Reports FY 2025

Visit Report on Chungnam Online School

Twenty guests from Chungnam Online School in Korea visited our institution.

First, President Iwanaga gave a welcoming address in the 8th floor lounge. Subsequently, Professor Aoki provided an explanation about our institution, followed by a Q&A session regarding our educational system.

Then, we conducted a tour of our online studio. Explanations were given about online courses and live web courses, and all guests listened intently. Active information exchange took place regarding the systems used for online classes at both schools.

After that, we conducted a tour of the studio. Although it was originally planned that only the sub-control room would be available for viewing due to filming in progress, the studio became available for viewing as well, and our guests observed it with great interest.

Finally, commemorative gifts were exchanged between the two institutions in the President's office.

Although the visit was brief, lasting only 90 minutes with a packed schedule, it proved to be a fruitful and valuable opportunity for exchange and interaction between our two institutions.

Visit Report on OUM, Open University of Malaysia

The delegation, 27 visitors, from OUM, Open University of Malaysia, visited OUJ on January 20, 2026. 

First, we conducted a tour of the production studio facilities. The delegation was given an overview of the studio on the filming site, experienced mimicking lectures on the actual studio set, and enjoyed taking commemorative photographs and engaging in other activities.

Then a tour of the library facilities was conducted, during which Prof. Nishina, Library Director, provided introduction to the specialized and exhibited book collections and the library itself. All participants listened attentively with great interest. Then they freely explored the library, appearing impressed by the scale of the facilities and the extensive resources available.

Afterward, they moved to the lounge, and OUM Vice President Dr. Santhi Raghavan delivered opening remarks and presented introductory materials and video. Subsequently, OUJ Prof. Aoki provided an overview of OUJ using presentation materials. After their presentations, a lively exchange session ensued with many questions. The exchange of views concluded with the presentation of souvenirs and commemorative photographs in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.

Finally, a tour of the online studio facilities was conducted while explanations were provided. Although they were surprised by the differences from the production studio, they appeared to enjoy the visit. OUM also visited our institution in April last year, however, this time the visit was made by a large delegation of 27 members, including the Vice President. The visit conveyed OUM’s strong enthusiasm and high expectations for international exchange. It was an extremely valuable opportunity to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen ties toward further collaboration and cooperation in the future.

Training Visit Report on Palestine/JICA

Twenty trainees from Palestine accompanied by JICA visited the Open University of Japan on Nov. 27, 2025. First of all, Professor Shibasaki gave an overview of the Open University of Japan in the lounge. Then, Professor Yasuike conducted a session regarding online education and actual lecture videos, using materials Arabic translations included. Since Arabic interpretation was provided, the Q&A session saw lively questions from the trainees, making for a vibrant lecture.

After that, they toured the production studio and the auxiliary control room actually filming with the live atmosphere firsthand. Finally, commemorative photos were taken with the filming set as the backdrop.

This visit program proved highly valuable for the Palestinian trainees as they are developing new online educational programs in light of the current situation in Palestine.

ICDE World Conference 2025 Participation Report

The 30th ICDE, a biennial international conference, was held for the first time in Wellington, New Zealand, from November 10 to 14, 2025. Over 500 attendees from both member and non-member institutions traveled to the venue, with most participating countries located more than six hours away. The conference featured 40 main sessions and 280 concurrent sessions. During the opening ceremony, the importance of "AKO" (a Maori concept meaning to learn from one another) was emphasized, highlighting the value of educators, researchers, and social leaders gathering in person to discuss the future of education.

At this conference, three representatives from OUJ took the stage to present their research findings and engage in lively Q&A sessions.

First, Professor Kumiko Aoki gave a presentation on the "Virtual Learning Commons in a 2D Metaverse," which received high praise. When asked about comparisons with other tools and potential collaborations with open-source companies, Professor Aoki responded, "OUJ currently utilizes a proprietary Japanese tool. It would be difficult to adopt other free, English-based metaverse tools because their user interfaces and other features are not suitable for our students."

