New Year’s Greetings from the President

Happy New Year to everyone in the Chuo University community and beyond!

In the 133 years since its inception, Chuo University has stayed true to its traditional philosophy of ‘Fostering the Ability to Apply Knowledge to Practice’ by pursuing its mission to nurture students who will go on to work for the betterment of society and pioneer its future. The key elements required for our society of the future—what some refer to as Society 5.0 — are said to be as follows: literacy, or the ability to derive needed information from given information and to use it effectively; competency, or the ability to engage creatively and actively with unknown challenges by drawing on acquired knowledge and skills; and finally the ability and quality to be active with global perspectives and mindsets. The term “Ability,” as in Chuo’s traditional philosophy of ‘Fostering the Ability to Apply Knowledge to Practice,’ refers to none other than “competency.” Moreover, the first principle of globalization is to respect diversity and individuality, as well as to enlarge our experience around the world and to develop expertise, which can be all found in the practices of the founders of Igirisu Horitsu Gakko (the English Law School), the precursor of Chuo University. It is not too much to say that the time has now come for Chuo University to demonstrate to the world its value and strength as a university.

Chuo University has been accelerating its university-wide effort to cultivate global competency as well as to foster global professionals, aiming to develop the university to a global standard on the basis of our university motto, “Knowledge into Action.” Based on Chuo Vision 2025, a ten-year development plan released in anticipation of our 140th anniversary in 2025, we will open new faculties, as well as implement an audacious plan for developing our downtown Tokyo campuses. In April 2019, the Faculty of Global Management will be established on the Tama Campus, and the Faculty of Global Informatics on the Ichigaya Tamachi Campus. Through these projects on the Tama and downtown campuses, Chuo will embark on developing vastly improved educational and research environments as well as contributing to a further enriching student life.

Chuo University is now more open to the world than ever before. Enriched through its collaborations with a society that challenges Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, including promotion of diversity, with innovations emerging from a fusion of different fields, and with the increased richness of education and research, Chuo today is reaching new heights as a global university. Based on the ability to research at a global standard and by carrying forward the strong tradition of providing practical learning while developing a heartfelt educational environment, we will work to develop the full potential of our university, as well as to advance our future-oriented traditions of education and research.

In closing, I would like to ask each of you for your sharing in our dream, for your understanding, your support and participation to ensure that 2019 is a successful year.

 

Tadahiko Fukuhara
President, Chuo University
January 1, 2019