Kônan University is a private institution of approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It was founded in 1951, but its history actually began in 1923 with the founding of Konan Gakuen, a private high school. Konan University is located in the Okamoto area of Higashinada-ku, in the eastern-most part of Kôbe.

PROGRAM COORDINATION
In the U.S., the program is coordinated by a four university consortium headed by the University of Illinois. The other consortium members are Michigan State University, University of Pittsburgh and University of Hawai'i at Manoa. In Japan, the program is housed under the Konan International Exchange Center (KIEC).

A Resident Director, usually a member of one of the participating U.S. universities, teaches one course each semester and helps administer the program. Japanese area studies or culture courses are taught by Konan University professors or American scholars living in the Kôbe area. The Japanese language teachers are native speakers with graduate training in Japanese linguistics or the teaching of Japanese as a second language.
In addition to teaching courses, the Resident Director oversees students' academic progress, assigns grades and provides student services (such as personal counseling, tutoring, etc.) to student participants.