Message from the President

“An Evolving University Developing Talent for the 21st Century”

Masayuki Kawamura, President

Surugadai University is located at the foot of the rich green Azu Hills, by the River Iruma to the west of Tokyo. Having opened in 1987 with just a single faculty, it added the Faculties of Economics, Cultural Information Resources and Contemporary Cultures, and grew into a four-faculty institute with a strong literary inclination. With the reorganization of the Faculty of Cultural Information Resources into the Faculty of Media and Information Resources and the establishment of the new Faculty of Psychology in April 2009, it now boasts five faculties. The incorporation into the Faculty of Contemporary Cultures of programs in tourist hospitality and sports culture has brought a complete modernization of all its basic resources.

The establishment and revamping of these additional faculties is patent confirmation that the aim of Surugadai University is to offer an education eminently suited to the needs of today's society. This enhancement is being actualized in its faculties and department, as well as in the contents of its curriculum.

In order to standardize the framework of each faculty's program, we began in April 2009 to reinforce not only core courses but also programs in basic education and programs leading directly to career opportunities. In addition to normal lecture courses developing career-building skills, we also have off-campus studies that include internships, forestry-management projects, and urban improvement programs - all intended for students wishing to acquire practical experience as well as theoretical knowledge. Our study program that also gives the student a well-rounded education through selection of major and minor fields of endeavor - indeed a modernized education that includes subjects such as computer education, language education and overseas study programs awarding credits transferable towards graduation - is yet another indication of the positive trends that are developing as the university continues to evolve.

The object of education is to promote people of talent demanded by society. The exact nature of this talent inevitably changes in time, but that required by the present society in Japan must of course be readied to face the challenges of the 21st century.

The person destined to succeed in this 21st century is not one who predictably conforms to others around him or reacts obediently to every order given; nor is it the type of person such as the one who was trained during the long, post-war economic boom to generate vast amounts of work. It is the person who has specific abilities through which his individuality projects itself.

We should stress, however, that to perform a useful role in society does not mean giving full play to one's individuality at the expense of the harmony of the whole. The person we seek to educate is one who becomes increasingly conscious of the strengths and preferences of his own particular character, who can discover his niche in society, and who can use that opportunity to apply his abilities to the fullest. This person should be a decidedly mature individual who, besides engaging actively in business and other places of work, can fittingly render services for the benefit of citizens not only in the immediate community, but also on a national scale or even on the world stage. Surugadai University stands ready to help educate and qualify such people with its curriculum, staff, and facilities.

We anticipate that all students will fulfill their goals at Surugadai University, a forward-looking institution that is continuously evolving and preparing conduits for future role models in this, our 21st century.

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