Rikkyo University, located in Tokyo and founded in 1874, began with St. Paul's School. Bishop Channing Moore Williams established the Episcopal Church missionary as a private school that taught Christian Bible studies and English. At that time, Japan was rushing to catch up with the advanced nations of the West, and the field of education also had a strong utilitarian tendency. Knowledge and technology were often seen as tools for material prosperity and self-advancement.
The shield mark, Rikkyo University's official symbol, was established in 1918 by the then-President of the University, Charles S. Reifsnider, and is held to embody Rikkyo University's founding principles.
The Latin text is written across the shield, "PRO DEO ET PATRIA," which means "For God and Country." At the University, this has been interpreted to mean "to seek universal and divine truth, for our world, society, and neighbors," an ideal that guides our educational philosophy.
The Rikkyo School embodied awareness of the dangers posed by some of the trends that were affecting Japan during this period and sought to take traditional Western liberal arts education as a model for the cultivation of people who, combining the richness of spirit with leadership skills, would be able to make a meaningful personal contribution to the world. Rikkyo University has continued to follow this path right down to the present day.
While the modern era's globalization has helped make life more convenient for people and fostered more diversi¬fied lifestyles, it has also led to excessively intense competition. We hope that people who study at Rikkyo University will go on to become the kind of people who never hesitate to stretch out their hands to help others.
The Ministry of Education selected Rikkyo University, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology （MEXT）as the Top Global University Project （Global Traction Type）. Top Global University Project starts in 2014 to enhance the international compatibility and competitiveness of higher education in Japan by supporting universities executing decisive reforms and thorough internationalization.
Working to enhance further and promote our unique initiatives, including advanced leadership education and liberal arts education spanning more than 140 years, Rikkyo University aims to create a university with self-transformational force, which is evolutionary and creative and leads other universities by building a world-class educational system through dialogue with liberal arts universities in Europe and the USA.
In October 2015, Rikkyo University defined its mid-to-long-term vision of RIKKYO VISION 2024 ahead of its upcoming 150th anniversary in 2024. It declared its three values and the nine action plans tied to them. One of these action plans is to help push forward the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games project. For example, we will work to energize Rikkyo sports. Further, dispatch interpreters, volunteers, and other forms of Olympic and Paralympic Games support, train disabled sports volunteers, provide scientific support for the games, and so on.
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