In 1995 the University of Tokyo started a short-term academic program for overseas students at its Komaba Campus. The program, called AIKOM ("Abroad in Komaba"), is offered by the University's College of Arts and Sciences, Japan's foremost public institution for liberal education. It is designed to provide upper-division undergraduates from around the globe with an exciting learning experience in the company of superbly trained professors and active, highly motivated students from all over Japan. To enable students with diverse majors to participate, no prior knowledge of the Japanese language is required. The courses are offered in English, and credit can be recognized by the students' home universities. I. Global multi-national exchange based on an English curriculum II. Reciprocity in inter-university relations III. Close interaction between international and Japanese students