With a motto of “connecting Sophia to the world,” the Institute of Comparative Culture (ICC) promotes interdisciplinary studies in social sciences and humanities from a comparative perspective, building the global networks of Sophia’s own international researchers, and supporting worldclass researchers outside Japan who want to conduct research with ICC members. The specializations of ICC members include anthropology, sociology, politics, business, history, literature, art history, and area studies, strongly focusing on Asia. ICC’s research activities and public events are mostly conducted in English.

The central activity of the ICC is funding and organizing research projects initiated by ICC members. We have collaborative research projects on “Global Japanese Cuisine”, “Feminism and Female Empowerment in the 21st-Century Academy”, “Network Studies”, “Digital Social Science and Oral Narrative”, “A History of Sophia University”. In cooperation with research projects we also sponsor symposia and public lectures organized by ICC members.

• Publish research papers of ICC project members and visiting scholars.
• Recently we have moved to presenting all research findings online.
• Assist visiting scholars by providing office space, facilities, access to university libraries, and an environment for scholastic interaction with Sophia faculty and students
• Assist in grant acquisition and administration to ICC members