On December 11, 2011, A.C.E. /STEP-EIKEN signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), a non-profit, association of 400 accredited public colleges, universities and systems of public higher education throughout the USA. The MOU agrees “to work together to assist member academic institutions in U.S. and Japan to develop cooperative programs that will be mutually beneficial to Japanese higher education institutions and American AASCU member colleges and universities.”