people living in these countries, as well as the types of future they envision, are of course, dif-ferent. Sometimes these differences lead to con-flicts. Turning our eyes away from this reality and focusing on a future rooted in a fixed ideol-ogy and set of values will undoubtedly lead to distortions.”“With the establishment of the SPSF, we aim to attract more students from regions we presently have few enrollees from, such as South East Asia, he adds. “We aim to create a learning en-vironment free from conflicts of interest, where young students from diverse backgrounds around the world can discuss their ideal futures and deepen their understanding of each other, building upon Sophia’s educational spirit of ‘For others, with others.’ We hope it becomes a place that sparks new ideas and makes sustain-ability rooted in diversity a reality.”In this regard, it is highly significant that the SPSF is set in Japan. The nation has unique experience in the field of sus-tainability, as illustrated by the exceptional example of the resource circulation systems, devised by commoners, that supported Edo (Tokyo’s former name) when it was the most populated city of its time. Presently, Japan has the most aged society in the world and faces immediate, increasingly dire sustainability issues.“Many students from abroad have great interest in Japanese culture and society,” notes Otsuka.” “They and their Japanese colleagues can learn both from the past and present of this country and from each other, coming to many realizations by placing themselves in an environment where the culture and its transformations can be intimately felt.”Otsuka asserts that the SPSF’s interdisciplinary approach is possible precisely because of Sophia’s qualities as a uni-versity. “We have nine undergraduate faculties on one cam-pus, covering the social, human, and natural sciences, and As citizens of this planet, there is a question we are confronted with while we go about our daily lives: “Is it sustainable?” This question is especially pressing for younger generations, as they will be the ones to inhabit the future, says Professor Otsuka. “It is the current responsibility of higher education institutions to offer an environment where students can culti-vate their abilities to find answers to these kinds of questions.”The SPSF aims to become a model for such an environment, via a multidisciplinary approach enabling students to inter-nalize the SPSF’s acceptance of diversity: a crucial aspect when considering the sustainability of human society. “The name of the program uses the word ‘futures,’ the plural form,” explains Otsuka. “This is because the program does not es-pouse one single form of the future: rather, multiple possi-bilities rooted in various sets of values are posited.” The professor elaborates, “Just as there are regions blessed with resources, so there are those that lack them, and just as there are regions with exploding populations, so there are those whose are in decline. The awareness and interests of The Importance of a Perspective That Recognizes DiversityThe Interdisciplinary Nature of Sophia’s CampusJuro OtsukaVice President for Academic Affairs;Professor, Department of English Literature8Approach
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