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●History

The Center for Australian Studies (CAS) of Otemon Gakuin University (OGU) opened in 1967, one year after the university was established. It was the first research institute in Japan dedicated to the study of Australia. As one of the few institutes in Japan specialized in Australia, it has since played an important role in “contributing to studies of Australia and its neighboring countries, and to the mutual understanding and cultural exchange between Japan and Australia.” Because of its contributions, the CAS was the only university institute to receive the Australia-Japan Foundation Award in 2006 from the Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF), a cultural organization of the Australian government.

●Joint and Individual Research

More than 10 scholars from various university departments (Faculties of Economics, Management, Psychology, Sociology and International Liberal Arts) are engaged in joint and individual research at the CAS. They serve as coordinators in joint research with researchers from elsewhere in Japan and abroad. International interdisciplinary research is perhaps the biggest feature of the CAS. Moreover, the CAS aggressively competes for research grants such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research.

●Reporting of Research

Open seminars are held to announce research results and share information with invited researchers from both inside and outside of Japan. Begining in 1975, the annually published Otemon Journal of Australian Studies was the first journal dedicated to Australia in Japan and contains papers not only from CAS researchers but also from researchers of other universities and even some from Australia.  More than 1,000 copies are circulated inside and outside of Japan and it has received high acclaim from major universities and research institutes in Australia.

●Giving Back to OGU and Cooperation with Communities, Partnership between OGU and High Schools

To give back to Otemo Gakuin University, the CAS offers an “Understanding Australia” course for all faculties and grades, with each researcher teaching his/her field of specialty. This course is recognized by The Consortium of Universities in Osaka and is also open to the general public. Researchers teach – for example – “Australian Economy” in the Faculty of Economics as well. Moreover, the CAS takes part in a wide range of cooperative activities such as helping with OGU’s Foreign Exchange Program, arranging for prominent figures to speak at seminars for students and the general public, and providing preliminary lectures for high school students before their excursion to Australia.

●Australia Library

In 2007, the CAS opened the Australia Library of as part of the Otemon Gakuin University Library with some 5,000 materials of its own collections to together with the 15,000 materials making up The Australia-Japan Foundation Collection, which was donated by the Australian government. It is the largest collection of literature on Australia in Japan, and covers a wide range of genres, from academic papers to children’s picture books. The Library is open to people from the general public as well. Moreover, theses on Australia written in Japanese can be easily searched for and viewed online using the Digital Theses Database System.