News FY 2024
Report of Visit by the Ministry of Education of Kenya
On Monday, December 9, 2024, four members of the Ministry of Education of Kenya visited the Makuhari Headquarters of the Open University of Japan (OUJ) to learn about Japan’s open university education.
To begin, Deputy Director-General Ishida gave an overview of OUJ. The delegation asked many questions, which led to active discussions.
Next, they paid a courtesy visit to President Iwanaga. They discussed the opening of the Open University of Kenya (OUK) in 2023, with high hopes of forming a partnership in the future.
Later, with the cooperation of the Production Department, the delegation toured the studio and master control room. They received explanations not only on how lectures are shot but also on how broadcasts are managed.
Lastly, with the cooperation of the Online Education Division, the delegation learned about online lectures. They were very interested and asked many questions.
This visit was a very valuable experience for the members of the Kenyan Ministry of Education, and they expressed their gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity.

Report of the FY 2024 OUJ International Symposium
The Open University of Japan (OUJ) held its International Symposium on Wednesday, December 4 in the AV Hall of the OUJ Library. This year, it was held in a hybrid format with both on-site and online (Zoom) participation.
The theme was “OUJ Symposium: Open Higher Education beyond Borders and Identities” and two experts were invited from overseas as lecturers. A total of around 280 people participated on-site and through Zoom.
In the first session, Dr. Rahmat Budiman, the Vice Rector of Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia, gave a lecture titled “Lesson learned from Universitas Terbuka: Providing quality education across the border.” He gave an overview of Universitas Terbuka, an open university in Indonesia, and explained that it has 2,000 students in Japan, that most of its students are in their 20s, and the services it offers to students overseas. Students and faculty actively asked questions during the Q&A.

In the second session, Prof. Kutlay Yagmur, a professor at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, gave a lecture titled “Promoting diversity policies in higher education: Aims of inclusive education programs in the Netherlands.” He talked about the current issues in immigrant education, particularly in primary and secondary education, in the Netherlands., He also explained the MOSAIC Program, which aims to help immigrants integrate into society. Once again, students and faculty actively asked questions during the Q&A.

The third session was a roundtable held by the two lecturers and Prof. Tsuneo Yamada, Prof. Kumiko Aoki and Prof. Rie Ohashi. They discussed the theme of the symposium, such as how to overcome physical and psychological barriers through open universities and how open universities can help one another as globalization progresses. The two lecturers shared their various opinions based on their experiences.
We hope the symposium was a good opportunity for participants to think about the future of open universities.

Visit from Thapar Institute of Technology and Engineering Students
On October 24, 2024, a group of six individuals, including Honorary Professor of Practice Minoru Ohki and students from Thapar Institute of Technology and Engineering, visited the headquarters of the Open University of Japan.
The visit began with Deputy Director-General Ms. Hiromi Ishida providing an overview of the university, followed by a lively discussion with many questions from the participants.
Next, Professor Tsuneo Yamada delivered a lecture on the theme of "Educational DX and Digital Ecosystem," which generated significant interest among the attendees.
Following the lecture, Mr. Kudoh, Division Head of the Online Education Division, presented an overview of the online courses. The participants expressed strong interest, and numerous questions were raised regarding the content and delivery of the courses.
Finally, with the assistance of the Department of Production, the group toured the studio and master control room, where they learned about the recording process and how broadcasts are managed and controlled.
The visit proved to be a highly meaningful experience for the students of Thapar Institute of Technology and Engineering, and positive feedback was shared regarding the program.

