Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (アメリカカナダ大学連合日本研究センター, Amerika Kanada Daigaku Rengō Nihon Kenkyū Sentā), or IUC, is a Japanese language school located in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama, Japan. Operated by a consortium of universities, the IUC provides advanced-level instruction to both undergraduate and graduate students and is considered one of the most selective and rigorous Japanese language programs in the world.

Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

アメリカ・カナダ大学連合日本研究センター (Amerika Kanada Daigaku Rengō Nihon Kenkyū Sentā)
Established	1961
Location	Yokohama , Kanagawa Prefecture , Japan
Colors	none
Nickname	IUC
Website	http://www.iucjapan.org

History

The IUC was established in 1961 in Tokyo, Japan by Stanford University. Administration of the Center first moved to a consortium model in 1963;^[1] currently, 15 schools participate in the operations of the Center.^[2] The Center eventually moved to Yokohama, where it set up in the Pacifico Yokohama complex in the Minato Mirai port area.

Program

The IUC offers one 10-month program during the academic year and another shorter program during the summer months. The programs are focused on advanced Japanese suitable for professional or academic use,^[3] and prospective students must have completed at least two years of college-level training and pass a language exam to be eligible for enrollment.^[4] Although often supplemented by a scholarship, the tuition for the 10-month program is $33,000, with a partial remission for students who are current students or recent alumni of a consortium school.^[5]

The IUC is considered one of the top Japanese schools in the world.^[6] Former U.S. ambassador to Japan and vice-president Walter Mondale called it "imperative for the sake of America's future relations with [Japan]", and former ambassador and Speaker of the House Thomas Foley noted that its graduates play a "central part" in the U.S.-Japan relationship.^[7]

Publications

As a language school, the IUC continues to perform research into the Japanese language and has published a number of books and materials on the subject through the Japan Times Press.^[8]

Consortium Members

• Brigham Young University
• Columbia University
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• Stanford University
• University of British Columbia
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Chicago
• University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
• University of Michigan
• University of Washington
• Yale University

In Association With:

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Washington University in St. Louis