JEPN hosts 4th Student Meeting and 21st Faculty and Staff Meeting
JEPN regularly holds meetings among its member universities to share updates on their initiatives and provide insights on the admission of refugee/evacuee students. In August 2026, during the long summer break at many universities, JEPN held its annual JEPN Student Meeting and JEPN Meeting for Faculty and Staff Members in person at Hosei University.
4th JEPN Student Conference (August 6, 2026 at ICU)
Themes: “Recent Japanese Policy Changes toward Foreign Nationals” / “What I Learned from My Mistakes”
As with last year, refugee-background students and students from the Japanese society gathered at the Dialogue House at International Christian University (ICU). A total of 21 students from four universities, two high schools, and two Japanese language schools participated. This year, refugee -background students studying at Japanese language schools joined the meeting for the first time.
Following the opening session, participants took part in group discussions in a World Café format. In small groups seated at different tables, they shared their experiences and reflections on the theme “What I learned from my mistakes.” The activity provided an opportunity for students from different schools to get to know one another and engage in meaningful exchanges.
After the group work, Mr. Norimasa Orii, Representative Director of Pathways Japan, gave a lecture titled “Recent Japanese Policy Changes toward Foreign Residents in Japan.” Based on the lecture, participants engaged in lively group discussions on two themes: “Positive and negative aspects of Japan’s current policies toward foreign residents” and “As Japan’s population continues to decline, what kind of society should Japan strive to build in the future?”
Even after the closing session, many students remained at the venue and continued talking over coffee. The conference concluded in a warm and friendly atmosphere, with participants deepening their connections with one another.
21st JEPN In-Person Meeting (August 26, Hosei University)
The 21st JEPN In-Person Meeting was held at Hosei University on August 26.First, Vice President of Hosei University, Prof. Satoru Matsumoto made opening remarks and introduced the university’s decision to begin accepting students from refugee backgrounds through the Japan Education Pathways (JEP) Program starting in fall 2027. The University shared the process that led to the launch of the program, including the steps taken to internally build consensus among relevant departments and stakeholders within the university.
Following this, the University of Tokyo introduced its newly established program, the College of Design, and introduced an upcoming information session for refugee-background students.
Next, a JEP program alumna who started working this April shared her experience of job hunting in Japan and suggestions for universities (videorecording). In addition, a student who entered university through the JEP Program this April shared her experience from the application process through admission, as well as her university life.
Finally, based on the discussions throughout the meeting, participants divided into groups to exchange ideas on practical initiatives that could be implemented in the future. Topics included lessons learned from the initiatives of different universities, support for students’ daily lives, and career and job-hunting support.
Looking Ahead
JEPN will continue to hold regular meetings to support the development of EducationPathways for refugee-background students in Japan. Higher education institutions interested in joining JEPN can contact us through the inquiry form below.
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