Report on the 37th Asian Association of Open Universities Annual Conference (AAOU 2024)
Representatives of the Open University of Japan (OUJ) participated in the 37th Asian Association of Open Universities Annual Conference (AAOU 2024) held at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in Pakistan. The event was held as follows. The OUJ delegation consisted of four members: President Masaya Iwanaga, Professor Tsuneo Yamada and Professor Yosuke Morimoto from Informatics, and Ms. Kajiwara, Section Chief of International Affairs Section.
Theme | Expanding Horizons: Innovation in Open and Distance Learning |
Venue | Academic Complex, AIOU (Islamabad, Pakistan) |
Period | October 15-17, 2024 |
Participating countries/regions | 20 countries and regions including online participation from China, Korea, and 4 others |
The opening ceremony on the first day started with playing of the national anthem and reciting of the Koran. Following the ceremony, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and public talks were held over a three-day schedule.
On the second day, Professor Morimoto delivered a speech titled “Development and Evaluation of a Learning Support Site at the Open University of Japan.” He explained that the main purposes of KEYAKI, OUJ’s learning support system currently under pilot operation, were enhancement of learning motivation and support for choosing courses. He also introduced some functions implemented in the system.
The closing ceremony was held on the third day. All the four OUJ delegates participated in a city tour conducted after the ceremony. They visited Shar Faisal Masjid, one of the most famous mosques in the world, and Centaurus Shopping Mall, and also took a ride through the main streets where government offices were concentrated. In addition to organizing the conference as the host, the faculty and staff of AIOU extended warm hospitality to the participants, such as providing transport service to and from the venue.
The next annual conference will be held in October 2025 at The Open University of China in Beijing.


Source: AIOU Facebook page
Students from the Department of Japanese, Korea National Open University (KNOU), Visit OUJ
On September 24, 2024, a group of 13 students from the Department of Japanese at Korea National Open University (KNOU), accompanied by Professor Lee Kyung-Soo, visited the Open University of Japan (OUJ) as part of an ongoing exchange with the Kanagawa Study Center.
The visit began with the students participating in the recording of the "Korean I" class, where they had the opportunity to take part in filming the class's final segment, with the cooperation of the Production Department. Afterward, with support from the Library Information Division, the students toured the university's library facilities. The group then paid a courtesy visit to Vice President Professor Tooru Hayasi, where they discussed the educational situation in Korea and OUJ’s initiatives. Professor Tsuneo Yamada, Professor Naruo Nikoh, and Deputy Director-General Ms. Hiromi Ishida were also present for the discussion.
The visit concluded with a tour of the Online Studio, organized by the Online Education Division. The students had the opportunity to experience filming with a green screen, further deepening their understanding of OUJ's online learning format.
This visit was an extremely valuable experience for the KNOU Japanese Department students, and many participants expressed their gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity.


Report of the training for faculty and staff of the National University of Mongolia at the Open University of Japan
From July 25 to August 6, 2024, six faculty members from the National University of Mongolia (NUM), including Vice President for Academic Affairs Batjargal Batdorj, visited the Makuhari headquarters of the Open University of Japan (OUJ). Three staff members from the NUM's Learning Support Center learned about the OUJ's online education environment and video content creation, and compiled the outcomes of the training into a video.
On the first day of the training, a courtesy visit was held at the Office of the President. Seven members from the Open University of Japan, including President Iwanaga, participated, and exchanged views on topics such as online education.


On the final day, A video content presentation was held in the West Research Building 8F lounge, moderated by Director Ito. The presentation was attended by many executives, faculty and staff members, including Chairman Takahashi and President Iwanaga.

ICDE Leadership Summit 2024 Participation Report
From June 5th to 7th, 2024, the “ICDE Leadership Summit 2024” was held in Geneva, organized by an NGO. Under the theme of “Ethical Leadership in the Age of AI: Rethinking Futures of Education,” plenary and breakout sessions were conducted.


On the first day (June 5th), after the opening ceremony, the first session featured a lecture on AI by the current ICDE President, Mark Nichols. Following this session, about 10 speakers gave presentations on the situations in their respective countries and universities. In the afternoon, a breakout session titled “AI in Open Education in Asia” was held, where Vice Chancellor Lily Chan from Wawasan Open University (Malaysia), Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria from the University of the Philippines Open University (Philippines), and Dean Kam Cheong Li from Hong Kong Metropolitan University introduced the initiatives being undertaken at their universities. Tomoka Satomi, an Executive Trustee of OUJ, also made remarks from the floor.
On the second day (June 6th), a plenary session titled “AI, creating knowledge(s), teaching and learning” was held as a panel discussion in the fishbowl style, followed by breakout sessions. In the afternoon, a session was held for creating a “Living Letter,” in which ethical principles for AI utilization shared by the participants were compiled into a single letter. This “Living Letter” is expected to be a message calling for action to shape the future of education, to be shared worldwide (https://globethics.net/sites/default/files/media/document/2024-06/ICDE%20LS%202024_LivingLetter.pdf).
On the morning of the third day (June 7th), a plenary session in the fishbowl style titled “Towards an ethical framework for AI in education” was held, in which Executive Trustee Tomoka Satomi took the stage and explained our university’s policies on AI utilization. The final session featured an introduction to UNESCO’s efforts related to the implementation of AI, based on an overview of past, present, and future global trends, followed by the closing ceremony.

