The Five Educational Principles of Meiji Gakuin University

In light of the educational philosophy of “Do for Others” which takes as its foundation the Christian-based moral education, education at Meiji Gakuin University is based around five principles.

The first is to foster individuals who can understand and empathize with others. The training in the liberal arts and humanities offered by the University investigates the nature of the human mind, artistic expression, and language, which is essential to maintaining our physical wellbeing and achieving mutual understanding. In doing so, it cultivates insight into the feelings and attitudes of others. The first principle seeks to foster well-rounded individuals who can, thanks to this insight, appreciate cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and value systems different from their own.

The second is to foster individuals endowed with analytical ability and imagination. Through the University’s training in the social sciences, which aims at analysis of economic laws, management structures, social relationships, legal systems, and political activity, the second principle seeks to cultivate discriminating individuals proficient in logical and empirical analysis who can apply their imaginations to the societies of the future.

The third is to foster individuals gifted in the art of communication. This means cultivating individuals who can adeptly convey insight into the attitudes of others and analytical intelligence regarding societal issues to people of different ages, social backgrounds, cultures, religions, languages, and nationalities, through written expressions, media, information processing, and foreign language.

The fourth is to foster individuals who are able to design their own careers. This means fostering individuals who can seek out their own goals, whether through the regular curriculum or extracurricular activities, and pursue the design of their own careers, carrying on the Hepburns’ legacy by recognizing the value of a personal mission.

The fifth is to foster individuals who will serve as leaders in a harmonious society. The Hepburns’ service to others transcended differences in status or circumstances, nationality or race, and emphasized kindness toward the weak, developing countries, and children. Acknowledging the interactive nature of this service, the fifth principle seeks to cultivate individuals who can devote themselves to volunteering to help their neighbors, social welfare, peacebuilding with other countries, and coexistence with the natural environment. In other words, it means fostering individuals who can coexist in harmony with humanity, society, and nature (Mitleben).

Meiji Gakuin University upholds these five educational principles in its research and education.