ECU, Tokyo City University mark 10 years of student exchange

Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Tokyo City University (TCU) have marked a decade of academic collaboration that has brought more than 1,600 Japanese students to Australia and created lasting opportunities for cross-cultural learning.

Launched in 2016, the Tokyo City University Australia Program (TAP) has grown into one of the largest student mobility initiatives between Australia and Japan. The 16-week study abroad programme combines English language development and academic study with cultural immersion through ECU’s award-winning Experiencing Australia initiative.

The 10th anniversary was marked in October with a visit by a TCU delegation led by university president Dr Tomonari Yashiro. The delegation attended events at ECU’s City and Joondalup campuses, where more than 100 guests joined the formal celebrations.

Current TCU students also organised a Japan Festival, giving participants an opportunity to explore Japanese culture through activities such as calligraphy, paper lantern making and language learning.

Building connections beyond the classroom

The partnership’s impact extends beyond the students travelling between the two countries. At its heart is a buddy programme that pairs visiting TCU students with ECU’s Buddy Ambassadors, helping them settle into life in Perth while building friendships across cultures.

More than 1,000 ECU students have volunteered as Buddy Ambassadors over the past decade, developing leadership abilities, intercultural understanding and international networks.

ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Clare Pollock said the programme also gives local students an opportunity to gain international exposure without leaving their university campus. For many, the experience becomes a stepping stone towards overseas study, travel and professional development.

The exchange has also opened doors for ECU students to study in Tokyo at TCU. More than 160 ECU students have received support through an Australian Government New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant, strengthening the two-way flow of students and ideas.

Former Buddy Ambassador Jessica Knight is among those whose lives have been shaped by the experience. Her involvement in TAP led to further opportunities in Japan, including overseas study and a prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship.

Knight credited the programme with broadening her horizons, helping her build lifelong connections and introducing her to opportunities she had not previously considered.

A partnership with a wider academic reach

Simon Davies Burrows, ECU’s manager of internationalisation, has been involved in the partnership since its inception. He attributed its success to a shared long-term vision and the commitment of both universities to continually improve the student experience.

The model has since helped inform collaboration with other international partners, while the ECU-TCU relationship has expanded into broader academic initiatives.

These include participation in the Asia-Oceania Five Universities Alliance and the launch of a Joint Master of Environmental Studies, described as the first joint master’s degree programme between Australia and Japan.

Collaboration set to continue until 2031

The universities have reaffirmed their commitment to the partnership through a new agreement that begins in 2026 and extends the Tokyo City University Australia Program until 2031.

Their priorities include expanding community engagement, creating more opportunities for students to study abroad and deepening academic collaboration.

A decade after its launch, TAP stands as an example of how sustained university partnerships can deliver benefits beyond international enrolments, fostering personal growth, cross-cultural understanding and lasting educational links between countries.