DaF - German as a Foreign Language - Courses - Partner University Programs

Every year near the end of August, around 50 students from different Japanese partner universities arrive for a three-week culture and language program at UR. The program is made up of various language courses and pronunciation enhancement classes to help students improve their German. In addition, a variety of workshops serve as an in-depth introduction to German culture and history. The program consists of the following elements:

• Language Course (60 lessons)
• Workshops (10 lessons)
• Pronunciation enhancement classes (2 lessons per participant)

Besides improving their language skills, students also get to experience German culture up close, gaining a deeper understanding of the country’s history and its different regions in the process. To this end, students participate in a varied leisure and social program that includes field trips, guided city tours, and much more.
The Summer Program for Japanese Partner Universities was first introduced in 2016. It came about after a similar program for students at Kanazawa University that ran from 2004 to 2015 was extended to include other universities.

The following universities are currently part of this exchange program:

Kanazawa University

Kanazawa University has a rich history, with roots dating back to 1862. It is a modern university that was officially established in 1949 after the Japanese University Reform. In its current form, the school is made up of four previously independent institutions. Kanazawa University has been in a partnership agreement with Universität Regensburg since 1999. The partnership aims to foster international research cooperation and student exchange.

Kyoto Prefectural University

Prefectural University Kyoto is located in Kyoto, one of Japan’s most interesting and vibrant cities with a rich history and fascinating culture. It was established as a public university in 1949, back then under the name of Saikyo University. The Faculty of Letters at KUP has been in a partnership agreement with the Center for Language and Communication at UR since 2013.

Shinsu University

Shinshu University is located in Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture and is the latest Japanese university to join a partnership agreement with UR. The agreement between the Arts Faculty at Shinsu University and the Center for Language and Communication was signed in 2018. Shinsu University was established in 1949 after the Japanese University Reform and now encompasses eight formerly independent universities.

Every summer semester, around 20 students from different partner universities in Japan choose to come to Universität Regensburg for a semester abroad.  One of the central aims of the program is to give students the opportunity to improve their German. To this end, they get to take Intense Preparatory courses prior to the start of the semester at the Department of German as a Foreign Language, followed by other German courses during the summer semester.

The following universities are currently part of this exchange program:

Kwansei Gakuin University

Kwansei Gakuin University was founded in 1889 and is located in Nishinomiya, a small town west of Osaka. With an enrollment of almost 20,000 students, it is considered one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan. Kwansei Gakuin University has been in a partnership agreement with Universität Regensburg since 2013. The partnership aims to foster international research cooperation as well as student exchange.

Kyoto Prefectural University

Prefectural University Kyoto is located in Kyoto, one of Japan’s most interesting and vibrant cities with a rich history and fascinating culture. It was established as a public university in 1949, back then under the name of Saikyo University. The Faculty of Letters at KUP has been in a partnership agreement with the Center for Language and Communication at UR since 2013.

Reitaku University

Reitaku University is a private university in Kashiwa in Chiba Prefecture which was founded in 1959. The Liberal Arts Faculty at Reitaku University has been in a partnership agreement with the Center for Language and Communication since 2017.

Shinsu University

Shinshu University is in the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture and is the latest Japanese university to sign a partnership agreement with UR. The agreement between the Arts Faculty at Shinsu University and the Center for Language and Communication was signed in 2018. Shinsu University was established in 1949 after the Japanese University Reform and now encompasses eight formerly independent institutions.

Korea University is located in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is one of the country’s most renowned universities and Universität Regensburg’s only Korean partner university. Every summer, around 15 students from Korea University majoring in German Studies or with a minor in German come to Regensburg for a semester abroad. One of the central aims of the program is to give students the opportunity to improve their German. They get to take Intense Preparatory courses prior to the start of the semester at the Department of German as a Foreign Language, followed by other German courses during the summer semester.

Murray State University in Kentucky sends about 20 to 25 students to Regensburg every year. From September to December (a regular fall term in the US), they get to take part in a program tailored to their specific needs.

From the beginning of September to the beginning of October, students improve their German language skills by taking the Intensive German courses at the Department of German as a Foreign Language. Then, come October, they take specialized courses led by Murray State University faculty. The Department of German as a Foreign Language supports the program by offering supplementary German courses.

Every year from March to July, Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts sends about 5 students to Regensburg for a semester abroad. Students first take the Intensive Preparatory courses at the Department of German as a Foreign Language to prepare for the upcoming semester, followed by other German courses during the summer semester.

The Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) is a consortium of various colleges in and around Kentucky. Currently, KIIS has 20 member universities. The Semester Program for Students from KIIS was first established in 2002 and still takes place every summer semester. Up to 10 students from a KIIS member university take advantage of this program every year. One of the central aims of the program is to give students the opportunity to improve their German. To this end, they get to take Intense Preparatory courses at the Department of German as a Foreign Language prior to the start of the semester, followed by other German courses during the summer semester.