Learn more about our beliefs
Our belief in a diversity-affirming world is at the heart of our teaching, our research, and our contributions to local and global communities
The world has seen radical changes in recent years, and in response to the many and profound challenges being experienced by communities both in Japan and worldwide, we are committed to doing our utmost to achieve the following aims in keeping with our university’s mission.
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Mutual Respect & Understanding
We will
deepen mutual understanding and relationships with people and localities in our region and around the globe.
Rich cultural diversity exists both in Japan and in other parts of the world. In current times, marked by the rapid spread of nationalist sentiment, we urgently need to deepen mutual understanding, respect, and tolerance through intercultural exchange. For this reason, we actively collaborate on projects and initiatives with people both in and out of academia around the world, while also creating opportunities to deepen exchanges with culturally diverse residents in our local community.
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Cross-Disciplinary Research & Academic Collaboration
We will
promote cooperation and collaborative research among the university’s five schools to enrich and stimulate learning.
Cross-cultural exchange thrives in the framework of research and education. The university has recently connected different research fields that were previously compartmentalized, and our five schools now cooperate in collaborative research across disciplines. By integrating science and the humanities and integrating knowledge from various fields, the faculty, staff, and students are working together to foster multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted studies, as part of an ‘anthropological approach to learning.’
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A Compassionate & Humanitarian Outlook
We will
extend the ‘anthropological approach towards learning’ to investigate and seek answers to ‘life’ issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to its threat to life and impact on mental health, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light various social issues such as discrimination and economic disparity, with complex factors involved, including science, politics, economics, culture, and the environment. The timely study of ‘life’ issues, against the backdrop of the ‘new normal’ created by a global health crisis, rests within the frame of the multi-disciplinary anthropological approach that our university has implemented across the university.
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An Inclusive & Diversity-Affirming Ethos
We will
ensure that university is a diversity-affirming environment for students, faculty, and staff.
Recent global events have served as a reminder that the belief that no child, young person, or adult should have to shoulder the heavy psychological burden caused by a lack of understanding and tolerance is central to the university’s ethos and commitment to creating a more diversity-affirming, sensitive, and inclusive environment for our university community.