MFWI

Mukogawa Women’s University (MWU) is a Japanese university for women located in  Nishinomiya, Japan. As a university, our mission has always been  to encourage women to play a useful role in Japanese society and to contribute to the safety and peaceful wellbeing of the Japanese society.  For 70 years this has been our mission, and we continue this mission today.

In addition to a campus in Japan, we have an American campus in Spokane Washington. This site is set up to answers all your questions about this program and the campus. This program is one of our study abroad programs of which we are very proud to offer to our students.   Read on to learn more about the history of our American campus, and how studying abroad in America can enhance your educational experience here at MWU.

The MWU American Campus

MWU first expanded in 1990 to create an American Campus in the town of Spokane, Washington. The campus is called “Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute”. We chose Spokane as the site of the American campus because of its population size of 183,000 people, and because it is a sister city of the town of Nishinomiya where the original MWU campus is located.

About the Spokane campus

The Spokane campus lies near the Spokane River. The entrance to the campus has 72 acres of land and a big stone with the inscription “Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute -  Established in 1990” and “Mukogawa Women’s University” in both in English and Japanese.

Visitors to the campus will remark at its beauty. On the campus there are beautiful houses and redbrick buildings and the many trees in the area, specifically many pine and fir trees. Near the middle of the campus is a large monument that bears the inscription “Fort George Wright Historical Monument”. The monument was first unveiled on October 20, 1995 on the lush green lawn between the music center and the Japanese Cultural Center.

The president of MWU, Akira Kusaka, had a dream. His dream was to expose students to a foreign culture while expanding their English language skills. Today, his dream has come true.

At MWU Today there are about 400 English majors that participate in classes during the spring and fall sessions. About 50 of these students come from various departments to study at MWU during the summer. Since the Fall session of 1990, over 7,800 students have been given the opportunity to study at MWU.  The far-reaching effects of this experience have brought many students with many benefits. These benefits include career advantages, language advantages, and opportunities to study or find jobs abroad.  However, at MWU we believe nothing is better for the students than the opportunity to explore firsthand the American culture and to learn English in a welcoming and immersive atmosphere.

Cultural Immersion at the American campus of MWU

Students at the American campus of MWU will stay with a host family that is American for the duration of the program. The ability to live in a home-stay gives students the opportunity to learn English that will be the most practical in everyday settings. The beneficial effects of the program lie not only with professors and staff members, but also with the welcoming atmosphere of host families and their communities.

The Academic Program at the MWU American Campus

The academic program at the MWU American campus in Spokane is taught by faculty members that have Masters of Arts degrees in English as a Second Language (ESL) or in  related fields. They are required to have had many years of experience with teaching.

Successful completion of the courses always results in a strong improvement in English language skills, as well as in the  confidence of the students. Students who have graduated from these courses at MWU go on to make good use of their experiences. Our alumni base is very strong, and we ensure our students engage in many opportunities to network with other alumni.

The Mission of the MWU American Campus at the  Fort Wright Institute

The following are the priorities we have at the MWU American Campus. Our staff, faculty, and host-families work hard to ensure that these three goals are fully accomplished by the time the students end their time at our American campus.

1) To vastly improve all student’s English language skills in both writing and speaking  i
2) To help to facilitate the student’s understanding of the host-family’s lifestyle and culture, as well as to enhance the host-family’s appreciation of the Japanese culture and lifestyle.
3) To provide each and every one of our students with enough individual support in order to  help facilitate both their academic and personal development. This is very important to us, and we have staff members in both our educational and residential life programs to help support students.