Second, Senior Advisor Hiromi Ishida presented on "Measures Against Loneliness for Overseas Residents Through the Expansion of Distance Education," drawing strong interest. In response to a question from an attendee asking if the same approach could apply to other countries, she stated, "Learning in one's native language is highly effective in non-English speaking regions. This approach could be beneficial for island nations such as the Philippines and Indonesia, and we plan to continue our research on this matter."

Third, Professor Kumiko Iwasaki presented the outcomes of a three-year initiative on "Advanced Learning Utilizing Open Courseware," which targeted high school students. While the achievements—such as high school students earning college credits and winning prizes in the Olympiad in Informatics—attracted significant attention, she was asked how to enhance student engagement. Professor Iwasaki acknowledged the challenge of helping high school students, who are highly focused on university entrance exams, understand the significance of advanced learning. However, she noted that "students who actually took the courses tended to develop higher self-efficacy and learning satisfaction by engaging in studies that set them apart from their peers.

AAOU 2025

Overview

From October 20th to 23rd, 2025, a delegation of seven members from our university—including President Iwanaga, Professor Hisaeda (Director of the Kyushu Study Center), Professor Aoki, Professor Yamada, Associate Professor Konita, Ms. Ishida (Senior Specialist), and Ms. Sakamoto (International Affairs Section)—attended the 38th Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) held in Beijing, China.

The theme of the conference was “Advancing the Transformation of Open and Distance Education & Building a Sustainable Lifelong Learning Society.” The program was structured around three primary subthemes: Digital Education, Lifelong Education, and Open and Distance Education, which were further divided into eleven specialized fields for the parallel sessions.

Monday, October 20th

The morning began with a preliminary meeting for the selection committees of the three AAOU awards. In the afternoon, the Executive Board meeting was held, during which the President of the Open University of China (OUC) was elected as the next President of AAOU. It was also officially decided that our university’s President Iwanaga would continue his tenure as a member of the Board

Tuesday, October 21st

Following a grand opening ceremony, the morning session featured six keynote speeches. The afternoon was dedicated to parallel sessions where representatives from our university presented the following papers:
Professor Aoki: “Micro-Credentials in Open and Distance Education: Comparative Ecosystems and Strategic Implementation Models”.
Associate Professor Konita: “How to Teach History by Distance Learning – Making Paper-based Studies Paperless”.
Professor Hisaeda: “Supporting Lifelong Learning: Strategies to Enhance Retention of Young Students in Open University”.
Each presentation drew significant interest from the audience, leading to lively discussions and numerous questions.

Wednesday, October 22nd

In the morning, a ceremony was held to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for exchange between our university and the Open University of China (OUC). This was followed by the General Body Meeting in the afternoon.

Thursday, October 23rd

The final day featured a panel discussion followed by the closing ceremony, where it was announced that the next AAOU Annual Conference will be held in Manila, Philippines.
After the formal proceedings, all conference participants enjoyed a cultural tour of the Forbidden City

Visit Report on GDOU, Guangdong Open University, China

A delegation consisting of six researchers and staff members from Guangdong Open University visited the Open University of Japan on September 26, 2025. The delegation was received by President Iwanaga, Prof. Li, Prof. Aoki, and Prof. Nishina, Director of Library. They paid a courtesy visit to President Iwanaga at his office, where participants engaged in a vibrant exchange of views regarding the university’s learning system. They also posed various questions concerning the Japanese educational system. The session involved active discussions on innovations and challenges in instructional management, serving as a highly informative platform for both institutions to share valuable insights.

Following a tour of the OUJ museum, another session for exchange of opinions, was held. Throughout the event, both parties engaged in a lively exchange regarding the initiatives and current situations of their respective universities. It was a highly valuable time for fostering further exchange and cooperation in the future.

Visit Report on HBOU, Hubei Open University, China

The session began with an exchange of views between the delegation of HBOU and Prof. Yuan, Prof. Aoki, and Associate Prof. Konita from OUJ on June 25, 2025. During the meeting, both parties engaged in active discussions on the current state and unique features of education at their respective universities, as well as innovations and challenges in course management. It proved to be a highly valuable opportunity for sharing beneficial information to both institutions.

