President of Sophia UniversityI have recently assumed the position of President of Sophia University. My areas of specializa-tion include international education, compara-tive education, and multicultural education. From April 2014 to March 2021, I was committed to my role as Vice President, leading the universi-ty’s global engagement. Since 2024, I have also served as Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair* on Education for Human Dignity, Peace, and Sustainability — an initiative grounded in Sophia University’s mission. As President, I intend to continue drawing on these areas of expertise to support and guide the university’s development.My vision as President is to further strengthen Sophia as a crossroads for “knowledge platforms” — places where people of diverse backgrounds come together, share experiences and insights, and take that learning into the world in their own ways. Guided by our educational spirit of “For Others, With Others,” I hope to cultivate individuals who can stand in sol-idarity with the socially vulnerable and consider complex is-sues with a multifaceted perspective.It is essential to return to our roots and reconsider how ed-ucation, research, and social engagement at Sophia should evolve moving forward. I believe ethics should be empha-sized alongside education, poverty, and environmental con-cerns. Ethics is fundamental not only to the responsible use of knowledge and technology but also to the advancement of world peace and an inclusive society. I want our students to continuously reflect on what to learn and how best to contribute to society, developing the capacity to chart their own learning journeys. I sincerely hope they acquire skills at Sophia that empower them in any field they pursue and that they become leaders filled with compassion and empa-thy for others.Regarding Sophia’s global engagement, we should sustain our current initiatives while reassessing their core purpose. Our university hosts students from a wide range of linguistic, re-ligious, and regional backgrounds, and we are aware that our current support may not meet every student’s needs. We need to identify the types of academic programs, campus environ-ments, and student career support services required to ensure that every student can live, learn, and pursue their goals in Japan with confidence and a sense of security. By embrac-ing such diversity, Sophia is well positioned to serve as a new model of a university in the global era.In today’s turbulent world, international collaboration has never been more critical. I look forward to deepening our in-terdisciplinary research foundation — anchored in Sophia’s unique character — and forging active partnerships with aca-demic and research institutions both in Japan and abroad. As a Catholic Jesuit university, we will continue to strive to be a community where people understand and support one an-other. I am fully committed to advancing research and edu-cation that nurtures the next generation.*https://sophia-unescochair.jp/en/3Miki SugimuraMESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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