Without community, life at university can be tough. This is even more true for international students, who may have left their entire social support system behind when choosing to move across the globe to pursue their education. 

NUFSA, the Nagoya University International Students' Association, is one of the international societies at Nagoya University that aims to provide a community for international students through events and projects that help them connect with both their fellow international students and Japanese members of the university.

NUFSA's 2024 Members 

I sat down with two former presidents of NUFSA to find out more about the organization, their experience, and what it does for its members and the wider community. Karl, from the Philippines, is a 4th year automotive engineering student. Quynh, from Vietnam, is a 3rd year studying economics. Both are enrolled in the G30 International Programs, Nagoya University's full degree course for international students that is taught entirely in English.

Nagoya University began signing agreements with overseas universities and conducting student exchanges over forty years ago. This led, Quynh tells me, to the formation in 1985 of an informal society to hold flea markets selling affordable second hand furniture to international students who needed to get their lives in Japan set up on a budget. "Gradually this led to more events, not just for fun but also to promote cultural exchange, and that is what developed into NUFSA," she explains.

At the Nagoya University Festival 

Despite the name, NUFSA is open to all members of the Nagoya University community with an interest in international exchange, and has a growing number of Japanese members. "We've grown very fast, and we are always grateful to everyone interested in NUFSA" says Quynh. "We now conduct interviews with potential new members to give them a better feel for what NUFSA does and help them to participate and enjoy their time with us more."

NUFSA also joins forces with other international organizations to organize bigger cultural exchange events and parties. "We hold a number of joint events with other international groups at the university, such as COFSA (Co-Op Foreign Students' Association), ACE (Action Group for Cultural Exchange), and HelpDesk," says Karl. "Through these events, we get to make friends, build cooperative networks and interact with our Japanese friends while also being able to provide an environment for everyone to hang out and feel like part of the community."

Summer 2022 water fight event

I asked the pair about the challenges they'd faced leaving their home countries behind and coming to study in Japan. Both agreed that they language barrier and finding opportunities for socializing had been big issues for them, and that NUFSA had helped them find their feet. "Joining NUFSA gave me many chances to make friends and connect with people," reflects Quynh. "You can't just come to university and then sit around and wait for people to come and talk to you." 

Joining NUFSA not only helps new international students find people in the same boat as them, but through its cooperation with other groups and organizing parties and mixers, helps them connect with Japanese students and forge intercultural bonds too. 

"In joining NUFSA, I found family," says Karl with a smile. "I also learned how to be a leader and a team player. It's been really, really enriching."