Portland State University's (PSU) relationship with Waseda University began in the early 1990s as part of a consortium of Oregon universities. This partnership quickly grew, and by 1999, PSU was admitting students and granting credit for the Waseda Oregon Intensive Japanese Language Program, a collaboration delivered by Waseda in Tokyo.
In 2000, the Waseda Oregon Office was established at PSU, which helped launch the Waseda Oregon Transnational Program (TNP), a key initiative that continues to this day as the Portland Center. Over the years, the partnership expanded to include a variety of programs, such as short-term summer sports sciences and leadership courses.
The relationship evolved in 2012 when the Waseda Oregon Office was moved to San Francisco and a new Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two universities. The staff and programs from the former office were fully integrated into PSU's Office of International Affairs, now known as the Office of Global Engagement and Innovation. This transition marked a new phase of collaboration, including a focus on academic exchanges and research collaborations.
Over the last decade, the Portland Center program expanded, welcoming students from other institutions. The center continued to build new relationships, solidifying its place as a hub for international education in Portland and expanding its academic offerings to meet the needs of its diverse student body.