Kwansei Gakuin University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | Mastery for Service |
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| Established | Founded Sep. 28, 1889, Chartered March, 1912[1] Chartered Mar. 7, 1932[2] |
| Type | Private |
| Endowment | US$847.8 million (JP¥96.5 billion) |
| Chancellor | Michiya Hata |
| President | Kazuo Hiramatsu |
| Faculty | 383 full-time, 878 part-time |
| Staff | 533 |
| Students | 19,482 |
| Undergraduates | 17,985 |
| Postgraduates | 1,497 |
| Doctoral students | 846 |
| Professional students | 651 |
| Location | Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan |
| Campus | Suburban / Urban, 148 acres (0.6 km²) |
| Athletics | 34 varsity teams |
| Colors | Blue and white |
| Nickname | Fighters, Saints, Jayhawks, etc. |
| Mascot | 8th Man (unofficial and historical) |
| Fight song | Shingetsuki no moto ni |
| Affiliations | Kansai Big Six, ACUCA |
| Website | www.kwansei.ac.jp |
Kwansei Gakuin University (関西学院大学 Kansei gakuin daigaku?), colloquially abbreviated to KG or Kwangaku (関学 Kangaku?), is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university located in Nishinomiya, Sanda, and Osaka City, Japan.
Chartered in 1932, it is the 13th institution with university status in Kansai region, the 23rd-oldest outside the Greater Tokyo, and the 46th-oldest in the country. It should not be confused with Kansai University (関西大学 Kansai daigaku?), an entirely separate university in Suita, Osaka.
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[edit] Campus
- Nishinomiya-Uegahara Campus
- Kobe-Sanda Campus
- Osaka-Umeda Campus
[edit] History
[edit] Overview
Founded by the Revd Walter Russell Lambuth in 1889, Kwansei gakuin was originally a day school / seminary affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC-S) in the Foreign Settlement of Kobe. KG steadily expanded as a middle school, rather than a seminary through 1900s.
Then its expansion accelerated as an institution of higher education, especially after Kwansei gakuin was under the joint control of MEC-S and the Canadian Methodist Church in 1911. The school then transferred to finally its present Nishinomiya-Uegahara Campus near Mount Kabuto in 1929.
The school, formerly an all-male school, opened its doors to women on equal terms with men in 1943.
Kwansei Gakuin University and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) have reached an agreement establishing the university as the first institution of higher learning in Asia to form a volunteer-sending partnership with the United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS) in 2003.
[edit] Organization / Academics
[edit] Undergraduate units
- School of Theology (1952)
- School of Humanities (1934)
- School of Sociology and Social Work (1960)
- School of Law and Politics (1948)
- School of Economics (1934)
- School of Business Administration (1951)
- School of Science and Technology (1961, Kobe-Sanda Campus)
- School of Policy Studies (1995, Kobe-Sanda)
[edit] Postgraduate units
[edit] Graduate schools
- Graduate School of Theology (ja) (1952)
- Graduate School of Humanities (1950)
- Graduate School of Sociology and Social Work (1961)
- Graduate School of Law and Politics (ja) (1950)
- Graduate School of Economics (1950)
- Graduate School of Business Administration (1953)
- Graduate School of Science and Technology (ja) (1965, Kobe-Sanda)
- Graduate School of Policy Studies (ja) (2001, Kobe-Sanda)
- Graduate School of Language, Communication, and Culture (ja) (2001)
[edit] Professional schools
- Law School (ja) (2004)
- Institute of Business and Accounting [1] (2005)
- Business School
- Accounting School (ja)
[edit] Centers and institutes
- Division of Research Development (ja)
- Language Center
- Institute for Industrial Research (ja)
- Institute for Integrated Communication Research and Development (ja)
- Institute for Sports and Health Sciences (ja)
- Institute for Human Rights Research and Education
- Research Center for Teacher Development
- Research Center for Christianity and Culture (ja)
- Center for Information and Media Studies (ja)
- High-Tech Research Center (Kobe-Sanda Campus)
- Center for International Education and Cooperation
- Institute for Research on Disaster Reconstruction System (ja)
- Camp Sengari
[edit] University libraries
[edit] University press
[edit] Students and Faculty
Kwansei Gakuin University hosts more than 300 international students from a variety of nations.
