The exchange program is a system whereby the University of Fukui and academic exchange partner institutions send and accept students to each other on a reciprocal basis: if we accept 1 student from an overseas institution, then 1 student from the University of Fukui can be sent to that institution. Students who study abroad by exchange programs are exempt from paying the tuition fees of the host institution by paying the tuition fees at their home institution.
As a result, not only do UF students get the opportunity to receive a world standard education at the academic exchange partner institutions, but also, excellent students gather from around the world at the University of Fukui, and contribute to mutually improve quality of education.
The period of the exchange program is 1 semester (half a year) or 2 semesters (1 year). Students can select which depending on their goals and course planning.
At the University of Fukui, the study abroad period commences twice a year, in spring and fall, and the students travel out in accordance with the academic year of the host institution. In addition, students are recruited to study abroad depending on when the semester begins.
| Start of study abroad | Start of semesters at host institutions | Application and recruiting period |
|---|---|---|
| Start from the Fall semester | From August/September to December/January | December to January |
| Start from the Spring semester | From January/February to April/May | July to August |
This is a system that allows course credits earned at the host institution to be transferred to credits at home university. At the University of Fukui, the procedure is carried out on returning home, but students should check thoroughly which courses taken at the host institution can be transferred to which courses at the University of Fukui at the planning phase of studying abroad. In order to aim for graduation by the expected time, students are also expected to start obtaining information about the host institution at an early stage and creating a course plan at the University of Fukui in anticipation of taking part in the exchange program while in university.
Institutions that can take part in the exchange program, as a rule among the academic exchange partners with a memorandum of understanding for student exchange, should be an Institutional-level partner or the school-level partner institutions to which the student belongs. However, since the number of recruits and the period of the study abroad vary each term, students should make sure the details by referring to recruitment information during the application period. In addition, depending on the host institution, certain conditions are required to be met in order to apply. Students should check the requirements as soon as possible, then prepare and plan to satisfy them at the application period.
For the exchange program, selection takes place within the home university. At the University of Fukui, in light of each student’s desired host institution and mainly based on the student’s GPA score and language ability, the overall exchange program candidates for each host institution are determined by document screening and interview. After that, the university apply to the host institutions and host institutions make the final decision of whether or not the students are accepted on the exchange program. If chosen as an exchange student, it is not allowed to cancel in principle.
At the host institutions, although the students are not required to pay an admission fee or tuition, usually need to bear the following costs.
| Item | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|
| Cost for visa application | Around ¥20,000 – ¥50,000 (e.g.: U.S. student visa US$360) *The cost and procedure of visa application change regularly. *For visa applications, it is necessary to go to each country’s visa center depends on the destination. |
| Round-trip airfare | Subject to change depends on the destination (must be arranged by student). (e.g.: Round-trip to U.S. ¥150,000 – ¥200,000) |
| Overseas travel insurance / Local health insurance (if cover is required) | Around ¥200,000 (annually) / Local insurance cover varies by country and institution. |
| Housing costs | Housing costs depend on the institution. In many cases students can enter a university dormitory, and this is cheaper than students arranging accommodation themselves. |
| Living expenses (food, transport, miscellaneous, entertainment, etc.) x No. of months of stay | Varies with country, region and the individual. |
Exchange program students are eligible for the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Student Exchange Support Program (Scholarship for Short-term Study Abroad), and the University of Fukui Support Grant for Overseas Training, and those who meet the requirements may receive one of those scholarships. Refer here for details of various scholarships.