico — Autonomous University of Guadalajara • University of Guanajuato • Europe • Ireland — Dublin City University • United Kingdom — Oxford Brookes University • Keele University • Newcastle University • SOAS, University of London • Italy — University for Foreigners of Siena • University of Turin (Università degli Studi di Torino) • Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale" • University of Florence (Università degli Studi di Firenze) • University for Foreigners of Perugia • University of Bologna • University of Milano • Austria — University of Salzburg • Netherlands — Zuyd Hogeschool, National University South, Netherlands • Croatia — Juraj Dobrila University of Pula • Switzerland — University of Zurich • Spain — University of Castilla-La Mancha • University of Cordoba • University of Salamanca • Germany — University of Cologne • Dresden University of Technology • University of Bayreuth • University of Mannheim • France — Catholic University of Angers • Ecole de Management Bretagne Atlantique • Sciences Political Institute of Paris • University of Bourgogne • University of Lyon • Belarus — Minsk State Linguistic University • Belgium — Free University of Brussels • University of Mons • University of Liège • Portugal — University of Coimbra • University of Porto • Eurasia • Uzbekistan — Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies • Kazakhstan — Al-Farabi Kazakh National University • Russia — Irkutsk State University • Far Eastern Federal University • National University of the Pacific • Novosibirsk State University • Moscow City University • Russian State University of Economics and Public Administration North-Western School of Management

• Asia • Thailand — Suratthani Rajabhat University • Chiang Mai University • Mahasarakham University • Taiwan — National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology • China — Shanghai Sanda University • Southwest University • Changchun Humanities and Sciences College • Nantong Normal College • North America • United States — University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • Eckerd College • University of California, Irvine • Georgetown University • Truman State University • Drexel University • University of Pennsylvania • Boston University • Southern Illinois University, Carbondale • Canada — Simon Fraser University • Centennial College • University of Manitoba • Latin America • Ecuador — University of Cuenca • El Salvador — University of El Salvador • Cuba — University of La Habana • Guatemala — Rafael Landívar University • Nicaragua — Catholic University of Nicaragua • National Autonomous University of Nicaragua • Panama — University of Santa María la Antigua • Mexico — Red de Universidades Anáhuac • Iberoamerican University of Puebla • Mexican Graduate School El Colegio de México • Iberoamerican University of Leon • Europe • United Kingdom — University of Essex • Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge • Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge • University of Leeds • Spain — University of Santiago de Compostela • University of Navarra • University of Valladolid • Autonomous University of Barcelona • Hungary — Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem • Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church

Notable people affiliated with KUFS, including graduates, former students, and professors: • Rikimaru Chikada - singer, dancer, and choreographer