Message from the President

The spirit of the school founder lives on in our hearts.

  Since its establishment by Jinzo Naruse in 1901, Japan Women's University has been a pioneering force in high-er education for women in Japan, producing a legion of talented women graduates.

  At the time of the University's founding, society and academia were still in the grip of the old-fashioned idea that women were best excluded from higher education. Jinzo Naruse's belief that the first goal of the University must be "to educate women as human beings" laid the foundations for today's democratic education system. Naruse also set out to realize the idea of educating students as women and as citizens. (In today's language, the latter term might be translated as "members of society" or "members of the world community.") As a concrete means of achieving these goals, he indicated the following prescription: "True Conviction," "Creativity," and "Cooperation and Service." In 2001, the University will celebrate its centennial. Today the University is preparing to meet the challenge of the future by working to enrich its international understanding while continuing to draw upon this rich repository of history and tradition.

  From the beginning, Naruse conceived of Japan Women's University as a comprehensive university for women. In accordance with his vision, the University is currently organized into the Faculties of Home Economics, Humanities, Integrated Arts and Social Sciences, and Science. Today, all the Faculties have their own graduate programs. It was also Naruse's wish to provide an integrated education from kindergarten to graduate school. The affiliated schools set up in reflection of this desire provide an educational setting that allows each pupil or student to tap and develop her unique potential as an individual.

  Similarly, the University continues its tradition of educating students as human beings, respecting the right of each student to learn freely and think for herself in accordance with her own abilities and interests. Also, an alumnae association, Ofukai, provides graduates with the opportunity to continue learning and contributing to society throughout their lives.

  Women today have been given the opportunity to develop their talents and play an active role in all facets of society. It is our sincere hope that students, having received a rich, diverse education as women and as human beings, will grow into twenty-first-century leaders capable of contributing to happiness and peace around the world.

President Shoko Goto