Written by: Muhammad Rayhansyah Jasin
Edited by: Snigdha Bashyal
(Retrieved from: https://creativecommons.org)
On July 2nd, APU Times released the news about APU on-campus vaccination program. The first rollout was held on October 4th and will continue until the third batch on November 30th. In the meantime, APU Times has reached out to the President’s office by inquiring Vice President Hiroshi Yoneyama to talk more on the details about the ongoing program.
Vice President Hiroshi Yoneyama, taken from the APU website
Total Number of Vaccinated People
Vice President (VP) Yoneyama confirmed that more than 1,200 people (students, staff, and employees of affiliated Ritsumeikan institutions) had received at least one dose of the vaccine through APU. 791 out of 6000 people (13%) responded to a survey asking whether they have been vaccinated or not, regardless of where they got the vaccines. 85% said they had received the first dose, and 78% received the second dose. As of October 8th, 245 students out of 326 who responded to the survey said they have completed their vaccination procedures.
Impacts of the Vaccination Program
VP Yoneyama stated that vaccination status would not affect APU Business Continuity Plan (BCP). However, it is based on a comprehensive assessment of the infection status in Oita Prefecture. Regardless, APU will continue giving out surveys to ascertain how many APU members have been vaccinated.
He also asserted that there would be no mandatory requirements regarding the type of vaccination for any on-campus activities due to APU’s stance that vaccination is entirely voluntary. Furthermore, APU also stated that the format for the Spring 2022 graduation ceremony will depend on the number of infections during that time.
Airport (Retrieved from: https://creativecommons.org)
Regarding the Border Restriction
On November 2nd, APU published an official announcement regarding International students entering Japan. During last year’s short-term border opening from October 2020 to January 2021, only 250 students could enter the country. Since then, the entry of international students has been limited to a few government-sponsored students, leaving the majority of privately financed students without visas. Therefore, APU reaffirmed its commitment to bring more international students when the entry restrictions are lifted.
“The decision to suspend new visa issuance for international students solely lies upon the Japanese government. APU has been petitioning the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) to allow international students to enter Japan again,” states VP Yoneyama.
In the meantime, APU will do its best to overcome this pandemic and restore the multicultural campus where students from all over the world can study together. To do this, APU would like to ask students to do two things: not make any predictions as the policy on entering Japan is decided by the Japanese government. However, as has been reported recently, it seems that the government is planning to accept newly entering international students, who will be subject to certain conditions such as an isolation period after entry. That specific details will be announced in due course.
AP House 2, Evening View
Regarding AP House Stay
VP Yoneyama mentioned that for international students living in Japan for the first time, it is recommended (but not mandatory) to live in AP House to start university life smoothly and adjust to life in Japan. Keep in mind that there is no minimum period of stay.
Many students who enrolled in Spring 2020 or later have not yet arrived in Japan and might want to stay longer in AP House. However, he also expressed that there are not enough rooms for everyone to live in the House for the full 11 months, the usual period of stay.
“However, International students who have not yet entered Japan for two semesters or more will be guaranteed housing in AP House only for the semester in which they enter AP House,” VP Yoneyama assures.
International students who wish to continue living in the AP House the semester after entering should complete the necessary procedures during the application period for continued residence.
Final Remarks From VP Yoneyama
The following is a personal message VP Yoneyama would like to address to all APU students and their parents/guardians.
The first is regarding immigration restrictions. As I mentioned earlier, due to the limits imposed by the Japanese government, many international students are unable to enter Japan. So, I would like to ask you to think about what you can do now as a student and stay positive until international students return to Beppu and APU. I want to ask you to promote exchanges between international students and domestic students actively and between international students abroad and everyone else in Beppu through classes, extracurricular activities, and even online in your personal lives. This way, when international students arrive at the APU campus, we can all say a hearty “Welcome home!” APU will do everything we can to help students enter Japan as early as possible.
Secondly, I would like to talk about infection prevention and vaccination. Many people worldwide and in Japan have been vaccinated, but it is essential to take measures to prevent infection even after vaccination to stop this pandemic. Please remain vigilant after being vaccinated and take basic infection control measures (mask, hand washing, and avoidance of the 3 Cs). Also, for those who have not been vaccinated at this time, please consider vaccination once again. Please take a look at my message regarding the vaccination that was sent out previously.
As of November 5, Japan has publicly decided to open its border for business travellers and international students starting on Monday, November 8. More on that please click on this link:
APU TIMES would like to acknowledge the continuous support given by Vice President Hiroshi Yoneyama and the entire President’s Office Staff.
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