Waseda University

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Waseda's culture and traditions have evolved over more than a century, but its founding principles remain firm, and the Waseda spirit lives in the hearts of over 500,000 alumni. Here we present the changing, the unchanged, the little-known, and the lovable about Waseda.
On Waseda University's 30th anniversary in October 1913, President Shigenobu Okuma proclaimed its newly adopted Mission Statement.
As the introductory statement of its educational policy, the mission was drafted by Sanae Takata, Shoyo Tsubouchi, Kenkichi Ichijima, Kazutami Ukita, Yasukuni Matsudaira, and their colleagues, and approved by Okuma before its presentation at the anniversary celebration.
In 1937 a monument inscribed with the mission statement, in calligraphy by Hisoka Maejima, was installed near the main gate.
Waseda University holds as its founding principles the preservation of the independence of scholarship, the promotion of the practical application of scholarship, and good citizens' fostering.
Holding the independence of scholarship as a central principle, Waseda University pledges to contribute to the world's scholarship regarding freedom of research as essential and to devote itself to original research.
Holding the practical application of scholarship as a central principle, Waseda University pledges to contribute to the progress of the times by establishing a path for the practical use of scholarship and pursuing theoretical research for its own sake.
Holding the fostering of good citizens as a central principle, Waseda University pledges to cultivate people of character who can respect individuality, develop themselves and their families, benefit the nation and society, and be active in the world at large.
Independence of Learning is tightly connected with the outsider's spirit and a critical mind. Waseda University has promoted scientific education and research without bending to authority or temporal fashion to produce independent modern citizens.
So the founding principle of Practical Utilization of Knowledge focuses not on shallow pragmatism but the spirit of progressivism.
The transformation to a global and borderless world is gaining momentum every year, touching every sector of society, and universities are no exception. Labels such as domestic and foreign lose their meaning, as universities worldwide face increasingly fierce competition in their pursuit of the highest-quality education and research.
Since its foundation, Waseda University has been sensitive to changes in society while maintaining its core principles. We have fearlessly taken on a variety of challenges and tirelessly pursued innovation. Waseda has been built by our many predecessors and their bold endeavors embodying the founding spirit. However, as we face this era of massive change, I see it as the mission and duty of today's Waseda to go further, building on this tradition.
Our vision is to lead in global education and research. Best Education, Best Research, Best Community represents our collective aim to achieve world-class results in all our pursuits. I believe that now is the time to press forward with Waseda's traditional enterprising spirit to address the many challenges the world now faces.
This program's blueprint is the Waseda Vision 150 strategic plan, which sets up goals and initiatives for the period up to Waseda's 150th anniversary in 2032. In the education sphere, we have already implemented the Quarter system and established the Global Education Center and the Center for Higher Education Studies. In the research sphere, we have established the URA (University Research Administrator) position at the Center for Research Strategy in finance. We have stimulated higher levels of donations and yielded healthier financial results overall.
These efforts have been recognized and boosted by Waseda's selection as a top-class institution in the national Super Global University program. Amid an international trend of opening up universities to the world and emphasizing dynamic thinking, the program provides grants and other support for our goal to break into the top 100 of the world university rankings and produce 100,000 global leaders over ten years.
The entire university worked as a team to achieve these results in the first stage of our undertaking. Now, looking ahead, I have set out the following policies for stage two, aiming for Waseda, the Best.

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