The University of Shiga Prefecture

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This is the slogan of our university. The phrase "Lake Biwa is our campus" symbolizes our university's firm commitment and Shiga Prefecture people toward caring for the environment of Lake Biwa and its surroundings. The phrase "humanity is our text" represents our educational emphasis on the human being. Those phrases also reflect the characteristics of Shiga Prefecture.
Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, providing water for 15 million people in Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe in the Kinki region. To stop further environmental deterioration, the government, factories, and citizens in the prefecture have joined forces and made various efforts. As a result, Shiga Prefecture has become one of Japan's leading environmental-conscious prefectures and promotes various activities related to the natural ecosystem.
While the university sits on over 86 acres of land, our learning place is not fixed just to the campus. The massive Lake Biwa and its surroundings are our dedicated campus. Since our founding in 1995, USP′s standing educational motto is, ″Our campus is Lake Biwa...and our text is Humanity″, which we put in to practice here.
Lead by this motto and driven by a push to systematically learn about our region, we have created several minor areas of study for our undergraduates and our graduates. Among these minor areas is the ″Omi Gakushi″ (Regional Studies) one who is knowledgeable about the Omi region for the undergraduates, and the ″Omi Kanjin″ (Community Architect) Program for our graduates.
These minor areas of study allow our students to participate in independent extra-curricular activities like the ″Omi Rakuza″ (student farm) or working alongside people in the community to tackle and resolve the many challenges of the region. The goal for our graduates is to train them in becoming leaders in community development. Whichever the minor area is, it is vital to facilitate meaningful communication with others to achieve the fullest learning experiences. Without question, communication plays the most crucial role throughout our lives as we interact in society.
Meaningful communication does not mean just merely a discussion. Thinking for yourself requires a logical thought process. And finally, conveying your thoughts with exactness entails a strong ability to express yourself. Please allow yourself to gain knowledge, develop your ideas, and then convey them by seizing every learning opportunity that awaits you.
To cultivate individual creativity, students are encouraged to pursue the subjects that interest them most, in addition to those in their specialized disciplines. In all departments, they spend a great deal of their time on fieldwork, experiments, and seminars, in which an emphasis is placed on ties to and bonding with local communities in Shiga Prefecture. Such activities help us fulfill the following motto: "Take root in the community, learn from the community, and contribute to the community."
We were the first among Japanese universities to establish a School of Environment Science in 1997. Since then, social situations have changed rapidly and significantly. Environmental issues, such as global warming, pollution in lakes, and water shortages, are our significant worldwide concerns. To accommodate such social changes and act on social needs, our university was reorganized as a public university corporation in April 2006 and is no longer under prefectural control. Our emphasis on the environment and human life continues to be relevant to the next generation. We welcome young people who are genuinely concerned with the future of the world.

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