social.impactun.tsukuba.ac.jp

ABOUT

What is the Multicultural Campus Project
Toward Social Impact?

It is the initiative to promote multicultural co-learning.

The “Multicultural Campus Project Toward Social Impact was launched in fiscal year 2025 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Its goal is to further promote university internationalization by establishing frameworks for international collaborative learning both domestically and abroad, facilitating the outbound mobility of Japanese students, and attracting and retaining talented international students. These elements are intended to create a virtuous cycle where each component positively reinforces the others.

A cycle diagram centered on the concept of “co-education.” The four steps—researching social issues, developing proposals, presenting them to companies and local governments, and creating social impact—form a continuous cycle, with the collaboration between organizations, companies, higher education institutions, and government and local authorities depicted at the center.

Our university has been continuously selected for major global initiatives promoted by MEXT, starting with the “Global 30 Project (launched in 2009), followed by the “Go Global Japan Project (GGJ: Departmental Type) and the “Top Global University Project (SGU: Top Type).” With the recent selection for the SI Project, our university has now been chosen for all MEXT’s key globalization initiatives.

The University of Tsukuba was selected in November 2024 under the “Type II: Overseas Expansion category of this project and has been designated as the coordinating institution among the Social Impact Project-selected universities.

Nurturing Global Start-uppers through GASSHUKU and DOJO

— Let’s cultivate a global perspective that connects Japan with the world —

GASSHUKU and DOJO are initiatives proposed by the University of Tsukuba under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) project, “Multicultural Campus Project Toward Social Impact. These initiatives aim to promote multicultural co‑learning, where Japanese and international students work together across differences in culture, language, and academic disciplines, leveraging their diversity as they learn collaboratively. Through this program, students develop the passion and capability to take on global challenges.

To foster ‘global start-uppers with strong analytical skills, intercultural competence, and innovative thinking, University of Tsukuba adopted the concept of musha shugyo (武者修行) —the ‘samurai’s journey of self-growth. It is similar to the Chinese Youxia, or Knight Errantry in feudal Europe. A warrior (shugyosha) would wander the land honing his skills. This is executed through RUN-UP, HOP, STEP, and JUMP programs.

Nurturing Global Start-uppers through GASSHUKU and DOJO

— Let’s cultivate a global perspective that connects Japan with the world —

A roadmap for a global startup talent development program featuring GASSHUKU (training camps) and DOJO (training halls). Based on the concept of “musha shugyo” (a traditional journey of self-improvement), this diagram outlines four stages: RUN-UP, HOP, STEP, and JUMP. RUN-UP: Cultivating a mindset for studying abroad and taking multicultural joint study courses. HOP: GASSHUKU—collaborating with international students in Japan and challenging oneself to communicate in a foreign language. STEP: DOJO—collaborating with local students at partner schools overseas and engaging in joint study abroad. JUMP: Excelling in the corporate world and on the global stage, and becoming a mentor to juniors and the next generation.

Multicultural Co-Learning

  1. Understanding of Cultural Differences
    Cross-cultural Communication
    Career Design
    Awareness of Global Issues

  2. Musha ShugyoSamurai´s expedition
    to self-growth

  3. Work Globally

    Start a Business

  4. Contribute

GASSHUKUMulticultural Co-learning Activity in Japan

Conceptual diagram showing the expansion of DOJO (training centers) both domestically and internationally, starting with the GASSHUKU program at the University of Tsukuba. The goal is to expand to six DOJO locations at other partner institutions by 2030.
Musha Shugyo in Japan
  • RUN-UP
  • HOP

Students from overseas partner universities work with Japanese students to learn on social issues experienced by local governments, NPOs, and companies in Japan.

  • ・Opportunity to work on social issues in Japan within internationally diverse teams
  • ・Internship opportunities in Japan

DOJOMulticultural Co-learning Activity Overseas

Details on the expansion of overseas DOJOs in Taiwan and France. The page features the logo and map of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan, noting that a “pilot DOJO” was launched there in February 2025. It features the logo and map of the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) in France, noting that a DOJO is scheduled to be launched there in 2025–2026. A pair of bidirectional arrows connects the two, and the text “Collaboration between DOJOs” illustrates the cooperation between these overseas locations.
International Musha Shugyo
  • STEP

Japanese students work with local students from CiC and other overseas partner universities to learn from social problems in the area.

  • ・Short-term training programs such as hackathon events and internships
  • ・Granting credits and issuing micro-credentials.