On March 20, 2023, Ritsumeikan University (RU) held a Fall 2022 commencement ceremony on its Kimugasa campus. Ms. Doke Aoi, the RU second cohort student of American University-Ritsumeikan University Joint Degree Program (JDP) embarked onto the next chapter of her life.
To mark this occasion, the JDP held a special ceremony where Prof. Tomoaki Nishimura, Dean, College of International Relations and Prof. Yuichiro Amekawa, who is Aoi’s thesis supervisor, delivered their congratulatory messages to her.
Prof. Thomas French, Vice Dean for the JDP, then conferred to Aoi a joint degree in Global International Relations, authorized by both American University and Ritsumeikan University.
The COVID-19 impact on her student life was significant, forcing her to switch to online classes and even postpone her transition to the United States. At the ceremony, we were so proud to see how much she's grown by overcoming all these challenges.
Congratulations, Aoi! All JDP faculty and staff wish you nothing but the best as you embark on this new journey. We are confident that you will do great things with experiences you had in the JDP!
