Philosophy of Education | SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY

SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY has a long history and tradition of consistently offering humanistic education based on the spirit of Christianity for more than 120 years. Throughout the university’s long history, it has constantly pursued the ideal image of human being in the society of the times. Contemporary society of the 21st century faces various challenges associated with human activity, such as the aging society, lifelong learning, cultural globalization, never-ending conflicts around the world, and so on. It is evident from these challenges that SGU’s founding spirit and mission of exploring ways for people to "walk together" across various barriers, such as generations, genders, and national borders, will become increasingly significant in this society. For this reason, firmly inheriting the founding spirit and upholding as our education philosophy the notion of educating people who can refine their inner selves through Christianity and a richness of general knowledge, Shokei Gakuin University will cultivate people who will contribute to society with hearts of love and service to others.

To achieve our goals, looking ahead toward our students’ future, in April 2019, the University introduced a new college structure, consisting of three colleges and five departments, with the aim of realizing student-centered education. The educational policy of the founding Principal, Ms. Annie Buzzell, was to cultivate people who are not merely knowledgeable, but who are able to work, that is, people who are able to respond to the needs of the times in which they live. This means equipping students with the ability to meet the needs of the times in ways that match their individual motivation and interests, with a focus on contribution to problems (other people), rather than the conventional systematic acquisition of knowledge. With the introduction of the college structure, faculty members belong to a single faculty, not to each college, which allows the university to provide students with education in line with their educational needs. It is also expected to promote cross-disciplinary education and research in accordance with current situations in the world and the region, through the optimization of students’ individual learning. Further, students will refine their intrinsic humanity through the diverse experiences and connections with others that they will enjoy at University, such as worship services at the chapel with its authentic pipe organ, Christmas and other religious activities, and charity initiatives for the continued support of victims of the 2011 earthquake disaster.

Educational Goals

College / Department	Educational Goals
College of Humanities and Social Studies - Department of Humanities and Social Studies	To cultivate people who possess a clear awareness of the various issues in contemporary society and who can contribute to solving those issues in cooperation with others. To equip students with an understanding of contemporary society and of the people who make up that society, an understanding of the culture and local communities created by humans and the inter-relationships between them and of the connections between people and the social environment, and the ability to engage independently in solving the problems of contemporary society from multi-faceted perspectives.
College of Psychology and Education	To cultivate professionals who possess a rich imagination and empathy toward others, and who acquired advanced educational and psychological expertise and practical skills backed by theory. To nurture students’ ability to conduct scientific research into the mind, behavior, and development of human beings and into human relationships, and, at the same time, the ability to apply such research and put it into practice for the sake of their local community.
College of Psychology and Education - Department of Psychology	Cultivate people who have a counseling mindset based on empathy, who understand human beings from diverse angles and who possess rich imagination toward others. To nurture students’ ability to acquire deep insight and practical knowledge that will be useful for people and local communities by studying various psychological fields and elucidate the mechanisms and rules of the human mind and behavior in a scientific manner, with an empirical attitude based on data.
College of Psychology and Education - Department of the Scientific Study of Children	To cultivate people with rich sensibilities, who have acquired abundant knowledge and support skills for children and who possess a rich sense of ethics to protect the best interests of children. To cultivate people who possess a comprehensive, scientific understanding of children and equip them with the skills as experts in children to engage in support and education aimed at children’s holistic growth and development, consult with and respond to parents and guardians in skillful ways, and contribute to support for parenting in local communities.
College of Psychology and Education - Department of School Education	To Cultivate professionals who will acquire the qualities and abilities that will enable them to respond immediately to the increasingly diverse field of school education, and who are able to establish trusting relationships with students and their parents and guardians, as well as professionals who are able to help each and every child to experience the fun of learning and the joy of knowledge. To cultivate professionals who have acquired a high standard of theoretical and practical skills that encompass elementary and secondary education. To equip students with the ability to solve problems on the ground in school education and the skills for developing lessons that are easy to understand. To cultivate the ability to coordinate personal relationships between students and their parents and guardians, and the ability to acquire self-improvement capabilities and the ability to address all matters proactively and independently.
College of Human Health and Nutrition - Department of Human Health and Nutrition	To cultivate people who have acquired expert knowledge and skills regarding food and health, and people who possess a richness of humanity to be considerate of others and the ability to communicate with others. To equip students with the ability to propose preferable ways of living in accordance with individual living environments and lifestyles, with a focus on food and nutrition, and the ability to provide comprehensive support to realize those proposals.