Preface: On behalf of all my fellow colleagues, faculty members and students of Soka University, I wish to extend our heartfelt sympathies to and support for the victims of the March 11, 2011 disaster. We pray that the stricken areas of Japan may set forth upon the road to recovery and reconstruction as soon as possible.

Brief: In April 2010, Soka University unveiled its Grand Design Initiative, which aims to enrich the overall academic experience for students through a series of educational, research and facility improvements as our institution enters into its first half-century of operation since it was dedicated in 1971. The Initiative set as Soka’s foundational mission the fostering of creative skills of students.

As part of the Grand Design’s first phase, which began from fiscal 2009, we launched initiatives designed to enhance and reinforce our academic program. One such effort is the adoption of a new undergraduate framework, which not only establishes learning outcome objectives for common core curricula but also assess their efficacy. By establishing clear goals and levels for the improvement of the problem-solving skills of our students, Soka has started the PDCA cycle to upgrade the quality of its education.

Our university also launched the Global Citizenship Program (GCP) in 2010, based on Soka’s educational commitment to foster global citizens. The GCP will also become available through the new framework to all students. Meanwhile, each undergraduate faculty has reviewed new policies on diplomas, curricula and admissions, and announced them.

In the near-future, additional steps will be taken to further coordinate the common core curricula provided through the undergraduate framework and the specialized courses offered by the respective faculties. We believe these and other steps will facilitate Soka University’s mission of further developing the creative capacities of our students.

As for this year, we plan to roll out new initiatives, ranging from the Soka Program 21 to the launch of a new faculty and a new social welfare major. We will also reinforce our student placement program and establish a new center for Japanese language and culture studies.

These and other moves reflect our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of education provided at Soka University as we usher in our 50th anniversary.

Hideo Yamamoto
President
Soka University