The Canada-Japan Co-op Program will conclude operations on December 31, 2026 

After a remarkable 35 years sending co-op students from universities and colleges across Canada to Japan for work experience, the Canada-Japan Co-op Program has made the difficult decision to conclude operations in December 2026 due to the changing budget landscape at Canadian post-secondary institutions and the changing hiring patterns of employers in Japan post-COVID.  

The Program will continue to operate as usual until December 31, 2026, and Yuko Nemoto, Program Coordinator will be with us to support employers and students until the last day, with no impact on students in or going to Japan. Our final intake of students in the program was in Fall 2025, with final work terms in Summer and Fall 2026.  

Begun in 1991 through a bilateral agreement between Canada and Japan with the goal of sending Canadian university STEM students to learn through work with Japanese industry, the Program grew to include students from many disciplines, with over 1,250 students gaining transformational work and life experiences in Japan.  

The program office was located at the University of Victoria from 1991-2005, and at the University of British Columbia from 2005-present. The program’s unique consortium-based model made it easy for Japanese employers to access students from universities and colleges across Canada through one point of contact.  

We are grateful to 114 employers who have hired from the Program, 32 Canadian post-secondary institutions who have participated, and, most of all, to the generations of remarkable co-op students who have represented CJCP and Canada so well during their work terms in Japan, many of whom have gone on to careers in Japan, in Canada, and elsewhere in the world as a result of their CJCP co-op experience. 

If you have questions or would like further information, please contact the Program’s Co-Directors, Sara Buse (sara.buse@ubc.ca) and Julie Walchli (julie.walchli@ubc.ca).