Throughout the event, participants shared the understanding that while AI has the potential to support students’ learning and advance the individualization of education, it is essential to maintain human elements in its implementation. It was also emphasized that utilizing AI requires cultural sensitivity and ethical consideration, which calls for international cooperation. In particular, issues of responsibility and bias in the role of AI in education were highlighted, and the importance of policies to ensure the ethical use of AI was stressed. It was striking that the risk of cultural bias in the data being learned by AI was mentioned alarmingly by many participants.
11th OUC-OUJ-KNOU International Seminar Held at OUC
On June 12-13, 2024, the 11th OUC-OUJ-KNOU International Seminar was held under the overall theme,“Building a Learning Society Through Digitalization of Open Education,” hosted by the Open University of China (OUC) in Beijing, China. Six participants from The Open University of Japan (OUJ), including President Masaya Iwanaga, and six participants from Korea National Open University (KNOU), including President Songhwan Ko attended the conference. Additionally, five distinguished guests, including ICDE President Mark Nicholas, were invited.

On June 12th, OUC hosted a campus tour and reception. During this event, participants from OUC and KNOU, as well as Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), ICDE, and other attendees had the opportunity to share and exchanged opinions.


The seminar was held on June 13th, featuring two main parts, each with its own sub-themes and session.
Part 1: Sub-Themes “Strategy and Trends”
<Session 1>
・Mark Nicholas, President of ICDE :“Starting with Open”
・President Masaya Iwanaga, OUJ : “Digital Empowerment for Building a Learning Society”
<Session 2>
・Vice President Lee Song, OUC :“Serving the Construction of a Learning Society Through Digital Empowerment for Open Education”
・Professor Asha Kanwar :“The Role of the Open University in Building Learning Societies”
Part2: Sub-Theme “Practice and Innovation”
<Session1>
・Director of Prof. Hitoshi Nakagawa, the Next Generation Education Research Center and Professor Aoki, OUJ: “Overview of the Next Generation Education Research Center at the Open University of Japan”
・Professor Bongmin Lee, KNOU :“Innovative Practices for Lifelong Learning: Insights from KNOU's Online Exam”
<Session2>
・Prof. Jyepeng Zheng, Director of OUC Foreign Language Institute: “AI Empowered Large-Scale Personalized Learning”
・Li Bai, Director of OUC's Learning Resources Department :“High-Quality Development of Digital Learning Resources: Practice of the Open University of China”
The first part of the session featured opening remarks by OUC President Wang and HKMU Dean Li. In Session 1, OUJ President Masaya Iwanaga delivered a keynote speech titled “Digital Empowerment for Building a Learning Society,” discussing the advancement of digital technology, its application in creating a learning society, and the feasibility of achieving a lifelong learning society.
In the second part, the venue shifted to a different room for a seminar held by the three OUC-OUJ-KNOU universities.
In Session 1, Professor Hitoshi Nakagawa, Director of the Next Generation Education Research and Development Center at OUJ, and Professor Kumiko Aoki delivered a lecture titled “Overview of the Next Generation Education Research Center at the Open University of Japan”. Director Nakagawa provided an overview of the center, which was newly established in 2024, while Professor Aoki outlined various research plans for the Center's units.

In Session 2, Mr. Li Bai, Director of OUC's Learning Resources Department, gave a presentation titled “High-Quality Development of Digital Learning Resources: Practice of the Open University of China”.


The seminar concluded with a presentation by President Ko of KNOU on the upcoming 12th KNOU-OUJ-OUC Seminar, which will be held in Seoul next fiscal year. This announcement marked the end of the two-day event.
For more information, please click here (to view the brochure). (Information is available in English and Chinese.)