Spring Semester 2021 Classes in the Professional Graduate School

To all current graduate students and to prospective graduate students,

After careful consideration, we have decided that all classes in Spring Term 2021 in the Professional Graduate School of AIU will be held online. As you know, the Professional Graduate School of AIU believes in teaching through intensive classes centered on discussion and group work in order to nurture high-level professionals. However, due to the situation of the COVID-19 in Japan, including the extension of the declaration of a state of emergency, we do not expect that holding face-to-face graduate classes will be possible in the spring. As many of our international graduate students will not be allowed to travel to Japan, maintaining their involvement in the graduate courses requires that we provide online access. This, combined with the necessary limitations on classroom interactions due to health protocols, makes holding graduate courses online the best and safest option.

As for housing, since the spring semester classes will be online graduate students can take courses in their own residences. We will not be accepting applications for Graduate House for graduate students until we can resume face-to-face classes; so, if you wish to come to Akita, you will have to move into an off-campus apartment. In this case, you will be able to come to the campus by bus and use the library, cafeteria, graduate student office, and other on-campus facilities (although the number of available seats will be limited due to social distancing requirements).

Graduate students moving to Akita City from outside of the prefecture will be allowed to enter the campus after a two-week quarantine period to prevent infection. Students from both within and outside of the prefecture are required to apply for admission to the campus in advance.

This difficult decision was reached after careful consideration of all options. We hope for your understanding and will welcome your consideration and cooperation.

Yoshitaka Kumagai, Vice President