I wish you all a happy, healthy New Year.

Soka University, operating under the founding principles to be the highest seat of learning for humanistic education, the cradle of a new culture and citadel for the peace of humanity, aims to foster students as creative, contributive global citizens who will partner with peoples of the world to build peace.

Ever since this institution launched the Grand Design Initiative (GDI) in 2010 to establish the finest university environment, Soka has achieved every one of our Grand Design objectives as we head toward Golden Anniversary in 2020. Our work has been widely recognized and, as a result, the government has selected our school for a number of strategic initiatives to enhance the global competitiveness of Japanese higher learning, including the Top Global University Project and Acceleration Program for University Education.

With the first half of GDI completed in November 2015, Soka launched the second half, from 2015 to 2020, with the aim of meeting fundamental reforms to the higher education system as it pertains to university affiliated high schools, seeing this as an opportunity for further development.

Under GDI 2015-20, Soka University is committed to even more innovative solutions to foster creative global citizens, in part by providing a highly diverse academic environment in which people of different nationalities, cultures, gender, worldviews and ages can come and learn together.

Based on the founding principles envisioned by school founder Daisaku Ikeda and in an effort to meet the challenges of the times, the faculty and administration will be working as one in bringing to full flower the potential of each individual student.

Toward that end, I look forward to and fully appreciate your continued support and counsel.

Yoshihisa Baba
President
Soka University