2026 New Year's Greetings Chairman Yoshihide Akiya

We would like to extend our best wishes for the New Year. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued understanding and warm support for our university's educational and research activities.

Our university's Ekiden Club participated in the 102nd Hakone Ekiden, held on January 2nd and 3rd, marking their 9th time in seven years. They placed 8th overall, securing seed status for the seventh consecutive year and marking a new milestone. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude not only to the runners who raced down the Hakone course, but also to the dedicated club members who supported them, and to everyone who cheered them on from the roadside and in front of their televisions. Building on this experience, the runners have already embarked on a new journey towards their next goal. We hope for your continued support.

This year, Soka University celebrated the auspicious 55th anniversary of its founding. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the university's entry into the international university rankings, a significant milestone. A symbolic achievement was the university's first appearance in the QS World University Rankings, a global university evaluation index, demonstrating its internationally recognized quality of education and research. In addition, the university received high marks in the THE University Impact Rankings, which measure contributions to the SDGs, and high student satisfaction in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's National Student Survey. The "student-first" approach to human education that Soka University has pursued continues to evolve into a global center for "global citizenship education," earning unwavering trust both at home and abroad.

In the medium- and long-term plan "the Grand Design Initiative 2021-2030," which looks ahead to 2030, the 100th anniversary of Soka Education, we have achieved steady results in the fields of education, research, SDGs, diversity, and building a management foundation. On the other hand, the current landscape of higher education is changing at an unprecedented rate, with the rapid development of generative AI and the spread of online education. In order to respond appropriately to these social changes and take the initiative to lead reforms, we will start a new plan from April this year that has been updated with an eye on the second half of the five years (FY2026-2030). No matter what turbulent times we are in, we are determined to further enhance the opportunities for learning so that students can maximize their potential and demonstrate our true value as a "university that nurtures global citizens."

In addition, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for the generous donations from people all over the country for the "Soka University 55th Anniversary and Soka Women’s College 40th Anniversary" commemorative donation project. We will carefully use the valuable support we have received to enhance benefit-type scholarships for students who will lead the next generation and to improve the educational environment, including the establishment of new faculties and departments.

While making the tradition of "human education" that Founder Daisaku Ikeda Professor has built shine even brighter, we will move forward strongly this year to open up a better future together with everyone.
I sincerely wish you all a happy year.

January 2026 Chairman of the Board of Directors of Soka University Yoshihide Akiya