The Asia University America Program (AUAP) began in 1988 with a handful of Japanese exchange students from Asia University, located just west of downtown Tokyo, Japan. Now, nearly 30 years later, thousands of students have attended Western through participation in the AUAP.

Those studying with the AUAP include International Relations, Business, Business & Hospitality, Law, Economics, Multicultural Communications and Multicultural Relations majors. The majority of them complete the AUAP, which takes five months, as a requirement for graduation from Asia University.

Not only does the AUAP offer a cultural exchange experience for Japanese students, it also provides a variety of opportunities for those at Western and in the Bellingham community to interact and learn with students from Japan. Please see Getting Involved for more information on how you can partner with our AUAP students during their visit, or learn how you can be an AUAP roommate.