Open University of Japan

From Researching Virtual Initiatives in Education

The Open University of Japan (Hoso Daigaku, OUJ), formerly called the University of the Air, is the only open university in Japan. Formerly known for its substantial use of satellite television, it is now rapidly bringing in internet technology as well.

Its web site in English is at http://www.u-air.ac.jp/eng/

Overview

This is edited from the Message of the President of The Open University of Japan.

The Open University of Japan (OUJ), whose official name was changed from the University of the Air in October, 2007, develops, provides, and promotes innovative higher distance education of top quality, in collaboration with mass media networks and alliances.　As the primary university of lifelong education in Japan, it addresses the wide-ranging learning needs of people during their stages of life.　Indeed, it contributes a lot to the need to achieve a considerable knowledge level of the community at large.

The Open University of Japan seeks to be an institution that is strongly anchored in the Japanese higher education through its educational and innovative activities, and that also operates successfully in the area of lifelong learning. In fact, the program offerings of the Open University of Japan have obviously met a great need of the community for over 20 years. Thus, many take advantage of this opportunity and more than 90,000 students now enroll at the OUJ in total.

Ever since its establishment in 1983, the Open University of Japan has been providing open higher education for each generation.　From its start, it has been doing so at academic level, without setting prerequisites regarding prior education, to any high school graduates who wish to enter into the OUJ.　Thus, it offers people, who never had the opportunity earlier to attend a higher school education, a free chance to do so.　In this context, it makes them freely accessible to open educational resources.

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