In 2013, more than 300 international students were in Osaka University, and the number of international students have been increasing. The Postech Times visited Suita Campus in Osaka University and interviewed 2 international staff to ask about their lives in Osaka University. Those interviewed are Dr. Kim Soo Yeon, an assistant professor of applied chemistry and Park Ji Hoon, Ph.D. candidate of mechanical engineering.
Language
For attending university and taking class in Japan, international students should learn Japanese before entering university. According to both students, Japanese students help international students to study Japanese. Each international student has one Japanese student that acts as a language tutor. Park studied Japanese when he was in Korea and could easily communicate with Japanese students. Kim said that she did not need Japanese when she entered school because there was a test translated into English. Also, she said that all international students have opportunities to learn Japanese through some classes the university provides.
Leisure and life
Like Korea, Osaka University has a school festival. In April, many students spread mats and enjoy a barbecue party with some alcohol. POSTECH has bars that students run in the festival, but Osaka University has no bars. Some bands borrow classrooms and play their music in there. International students also enjoy club activities in Osaka Univ. Unlike Korea, middle schools and high schools support club activities in Japan. Therefore, many students continue their club activities in university. There are many clubs related to music and sports. In Suita Campus, a sports competition is held. This campus has a department of engineering and medicine and students in it participate in sports such as soccer, volleyball, dodge ball, baseball and mah-jong. Aside from this, Korean students made a Korean soccer club and this helps them to promote their friendship.
International students can live in a dormitory for only a year, after which they should gain their own houses and commute to and from school. During vacation most students, including international students, do part time jobs to make money for what they want to do.
Study and career
In Osaka University, many students receive various scholarships. Like Korea, companies or other groups provide them with scholarships. In graduate school, if students show their achievements like scores or research results during master’s course, they can receive scholarships from the Japanese government. According to Kim, students who are seniors of chemical engineering belong to a laboratory and learn research for one year. For all semesters, students have an experiment and team project class through which students compete with each other.
International students generally enter Korean companies. However, some students remain in Japan and enter the laboratory of Japanese government, like Kim and Park. The International Student Union of Osaka University helps many students to communicate with Japanese and helps students find employment. Personnel managers of major Korean companies or in close with this union and many students easily get a job in these companies.