Developing the Grand Design Initiative
The continuing mission of Soka University, throughout the years, is to foster “creative individuals” who embody the founding principles of the University and create new value in every sector of society.
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the founding, Soka University proudly declares that it will aim to actualize that mission and has developed our Grand Design Initiative by reviewing past legacies and achievements in education and research.
“The Soka University Grand Design Initiative” was officially announced in 2010 after 30 months of preparation—compiling feedback from the faculty and staff members and participating in a series of discussions.
New Educational Programs
to Foster Creative Global Citizens
The School for Excellence in Educational Development (SEED) was launched for the purpose of facilitating program development, class management, and assessment / improvement in order to enhance undergraduate education, which links to the departmental education in each faculty. SEED serves as the main driver behind enhancing liberal arts education through general education courses, increasing students’ study hours outside the classroom, and promoting faculty development activities. Moreover, SEED also tackles essential issues to ensure the Quality of Education by improving the quality of classes using course evaluation largely based on learning outcomes. The university has also launched a cross-departmental honors program called the “Global Citizen Program” (GCP) to further cultivate the capabilities of students who aim to work internationally as well as “Soka Program 21” where students can systematically learn the founding principles.
Tagline as
Part of Soka’s Branding Strategy
In line with developing and implementing the Grand Design Initiative, Soka University set as its motto “Discover your potential” both to advance its branding strategy and to effectively capture the uniqueness of Soka University, based on a relationship of trust between the university and society. This motto represents how Soka University taps into students’ potential and works to foster “creative individuals.”
Three New Faculties Fostering
Diverse Capable Individuals
In 2013, the Faculty of Nursing was launched as the university’s first medical department. In 2014, the Faculty of International Liberal Arts opened as a program in which one year of study abroad is a requirement and all classes are taught in English. The Department of Bioinformatics and the Department of Environmental Engineering for Symbiosis in the Faculty of Engineering were reorganized and newly opened as the Department of Science and Engineering for Sustainable Innovation, and its faculty name was changed from the Faculty of Engineering to the Faculty of Science and Engineering in April 2015. In this way, Soka University has aggressively explored a new academic field and reorganized established faculties in order to meet the demands of the times.
Launch of a New Learning
Hub for Students
As a project celebrating the 40th anniversary of the university’s founding, the Hall of Learning, Global Square, opened in 2013. Inside the Global Square building, a high-profile learning commons named “SPACe” was established as a learning hub for active learning, where more than 2,000 students visit and study collaboratively every day.
Promoting Gender Equality
Women now play active roles in every corner of society and nearly half of the students at Soka University are female. In light of this fact, the presence of female faculty members is indispensable. Soka University aims to raise the number of female faculty members to more than 30% to promote gender equality.
At this point, female students in Graduate Schools (doctorate, master, and professional graduate courses) comprise 33% of the student body. Soka University will intensify the support system for those female students who aim to become faculty members.
Advancing from “Go Global Japan Project”
to “Top Global University Project”
Advancing from “Go Global Japan Project” to “Top Global University Project”
As the university was selected for the “Go Global Japan Project” initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2012, the university accelerated its initiatives set forth in the Grand Design Initiative 4 years ahead of schedule, now aiming to achieve annually 1000 students experiencing study abroad and to raise students’ English proficiency level (480 students with a TOEIC score of 730 or higher) towards 2016.
In addition, Soka University was selected for the “Top Global University Project” initiated by MEXT as one of the 37 national and private universities in September 2014. With the theme of “Global Initiative for Humanistic Education―Fostering Global Citizens for Building Peace and Sustainable Prosperity,” Soka University will accelerate its initiatives to foster global human resources to fulfill its missions and its responsibility to lead the globalization of Japan.
The Launch of the
Research Promotion Center
Soka University established a new organization to further improve overall research support and to promptly and appropriately respond to the university’s policy related to research ethics.
This center will serve to provide overall research support including the management of research funds and subsidies from inside and outside the University, the design of research strategy, the promotion of research ethics, the management of industry-academia collaboration and intellectual prosperity, financial support and donations for research, and assessment of faculty members’ achievements.
The Launch of the Graduate School of International Peace Studies
The Launch of the Graduate School of International Peace Studies
Soka University launched the Graduate School of International Peace Studies in 2018, which will implement global citizen education. The school will incorporate research and education, and its curriculum will emphasize problem-based learning and fieldwork while offering courses in English. The school offers programs in International Relations and Peace Studies, aiming to cultivate professionally trained specialists who possess knowledge and skills necessary for “Building a Sustainable Global Society of Peace” to design and initiate concrete and realistic policies or programs in various fields in companies or non-profit organizations inside or outside of Japan.