2017/11/14

Educational reform needed in a globalizing era

Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS) today received the final approval from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan on the establishment of the Faculty of Global Engagement (Department of Global Studies and Department of Global Tourism). The new Faculty is scheduled to enroll students starting from April 2018.

Since its foundation in 1947, the university has prided itself on high quality education through small class sizes, intensive instruction and multilingual training, all under the school motto, “PAX MUNDI PER LINGUAS” (World Peace through Languages). Today, with globalization and information technologies rapidly transforming our world, we are facing new challenges that we have never experienced before.

When the world changes, university also needs to change. We realized that the mere acquisition of foreign languages would not be enough to respond to such an ever-changing situation. We therefore saw the dire necessity of redefining the roles and responsibilities hitherto given to a university that specializes in foreign languages and foreign studies.

At the Faculty of Global Engagement, the field-based engagement experience, called “Community Engagement” is at the core of student learning and the curriculum. It aims at tackling and resolving global issues by working together with the members of communities throughout the world. Students will not only be able to “study,” but also to “experience” how they can contribute to the global community. Through its curriculum, students can nurture a global mind-set and acquire a set of skills urgently needed in today’s society.

Through our new Faculty of Global Engagement, we look forward to generating those “Changemakers” in the near future who can contribute to solving global issues through strong language and communication skills.

14 November 2017
Professor Takeshi Matsuda, President
Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Studies

Related links:
Final Approval Granted for Establishment of Faculty of Global Engagement
Admission Applications and Examinations (for Overseas Students and Those Living outside of Japan) for 2018 Enrollment

Back