Greetings from Chief Executive Director, Chair of the Board

It is often said that the mission of academia is to implement education, research, and social contribution. Looking back, I believe that Chuo University has set the development of humanity as our greatest mission, while educating, researching, and contributing to society.

Dating back 140 years, the Igirisu Horitsu Gakko (English Law School) was founded in the Kanda district of central Tokyo with an aim to establish a modern legal system in Japan which was needed to revise the unequal treaties concluded with western countries in the Edo period. This predecessor has become the Chuo University of today through its glorious history and tradition of practical learning. Chuo University has a strong record of success in preparing students for competitive national qualification examinations, especially in the Japanese legal field. Chuo graduates have made up a large percentage of the legal professions in Japan. We are very proud of this fact, however, the number of students and graduates who have passed the qualification examinations for lawyers, certified public accountants, etc., is not the only unique feature of Chuo University.

Rokuichiro Masujima, one of the founders of Chuo University, studied at Middle Temple and qualified as a barrister in England in the early Meiji era (1868-1912), and soon after returning to Japan, he purchased the Kanda Nishikicho site with a building from Mitsubishi and founded the Igirisu Horitsu Gakko. After retiring as its first president, he had a long career as a global lawyer practicing law internationally, opening his own offices in Tokyo and abroad while actively interacting with the American bar associations. Many of Chuo’s current faculty members are also “a global person” who are active internationally. On a personal note, my efforts to assist the drafting of the Civil Procedure Code of Cambodia, as part of the Committee for Assistance in Establishing a Modern Legal System for Cambodia by the Japanese Ministry of Justice and JICA, are based on my desire to make international social contributions. Having witnessed the many people who have lost their legs to landmines begging in Phnom Penh’s central market, I have hoped that one day, my work would contribute, however modestly, to the country’s development and happiness. I hope that students at Chuo University will have a broad perspective and set an international goal. We offer a variety of global programs that support those initiatives.

A great number of Chuo University graduates have become prominent in various professional fields, including public speaking, global business leadership, political leadership, government service at both national and local levels, elite sports, and the arts and culture. As evidenced by our distinguished alumni and their outstanding contributions across these essential fields, Chuo University is a comprehensive university capable of fostering individuals who form the foundation of society.

Chuo University has been advancing our decade-long strategic plan, “Chuo Vision 2025.” We have realized many of its major goals, including the establishment of the Faculty of Global Management and the Faculty of Global Informatics, opening of the Global Gateway Chuo – an international exchange hub in the Tama campus, the International Residence Chuo, the relocation of the Faculty of Law to the new Myogadani downtown campus, and consolidation of Professional Graduate Schools to the new Surugadai downtown campus. Furthermore, “Chuo Vision 2035,” our new decade-long strategic plan, has been launched. Under this vision, we are advancing initiatives such as the reorganization of the Faculty of Science and Engineering into three faculties, the establishment of the Faculty of Data Science, Sports and Wellness, reorganization of departments in the Faculty of Economics, the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture and Information Technology, the acceleration of Chuo Global-X plan, the exploration of the comprehensive university model, and the promotion of athletic development. Chuo University is set to enhance our attractiveness and competitiveness. Working together with faculty members, staff, and alumni, we are committed to making Chuo a university with a global presence and steadily achieving “Chuo Vision 2035.”

OMURA Masahiko, Chief Executive Director, Chair of the Board, Chuo University