The goal of all Asia Universities is to preserve the rich traditions of Japanese culture as well as to foster international awareness. To achieve this aim the universities provide the students with the diverse opportunities that develop a sense of discipline and social responsibility. The students are also expected to acquire the understanding of other world cultures and civilizations as well as appreciation of the cultures of East and West. Asia Universities try to create a learning environment, which will foster the acquisition of knowledge and advanced skills, indispensable in the age of information technology and globalization.
Owing to the consistent innovations and contributions to the development of world science, Asia Universities rank today with such distinguished institutions of higher learning as Harvard University, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Princeton University and Yale University. According to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute of Higher Education survey, Asia Universities make a significant proportion in the list of world top universities. Four out of five top Asia Universities are located in Japan, with Tokyo University ranking the highest. Founded in 1877 Tokyo University has expanded to include ten faculties with a total of nearly 30,000 students. Tokyo University is best known for its faculties of Literature and Law. Kyoto University is another prominent player in the higher education of Asia and Japan in particular, ranking third and twenty second in the country and in the world respectively. Founded in 1897, Kyoto University is regarded as the second oldest university in Japan. The university claims to produce more Nobel Prize winners and top scientists than any other institution of higher learning. Among the oldest universities there is Osaka University, which traces its roots to 1869, but acquired a status of a university in 1919. Due to its Faculty of Language and Culture it attracts students worldwide. Two campuses of the university are homes to 20,000 students and 4,500 teaching and administrative staff. Tohoku University is one of Japan's prestigious national universities. As of 2003 it had ten faculties and a total of 15,000 students. From the start the university maintained its uniqueness, showing loyalty to science and disregarding governmental needs. Currently the university ranks fourth in the nation.
The Asia Pacific University Consortium unites educational institutions, aimed at providing educational opportunities for corporations located in the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a great number of educational and corporate programs, which are designed to meet the specific needs of corporate human resources. The Consortium provides the corporate universities with the opportunity to improve the quality of corporate training. To achieve a status as a member of the Asia Pacific University Consortium, a university has to design a program that is able to meet the requirements of the consortium's clients.