| 1971 |
Established:
Creative people are the ideal type of person that Soka University aims to cultivate, as advocated by our founder, Daisaku Ikeda. Based on Founding Spirit, we aim to cultivate individuals who are able to tackle the problems facing humanity with sincerity, who can freely use their wisdom to solve problems in any environment, who can strengthen themselves, and who can contribute to the happiness of others. |
| 1975 |
Exchange agreement with the Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Accepted six Chinese government-sponsored international students (the first Chinese students since the normalization of diplomatic relations). |
| 1976 |
Japanese language course opened |
| 1980 |
Concluded an exchange agreement with Peking University (the first with a Japanese university). |
| 1987 |
Los Angeles branch campus opened |
| 1993 |
Silk Road Research Center opens |
| 1995 |
International Exchange Center opened |
| 1999 |
World Language Center established |
| the year of 2000 |
Education and Learning Support Center established |
| Founding of the Da Vinci Award |
| 2001 |
Faculty Faculty of Economics International Program begins |
| Soka University of America opens |
| 2006 |
Beijing office opened |
| 2007 |
Soka University the Grand Design Initiative formulated:
It outlines a strategy for realizing the unchanging mission of our university in 2020, the 50th anniversary of our founding. We aim to embody Founding Spirit while building a diverse campus. |
| Selected as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "University Student Employability Development Support Project" |
| Japan Asia Studies Program launched |
| 2010 |
Global Citizenship Programme launched |
| 2011 |
Japan Studies Center opened |
| year 2012 |
Selected for Go Global Japan, a program to support the development of global human resources who will drive economic and social development |
| 2014 |
Selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Top Global University Creation Support Program":
As the international community advances, we aim to develop "creative global citizens" who have advanced foreign language skills, can build consensus with others, and can lead the way in peace and sustainable prosperity. |
| Adopted for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "University Education Renewal Acceleration Program" |
| Faculty of International Liberal Arts established |
| 2015 |
Faculty of Economics SUCEED (Soka University Courses for Comprehensive Economic Education), English Track opened |
| 2016 |
Korea office opened |
| Thailand office opened |
| International Business Studies Program (IBSP) Studies Program" (IBSP) opened |
| Global Core Center opened |
| 2017 |
International student dormitories (Takiyama International Dormitory for men and Manyo International Dormitory for women) opened. |
| TESOL and King Mongkut's University of Technology in Thailand launch partnership program |
| Started accepting refugee students based on the "Refugee Higher Education Program" agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| Comprehensive partnership agreement signed with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |
| 2018 |
Graduate School Graduate School of International Peace Studies established |
| International Baccalaureate entrance exam begins |
| English Medium Program opened in all faculties (except Faculty of Nursing) |
| Philippines office opened |
| Establishment of a new "World Citizenship Course" for global citizenship education with the themes of peace, environment, development, and human rights |
| The Southeast Asian Association of Higher Education (ASAIHL) Annual General Meeting was held in Japan for the first time |
| 2019 |
Introduction of the "TA Scholarship System" for international graduate students |
| Full-scale implementation of the BEVI (Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory) method for measuring and evaluating learning outcomes through short-term and long-term study abroad programs |
| The Center for South Asian Studies opens at Institute for the Comparative Study of Cultures |
| Our university's Peace Research Institute has concluded agreements with the Institute for Peace Studies at Jeju National University in South Korea, the Center for Peace and Public Affairs at Hanshin University in South Korea, and the Institute for Peace and Human Rights at Mahidol University in Thailand. |
| Soka University's Soka Education Research Institute signs academic agreement with DePaul University's "Daisaku Ikeda Educational Research Institute" in the United States |
| Conclusion of an exchange agreement with the newly established "Daisaku Ikeda Joint Institute for Education and Development" at the University of Alcala in Spain |
| The Graduate School of Engineering (connected to the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Science and Engineering) introduced a system of early graduation and enrollment, as well as a five-year integrated course. |
| Education and Research Collaboration Agreement Signed with Consortium of 18 Federal Universities in Northeast Brazil |
| Agreement on Cooperation concluded with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) |
| Faculty of Education and Graduate School of Teacher Education join the UNESCO Associated Schools Support University Network (ASPUnivNet) |
| "Africa and SDGs: Creating a brighter future for Africa through value creation" was held as a post-event of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) (co-hosted by the Global Core Center Office and the SDGs Promotion Center) |
| 2020 |
Development and implementation of online study abroad programs and short-term overseas training programs |
| COIL education program launched at Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Part of the international joint research project with African countries was selected for the JST/JICA Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) program. |
| President Baba (at that time) becomes president of the Southeast Asian Association of Higher Education (ASAIHL). |
|
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, we will be holding a series of events titled "Value Creation x SDGs" on a regular basis.
- Commemorative speech by South African Ambassador to Japan H.E. Mr. Ngonyama
- Commemorative speech by Executive Director Fihn of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
- "Value Creation x SDGs" Week (Theme: Peace and Human Rights)
- A joint project with the University of Alcala, Spain, and Soka University of America
|
| Setting up a virtual office for international students |
| 2021 |
Formulation of "Soka University Grand Design 2021-2030":
The plan was formulated as a new 10-year mid- to long-term plan to mark the 50th anniversary of the university's founding in 2021. Based on concepts such as "global citizenship education," "achieving the SDGs," and "building a diverse campus," the plan sets the theme of "A university that fosters 'global citizens' that can create value." |
Agreement signed between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Japan and the Japan Association for UNHCR on a graduate school recommendation admissions system for refugees
(Our university is the first institution to conclude an agreement for both undergraduate and graduate programs.) |
| Pathways Japan (PJ) and the Japan ICUF have begun accepting Ukrainian students. |
| Kenya office opened at the University of Nairobi in Kenya |
| A new department, the "Global Initiatives Office," will be established, which will include the research institute and the Global Core Center office. |
| Participated in the project "Development and dissemination of objective evaluation tests for the effectiveness of international exchange programs" (led by Hiroshima University), which was adopted by the "University Internationalization Promotion Forum" project, and participated as a partner school in the "Strategic Partnership" network construction project to strengthen international competitiveness. |
| "Soka Global Perspectives" lecture series launched |
| "Promoting the SDGs and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons" hosted by Peace Research Institute (SUPRI) |
| In collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Japan, an exhibition entitled "Thinking about 'Humanity' in Our Time" was held (partnership: Embassy of Switzerland in Japan, Maison Franco-Japonaise, French National Institute for Japanese Studies, and UNHCR in Japan). |
| 2022 |
Special lecture on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will be held as a general subject course. |
| Graduate School of Education opened |
Signed an MOU with IBAVI (International Beliefs and Values Institute) and established the IBAVI Japan branch.
-Began implementing diploma policy achievement measurement using BEVI |
| The first "Global Citizenship Education Symposium" was held as the final event of the university's 50th anniversary project, which aims to build a global base for global citizenship education. |
| President Suzuki appointed as a member of the board of directors of the Southeast Asian Association of Higher Education (ASAIHL) |
| 2023 |
Minor program "SDGs" launched |
| A Malaysian research center was established within Faculty of International Liberal Arts as one of the key research centers. |
| Second Annual General Meeting of the Southeast Asian Association of Higher Education (ASAIHL) held |
| International Conference on "Promoting Security and Sustainability at the G7 Hiroshima Summit" |
| 2024 |
"Post Top Global University Project Kick-off Symposium" held |