[edit] Sports, Clubs, and Traditions
[edit] Sports
Kwansei gakuin has one of the most diverse varsity athletic programs in Japan, and its 34 varsity teams that compete in regional collegiate leagues. Although the school, unlike other private universities in the country, does not offer specific scholarships for student-athletes, it is still competitive with the top echelon of Japanese collegiate teams in the sports of American football, basketball, lacrosse and soccer.
KG is best known for its American football team, as known as Fighters, dominating the Division I League of Kansai Collegiate American Football Association with a total of 46 league titles, 22 national collegiate titles, and 1 national title from 1948-2005 seasons. Kwansei gakuin, Kyoto and Ritsumeikan have battled for American football dominance in the league for the last fifteen years.
The school's traditional athletic rivalry with Kansai University is intense again in every sport since the two institutions started All Kan-Kwan Games (総合関関戦 Sogo kankan sen?), which is less known than Keio-Waseda rivalry in the country's college athletics, in 1978. Kwansei gakuin ties the series, 14-14 for the past three years running.
Kwansei gakuin has several athletic facilities including the 3rd Field (for), one of the first American football fields in the country, the Soccer Field, and the General Gymnasium.
KG athletics are supported by the Traditional Cheerleading Team, the Brass Band, and the Cheerleading Team of Kwansei Gakuin University Cheerleading Division. The division's three teams attend every American football game throughout the fall, as well as most baseball games throughout the spring. The school's unofficial mascot was used to be "Kwangaku eitoman", the popular cartoon/animation character 8th Man in 1960s. Kwansei gakuin has several fight songs, the most played of which, especially at American football games, are "Shingetsu-ki no moto ni", "Fight on Kwansei", and "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man".
In addition to KG's varsity athletics, a wide variety of clubs and intramural sports teams have been organized as student organizations under the auspices of the Division of Students. Most of the club and intramural sports are coed.
Kwansei Gakuin University is a member of Kansai Big Six Baseball League, having left Kansai Six Baseball League in 1982. The school was recognized as one of Kansai Six universities for about three decades until KG was often excluded from Kansai Six Baseball League, then Kansai Region's top league, in 1970s.
[edit] School name
The name kwansei (関西?) came from its founder's desire to serve citizens of Kansai (関西?), the western part of Japan, while the word "college" was translated into gakuin (学院?) then. Thus, kwansei gakuin means "West Japan College" literally.
The name was romanized according to the vogue pronunciation among progressive students in the late 19th century. The "official" pronunciation of kwan can be heard in performances of the school song, but in other contexts the modern pronunciation of kan is usual. Thus, the abbreviated name kwangaku is usually pronounced as kangaku, too, though kwangaku would be correct in theory.
[edit] Noted Faculty
[edit] Noted Alumni/ae
[edit] Law / Politics / Government
- Yoshihiro Seki (B.A. 1989) - Japanese Representative from Hyogo 3rd Electoral District (LDP, 2005-)
- Takashi Yano (B.A. 1983) - Japanese Representative from Kinki Bloc Proportional Electoral District (LDP, 2005-)
- Shinsuke Suematsu (B.A. 1979) - Japanese Councillor from Hyogo Prefecture-wide Electoral District (LDP, 2004-)
- Yuriko Koike (Withdrawal 1971) - Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Japanese Representative from Tokyo 10th Electoral District (LDP, 2005-)
- Yoko Fujiki (B.A. 1956) - Japanese Representative from Kinki Bloc Proportional Electoral District (JCP, 1996-2003)
- Peng Ming-min (Diploma 1940) - ROC (Taiwanese) presidential candidate (DPP, 1996)
- Ryutaro Nagai (Diploma 1901) - Minister of Railways (1939-1940), Minister of Communication (1937-1939), Minister of Colonial Affairs (1932-1934), Imperial Japanese Representative from Ishikawa Prefecture's Electoral District (IRAA, Minsei Party, 1920-1944)
[edit] Business
- Kazutomo Robert Hori (B.A. 1989) - founder and CEO, Cybird Co., Ltd.