Following the session, the delegation toured the university's facilities, including the OUJ museum and the production studios. At the OUJ museum, we provided a detailed explanation of the history and development of our broadcast-based courses.

In the subsequent visit to the production studios, the visitors enjoyed a commemorative photo session using actual filming sets.

Overall, the visit facilitated a vibrant exchange of insights into each university’s initiatives and current situation. It was a highly productive occasion that laid the groundwork for further exchange and cooperation in the future.

Visit Report on QOU, Qinghai Open University, China

First, a courtesy call was made to President Iwanaga. This was followed by tours of facilities including the OUJ museum, the online studio, and the production studio. During the facility tours, the visitors learned about how our university creates online classes, particularly during the production studio tour, using an actual filming set, the visitors took commemorative photos, fostering a friendly atmosphere for exchange.

Finally, a welcome luncheon was held with President Iwanaga, Executive Trustee of finance Tarukawa, Prof. Yuan, Prof. Aoki, Section head Kajiwara, and the visitors, providing an opportunity to deepen friendships.

The luncheon provided a valuable opportunity for visitors and university representatives to deepen their bonds. Through such exchanges, we felt that the ties between our two universities have grown even stronger.

Visit Report on BJOU, Beijing Open University, China

The courtesy call was made to President Iwanaga first, where an exchange of views took place with Prof. Yuan, Prof. Aoki, and Associate Prof. Konita. During this exchange, frank opinions were shared regarding both parties' perspectives on education, current situations, and potential future cooperation. This proved a highly valuable opportunity to further deepen mutual understanding in the field of education between our university and Beijing Open University.

Subsequently, a welcome luncheon was held in the lounge providing an opportunity for participants to build rapport.

In the afternoon, participants toured Chiba Study Center, the online studio, and the OUJ museum. We provided detailed introductions to the role of our Study Centers, methods for producing online classes, and the history of broadcast education.

Visit Report on OUM, Open University Malaysia

Three visitors from OUM, Open University of Malaysia, visited OUJ on April 15 and 16, 2025. They exchanged views with Prof. Aoki and Prof. Yamada first. There was a lively exchange of opinions regarding online education for both universities. Then, a courtesy call was made to President Iwanaga, followed by a luncheon to foster friendship.

In the afternoon, a tour of the online studio was conducted with the cooperation of Online Education Division. Explanations were provided on how online classes are produced and how examinations are conducted. Finally, a tour to the production studio took place. In the sub-control room, explanations were given about the studio equipment with the cooperation of the production department, and commemorative photos were taken on the filming set.

On the following day, April 16, 2025, they toured Kanagawa Study Center. First, with the cooperation of study center staff, they toured facilities including classrooms where face-to-face instruction takes place, the chemistry lab, and the library. Then, an exchange of views was held with students from our university's international exchange club. Lively discussions took place with three groups on the topics such as what they are studying at the Open University of Japan.

This visit program proved highly meaningful not only for visitors from OUM but for OUJ students with many expressing their appreciation.

Visit Report on OUC, The Open University of China

Four faculty and staff members from OUC, The Open University of China, visited OUJ on April 7, 2025.

First, a courtesy call was made to President Iwanaga. Then, an exchange of views took place between the visitors and professors from OUJ, Prof. Aoki, Prof. Yuan, and Associate Prof. Konita. Information regarding OUC's implementation of distance education was shared, followed by a lively question-and-answer session. Subsequently, with the online education division, they toured the online studio while being explained on the structure of OUJ’s online classes. Finally, they toured the production department with explanations on the filming sets and conduction.

On the following day, they toured Study Center in a part of OUJ. The center's role and the courses for seniors held there were introduced and followed by a lively question-and-answer session. Finally, they toured the lecture room and the computer room used for events, as well as the performance room available for public use. A vigorous discussion ensued on how lifelong education should be developed going forward.

This visit program proved highly beneficial for OUC faculty and staff, and we received many positive comments.