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Nanzan University

Japan 2024/2025 Partner universities

Personal data
Mobility type:
Study

Faculty at MU:
Faculty of Arts

Field of study:
Japanese Studies / Japanese Studies

Level of study during period of placement:
Bachelor

Language used:
Japanese

Summer/winter school?:
no

Period of studies:
autumn 2024

Period of placement (from-to):
2024-09-12 - 2024-12-25

Number of months:
3.5

Activities before my departure abroad
Where can information be found about courses taught at the foreign school?:
At Nanzan University websites. There is sylabus available. It's usually the last year's one, but the classes are generally pretty similar.
https://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/English/academics/cjs/

Which documents were needed for acceptance at the foreign university?:
I needed to upload Transcript of Records, Language Certificate and Motivation letter to ISOIS. Then, approximately in march, Nanzan University required me to upload various documents directly to their system. You can find the full list below
https://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/English/admissions/applicationguidelines.html

How far ahead did you have to organise your acceptance?:
Not counting the ISOIS part, I started with the Nanzan application system in march

Did you need a visa?:
yes

Documents and materials needed for a visa:
Passport, Certificate of Eligibility, Letter of Admission.

Length of wait for visa:
About one week

Fee for the visa:
None

Studies
Did you have a Learning Agreement signed before your departure?:
yes

If not, why not?:

Before your departure did you know how your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
Yes

During your stay did you change your Learning Agreement?:
Yes

When and how did course registration take place? Are there any restrictions? Possibilities of making changes?:
You registered courses according to your Learning agreement in Nanzan University's system. The only restriction is the maximum credit load in Nanzan University's credit system, which is 18. If you are unhappy with selected courses, you are able to make changes for quite a while, but I'm not sure how long was it.

Did you take any examinations at the foreign school?:
Yes, the courses all had final exams

Does the school use the ECTS system?:
no

If not then explain how the credits there were recalculated into ECTS:
According to Learning agreement. The exact credits you will get will be agreed on either by learning agreement before departure, or if you make changes by changes to learning agreement after you make changes.

Describe the teaching methods (theory, practical and projects) and assessment of students:
The courses all consist of lectures given by teachers in either japanese or english, depending on the course. In language classes expect discussion with both teachers and your classmates in japanese. The assessment is overall very lenient. If you pay attention, do your homework and not skip classes (not all of them), you will have no problems with passing the courses whatsoever.

Quality of teaching in comparison with home school:
I felt like it was pretty comparable with Masaryk University.

How did you receive study materials?:
By either Nanzan's information system, or in class

Can you recommend an interesting course/subject/teacher?:
Calligraphy was very relaxing and interesting experience.

How well is the school library equipped?:
Very well

Availability of computers, internet access, level of software needed, requirements on notebook:
You will need your own notebook, as you will often hand in your work through it. There is free wifi both at campus and at the dorms.

Options from printing and copying:
There are copy machines at campus and you get some amount of free pages at enrolment. It was far more than I needed the whole semester, so you can basically say it was free.

Does the foreign school/student organisation arrange special events for exchange students?:
yes

If yes then what?:
There were some events directly at school, akin to konekuto and some fieldtrips aswell

How would you assess your integration with the local students (evaluation like in school from 1 to 5 with 1 as highest):
3

or describe in your own words:
In classes you are pretty separated from local students but you can go interact with them everyday to local school club called Stella.

Practical questions on your placement
Where did you live?:
In dormitory - Foyer Nanzan

Cost of accommodation - monthly:
400 EUR

Additional comments to the price of accommodation (as to what the price includes):
You pay the price all at once before departing to Japan. It was around 40000 CZK for the 3 and a half months. It also includes refundable amount that damages are paid from.

Describe the equipment. Tips for future students – what should they bring with them?:
You get room with table, bed and bedsheets, AC, closet, small kitchen, washing machine and bathroom. The only thing that I needed and wasn't there were coat hangers.

How and how far ahead should accommodation be organised?:
You apply for the accomodation when you fill in the application in Nanzan's application system. You don't need to do anything extra

What are the catering options?:
I'm not sure about other offered dorms, but Foyer Nanzan doesn't have any catering options - you need to prepare food on your own, except lunches. There is cafeteria on campus.

What are the rough costs of groceries (compare with Czech prices):
Around the same, some are more expensive. Fruits for example.

Transport to location of placement:
I arrived at Haneda and took shinkansen to Nagoya, but Nanzan offers pickup service, if you arrive at Nagoya airport

Rough prices for transportation:
It is around 1000 CZK for shinkansen, but that is more of a luxury. I could have made the trip with normal trains which are well affordable. I don't know the exact price as I didn't use them

Tips for purchasing cheap tickets and other recommendations:
Get Suica or equivalent for sure. You can pay everything with it - trains, buses, subway and it's very convinient. Nanzan also offers discounts for shinkansen

What are the local transport options (public transport, cycling, on foot, rough prices):
From dorms to school I was walking exclusively, it's like 20 minutes. For sightseeing I mainly used subway system.

What kind of formalities have to be arranged before arrival, for example residence permit?:
You need to have Visa

What health insurance did you use? (rough price, advantages, disadvantages, is it necessary to arrange insurance at the university other than your home (Czech) insurance?):
I was insured in Czech Republic aswell as in Japan. Having health insurance in Japan is mandatory if you stay longer than 3 months. The Japanese insurance is around 1700 yen a month. You need to arrange it at local Ward office, but Nanzan will help you with that

Did you have any experience with medical treatment abroad?:
I did not

Did you work during your studies?:
I did not

What are the conditions for working for MU students?:
I don't know

Tips for free-time activities:
You will find tons of interesting tips in Japan guide website. One reccomendation I have is to go to Toyota commemorative museum, if you are interested in such things.

Financial support and expenses
Total grant from Centre for International Cooperation:
70000 CZK

Monthly grant in CZK:
20000 CZK

Number of supported months:
3.5

Total number of months:
3.5

What other sources did you make use of to finance your placement?:
My money I had saved, plus my parents kindly gave me some

If you received another grant, state which and how much in CZK:
I did not

 
Total fees associated with enrolment at the university:
0 CZK

a/ amount of enrolment fee:
0 CZK

b/ amount of tuition fees:
0 CZK

c/ amount of other fees (which):
0 CZK

 
What was your average monthly expenditure?:
16000 CZK

a/ of which for accommodation:
10000 CZK

b/ of which for catering:
4000 CZK

c/ travel and recreation:
2000 CZK

Any comments to the average monthly expenditure:

Recognition of foreign studies at the home faculty
How many credits did you gain during your studies (in the system of the foreign school)?:
14

How many ECTS credits were recognised at MU?:
20

Did you know in advance which of your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
Yes

What problems did you have with recognition?:
I did not have any problems

Overall assessment
Assessment of personal benefit (1 = excellent):
2

Assessment of academic benefit (1 = excellent):
3

Evaluate the information and support provided by the foreign school (1 = excellent):
1

Did you encounter any serious problems during your stay:
I did not

What would you recommend to take with you:
Take some czech snacks to offer to your classmates and teachers. Other than living necessities and laptop you don't really need to bring anything more.

What most surprised you at the partner university in a positive way:
The campus was nice and the food in cafeteria really tasty. Exchange students also got excellent support from CJS office.

What most surprised you at the partner university in a negative way:
I don't think there was anything negative in particular.

Further comments: