Addressing the educational reforms required in times of change

The history of Seikei Gakuen dates back to 1912, when its founder, Haruji Nakamura, with the cooperation of his close friends from junior high school, Mr. Koyata Iwasaki and Mr. Shigezo Imamura, opened the predecessor of Seikei Gakuen, "Seikei Jitsumu Gakko" in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Since then, the school has developed as a comprehensive school with an elementary, junior high, high school, university, and graduate school, sending out many talented people who are active both in Japan and abroad, while inheriting the educational philosophy of "respect for individuality," "cultivation of character," and "commitment to hard work," based on the ideal of “A peach tree says nothing, yet people naturally create a path to it,” which has been the foundation of the school since its founding.

And now, amidst the drastic changes in society, the world is being forced to undergo severe challenges, and the field of school education is being placed in a difficult situation where conventional wisdom is no longer applicable. However, it is precisely in times such as these that private schools must practice distinctive education that is in tune with the times and earn a high reputation and trust from society.

Seikei Gakuen continues to strive for more without resting on our laurels. Based on the past achievements and challenges, the school established a new third mid-term plan with a six-year achievement period from FY 2023 until FY2028, with the goal of cultivating 'virtuous people' who contribute to the development of global society with a solid liberal arts education and rich sense of humanity. Currently, in order to achieve these school goals, each school and incorporated educational organization has set their own goals and are working together to achieve them.

Seikei Gakuen was relocated from Ikebukuro to Kichijoji in 1924. The founder, Haruji Nakamura, who wished more than anyone else for the further development of Seikei education in Kichijoji, a vast area of fields and wooded areas at that time, passed away without seeing the relocation. In the 100 years since then, we have grown along with the development of this area. Nurturing human resources who combine a solid liberal arts education with a rich sense of humanity and who are capable of making a dedicated contribution to the development of society is the founding principle of Seikei Gakuen, and it is a mission that will be called for even more strongly in the coming age. With the history of Seikei Gakuen in mind, we will continue our efforts to swiftly implement educational reforms that meet the needs of the times and turn out the human resources required by society.

We sincerely appreciate your continued understanding and support.

Fostering “co-creation skills” to solve global problems

Haruji Nakamura, who opened Seikei Jitsumu Gakko, the predecessor of Seikei Gakuen, in 1912, had misgivings about the overemphasis on intellectual training and the uniform education of the time, and believed that education should be tailored to each student's individuality. “Respect for individuality" is part of the founding spirit of Seikei Gakuen, and we are commited to providing small-class education from elementary school to university. For more than 100 years we have been practicing “individualized-optimal learning,” which has received much attention in recent years.

Today, developing global talents and addressing diversity have become our major challenges. “Respect for individuality" means valuing each person's uniqueness, which leads to embracing diversity.

As people move across national borders, there has been an increase in collaborative work with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, even within Japan. On the other hand, there is a mountain of global issues that need to be solved by bringing together experts from different fields from around the world, such as environmental problems, regional conflicts, economic disparities, and infectious diseases. Based on my experience of studying abroad twice and working for foreign-affiliated companies, I believe that what is required of global talents is not only the ability to communicate in English, but also "the ability to collaborate with people of diverse nationalities, cultures, and fields of expertise to create new things.” This could be described as “skills for co-creation.”

In order to nurture such capabilities, Seikei University is aiming to launch the "Faculty of Global Interdisciplinary Studies" (tentative name) in 2026. We are also planning to expand study abroad opportunities and to start a new international course, the Global Study Program “GSP,” in order to foster global competencies among all our students. We have been implementing international understanding education and international exchange programs at our junior and senior high schools as well as our elementary school since early on, and we will further enhance these programs.

In order to collaborate and co-create with diverse people, we must understand each other and build trust with them. The foundation of such relationship is humanity and the aspiration to contribute to society. Seikei Gakuen also upholds "cultivation of character" as the founding spirit, and since its foundation, the school has focused on character education. Our graduates who received this education have become trusted leaders by their peers and are playing an active role in various fields in Japan and abroad.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the relocation of Seikei Gakuen from Ikebukuro to Kichijoji. We will continue to work together with alumni, parents, and the local community to further develop Seikei Gakuen with a long tradition. We appreciate your continued understanding and support.