- Akira Miyahara (B.A. 1962) - former Vice Chairman of the Board, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Yoshihiko Miyauchi (B.A. 1958) - Chairman of the Board and CEO, Orix Corp.
- Yoichi Morishita (B.A. 1957) - Chairman of the Board, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic)
[edit] Entertainment
- Takashige Ichise (Withdrawal 1983) - film producer, Premonition (Yogen) (2004), Dark Water (2002)
- Etsushi Toyokawa (Withdrawal 1981) - actor, No Way Back (1995), Angel Dust (1994)
- Hidekazu Tanaka (B.A. 1978) - ballroom dancer (3rd, 1997 Dancesport World Champions; 5th, 1998 DWC), Shall We Dance? (1996)
- Toru "Tiger" Okoshi (B.A. 1972) - jazz trumpeter, Associate Professor, Berklee College of Music
- Tadao Takashima (Withdrawal 1951) - former MC and actor, Son of Godzilla 1967 (1969)
[edit] Sports
- Shinzo Yamada (B.A. 1996) - linebacker, Memphis Maniax (XFL, 2001)
- So Taguchi (B.A. 1992) - outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals (Major League Baseball, 2002-), Orix BlueWave (Nippon Professional Baseball, 1992-2002), Japanese national baseball team (4th, 2000 Summer Olympics)
- Daisuke Tsutsui (B.A. 1980) - infielder, Japanese national baseball team (Silver Medalist, 1988 Summer Olympics)
- Shu Kamo (B.A. 1964) - head coach, Japanese national football team (1994-1997)
- Ken Naganuma (B.A. 1953) - head coach, Japanese national football team (Bronze Medalist, 1968 Summer Olympics; 1962-1969, 1972-1976)
- Hirobumi Omatsu (Diploma 1941) - head coach, Japanese national women's volleyball team (Gold Medalist, 1964 Summer Olympic), Japanese Councillor from the Nation-wide Electoral District (LDP, 1968-)
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
| Kansai Big Six Baseball League |
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| Doshisha • Kansai • Kinki • Kwansei Gakuin • Kyoto • Ritsumeikan |
| EU Institute in Japan |
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| Tokyo Consortium: Hitotsubashi • ICU • TUFS • Tsuda Kansai (Consortium): Kobe • Kwansei Gakuin • Osaka |
| Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia | |
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| Hong Kong | |
| Indonesia |
Parahyangan Catholic • Petra Christian • Satya Wacana Christian • Kristen Indonesia • Maranatha Christian • Duta Wacana Christian • Soegijapranata Catholic • Pelita Harapan |
| Japan |
ICU • Kwansei Gakuin • Meiji Gakuin • Nanzan • Doshisha • Aoyama Gakuin • St. Andrew's • Obirin • Tohoku Gakuin • Seigakuin |
| Korea |
Ewha Womans • Sogang • Soongsil • Yonsei • Keimyung • Hannam • Jeonju • Handong Global • Hoseo • Myongji |
| The Philippines |
Ateneo de Manila • Central Philippine • DLSU-Manila • Philippine Christian • Silliman • TUA • Filamer Christian |
| Taiwan |
Fu Jen Catholic • Soochow • Tunghai • Chung Yuan Christian • Providence • St. John's |
| Thailand |
Payap • Assumption • CUT • Mission |
