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- About Kwansei Gakuin
- Our Mission at Kwansei Gakuin
Our Mission at Kwansei Gakuin
Mission Statement
Our mission at Kwansei Gakuin, as a learning community based on the principles of Christianity, is to inspire our members to seek their life missions, and cultivate them to be creative and capable world citizens who embody our motto, "Mastery for Service," by transforming society with compassion and integrity.
"We aim to be strong, to be masters - masters of knowledge, masters of opportunity, masters of ourselves, our desires, our ambitions . . . . but having become masters, we desire not to inflate, and enrich ourselves for our own sake, but to render some useful service to humanity in order that the world may be better for our having lived in it." (Dr. C.J.L. Bates, 1915)
Kwansei Gakuin's motto of "Mastery for Service," coined by Dr. C.J.L. Bates, the fourth Chancellor of Kwansei Gakuin and the first President of Kwansei Gakuin University, reflects the ideal for all our members to master their abundant God-given gifts to serve their neighbors, society and the world. A “master” usually means someone who directs or commands others, but at our school, it means a person who, in terms of humanity, learning, and daily life. From that base, “service” is understood in the Christian context as “service to God,” the starting point for a life dedicated to serving neighbors, society, and others - a way of life that is devoted to creating a better world by utilizing one’s inalienable gifts; that is the ideal that we members of Kwansei Gakuin continue to seek, as we sing in the school song, “Shining freedom, Mastery for Service.”
By describing Kwansei Gakuin as a “learning community,” we understand that education and research are collaborative endeavors. KG was founded on “the principles of Christianity,” and these principles continue as the core of its existence. This refers to learning about the theological and cultural aspects of Christianity, including the significance of Jesus Christ, but it also means that all the goals and values of this community are firmly rooted in Christian ideals. Human rights, peace, respect for nature, social justice, and cross-cultural understanding are prime examples of such values that guide our studies and life together toward an inclusive community “without fences.”
Through this educational environment, all the members, who include students and their families, faculty, staff, and alumni, are motivated to seek new knowledge, and the full life that is most suited to each, based on individual talents, interests, and abilities, as well as social needs. “Life missions” also include vocations in Christian Ministry, one of the original courses at Kwansei Gakuin, and this training continues as an important element of the Christian principles. The content of a KG education nurtures people to develop social, moral, and academic skills that allow them to participate creatively around the world, and take leadership as agents of change in the societies where they live, thus actualizing the ideal of “world citizen.” Like Kwansei Gakuin’s founder, Walter Lambuth, world citizens have the skills to communicate and empathize with others, and then take responsibility for creating a better world. KG’s motto, “Mastery for Service,” is explained further by emphasizing that its motivation must be the care and concern for others.
In 2039, the 150th anniversary of Kwansei Gakuin, factors like the decline in Japan’s birth rate and advances in AI mean that society is expected to look vastly different from how it is today. Even in that future era, it is our hope that our graduates will hold the school motto close to their hearts; we hope that with a firm sense of values and rich humanity, they will use the knowledge and skills they have acquired at Kwansei Gakuin to lead “fulfilling and meaningful lives” by participating actively in a diverse range of fields and serving their neighbors, society and the world. The nine schools of Kwansei Gakuin will make the most of their collective strengths as a comprehensive educational institution with a highly international character, and combine forces to work towards the realization of that ideal.