Sophia University
Sophia University was established in 1913, when the Japanese Ministry of Education
gave a small group of Jesuits permission to found a new educational institution
under the Japanese name of Jōchi Gakuin. From its modest beginning Sophia University
has grown to be one of the foremost of Japan's private universities, with a student
body of over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a teaching staff of more
than one thousand. In the tradition of the international character of Sophia’s
founders, the faculty members represent twenty different nationalities; they are
committed to conveying to the next generation through their scholarship and teaching
both humankind's cultural and intellectual heritage and a concern for the problems
facing the world today.
Mission: Conforming with the spirit of Catholicism and with a focus on academics,
the University searches for the highest goal of truth; provides broad and deep
expertise in academics; attempts character-building through the spread of
intelligence, morality, and practical ability; and proposes to cultivate competent
community leaders who will contribute to cultural development and human welfare.