Kansai Gaidai University Surpasses 100 Annual Participants in Overseas Internships; Launches New Scholarship-Backed Program

Kansai Gaidai University (Hirakata City, Osaka) has seen participation in its school-recommended 'Overseas Work Experience (Overseas Internships)' program, conducted during summer and spring breaks, exceed 100 students in fiscal 2025. Overseas internships allow students to hone their global problem-solving skills by engaging in highly specialized practical work abroad using advanced and practical language skills.

Host companies have praised the program, noting that "collaboration with the fresh perspectives of the younger generation is of great significance for corporate growth."

104 Participants in Fiscal 2025

Participation in overseas internships was 21 in fiscal 2022 and 20 in fiscal 2023 due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it increased to 49 in fiscal 2024, and reached 104 in fiscal 2025.

Overseas internships are open to first- through third-year university students and first-year junior college students. Students are dispatched for several weeks to countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, China, Malta, Vietnam, and New Zealand during the summer break after the spring semester and the spring break after the fall semester.

Host companies span various sectors including travel, IT, services, trade administration, translation, hotels, study abroad agencies, early childhood education, and Japanese language teaching. Students can consider work experience fields tailored to their career development.

Creation of Scholarship-Backed Internships

Launched in fiscal 2025, the 'Global Internship in Asia' is a scholarship-backed overseas internship program where the university covers a portion of the participation costs. It was established with the goal of deepening students' understanding of corporate business environments through practical work and interaction with local employees in the rapidly growing Asian region, while cultivating the "sincere and tough mindset" necessary for next-generation global talent.

During the summer break of 2025, three companies collaborated to dispatch a total of 16 first-year junior college students and first- through third-year university students to Thailand and Vietnam: bag manufacturer Yuri (Toyooka City, Hyogo), logistics and transport company Konoike Transport (Osaka City), and retail manufacturer Daiso Industries (Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima).

Scholarship-backed overseas internships were also held during the 2026 spring break at H.I.S., AEON Financial Service, and Daiso Industries. There were 37 participants in fiscal 2025, accounting for nearly 30% of all overseas internships.

Awarded at the 'Career Design Program Award'

In April 2026, the 'Global Internship in Asia' won an award in the internship/work experience course category at the '9th Career Design Program Award Chosen by Students'. This initiative recognizes programs that support career development, such as internships, and is backed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Unlike existing work experience programs, it was highly evaluated for being 'tailor-made,' designed from the planning stage based on the needs of both students and companies.

In preparation for the summer 2026 program, briefing sessions were held from late April to early May, where 12 companies introduced their respective initiatives. Dispatch destinations included Vietnam, Australia, Canada, China, the UK, and Thailand, featuring four scholarship-backed overseas work experiences.

Students who participated in the overseas internships reflected highly on the experience, stating, "The greatest takeaway was learning the value of connecting with people heart-to-heart through work in a different culture," and, "On my first trip abroad, learning the meaning of working, the passion that connects people, and the importance of encounters made it an irreplaceable experience."

[Contact Information] Kansai Gaidai University Public Relations Department Phone: 072-805-2817 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, excluding Sundays and holidays) E-mail: [email protected]

Kansai Gaidai University Official Website: https://www.kansaigaidai.ac.jp

"GO FOR it! Beyond languages."

Kansai Gaidai University sends approximately 1,300 students overseas annually, utilizing a global network that spans 427 universities in 55 countries and regions (as of May 2026). Its two campuses in Hirakata City, Osaka, host around 1,100 international students a year, facilitating daily international exchange.

The university has established an educational system where students learn diverse specialized fields such as culture, politics, and economics as a "+α" (plus alpha) based on their language skills.