Soka University of America (SUA), established by Daisaku Ikeda in 2001, is a liberal arts college located in Orange County, California, U.S.A. In Ikeda’s words, “The mission of Soka University of America is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life.” Global citizenship in this sense can be described as an awareness of being an integral part of a global human community, and possessing a corresponding sense of responsibility toward that community, as well as an appreciation of human diversity. Such values are grounded, fundamentally, in an ethic of respect for the sanctity of life.

These ideals are reflected in the university’s diverse international student body, its comparative teaching of international perspectives, its Core Curriculum—which focuses on issues related to peace, human rights and the creative co-existence of nature and humanity—and its research seminars, in which students research and model constructive approaches to local, regional and/or global issues.

All SUA students concentrate on a foreign language and participate in study abroad relevant to their language and field of study.

SUA’s Principles: