Concept

Skills that will be useful at any time or in any situation …

Today the social environment is changing at a whirlwind pace. No one can know what technology and skills will be necessary when we look to the future, 10 or 20 years after graduation. However, there are skills that are essential no matter what the time or society we live in. They are the “problem-solving skills” that form the foundation of a broad liberal education. This “ability to discover problems on one’s own and proceed to solve them” is at the very core of the liberal arts education, which is the goal of the School of International Liberal Studies.

As we consider in an interdisciplinary manner such global issues as environmental destruction, the North-South problem, and the energy crisis, we believe it is essential to cultivate a clear ethical sensibility, a passion to contribute to all of humankind, and the ambition to actively address these difficult problems.

A multiculturalism that seeks to coexist with diverse cultures

In order to address problems at a global level, it is necessary to understand the world cultures in a pluralistic manner. Our goal is not to bring about a collision between cultures, but to achieve understanding of different cultures and coexistence between them. To that end, we emphasize area studies in the School of International Liberal Studies and carry out foreign language education that allows our students to master the languages necessary to study the societies and cultures of various regions. Moreover, in our linguistics program, we do not simply study language as a tool of communication, but seek to understand in an intellectually sophisticated way the regional cultures that use those languages.

A school that does not specialize in specific fields

In the School of International Liberal Studies, our focus is on providing a liberal arts education and it is our fundamental belief that more highly specialized education should be offered at the graduate school level. In addition, one of our main efforts has been to design a school that does not specialize in specific fields. This is significantly different from that which typically exists between undergraduate and graduate programs that are connected through a shared interest in a specialized field. In this sense, we have adopted an educational system that allows for advancement into a wide variety of graduate programs.

Special Features

Focusing on a liberal arts education

Liberal arts, as conceived of by the School of International Liberal Studies, consists of two elements. One is the acquiring of fundamental knowledge through the study of a broad range of fields. Classical texts are studied and more traditional, formalized learning is undertaken. The other key element of our program is an exposure to cutting-edge research on modern and contemporary issues, viewing them from an interdisciplinary approach. These two elements by their very nature cannot be separated from one another. Together they provide well-balance research and study activities.

Cultivating a “vision” that operates at a global level

Students from some 50 nations worldwide are enrolled at SILS, accounting for nearly 30 % of new enrollees since academic year 2007. In the future, our plan is to have international students comprise approximately half of our student body. Under such conditions, the classroom becomes a place where a truly international dialogue can take place and, through this contact with people from different cultures, students are able to acquire ways of thinking and viewing issues in a pluralistic manner. English and Japanese become the lingua franca of education. In addition, three branches of area studies have been adopted, beginning with research on Japan and Asia. We cultivate people with a “vision,” able to look squarely at the current state of our world and committed to working hard on the problems occurring at the global level, such as environmental issues, food and population problems, and the North-South issue.

A full year spent studying abroad

We see a university as a place of interaction for young people from all parts of the world, people with different cultures, histories, backgrounds, and languages. Our aim is to create concrete, living partnerships between our Japanese and overseas campuses. International students and Japanese returning from years of living abroad are key members in our education community and we work to actualize exchanges between these students and students who entered the university in Japan. All of our students whose previous educational experience has been in the Japanese system are required to undertake a year of overseas study. The host university overseas and our school are viewed as a single enterprise and the courses offered at the overseas program can be applied as credit toward graduation from Waseda.

Toward a Waseda that has a position in the world

The School of International Liberal Studies aims to provide a university education of the highest level, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, and to establish an educational environment in accordance with global standards. English has been established as the common language and the teacher/student ratio has been set at approximately 1 to 25. We have implemented an educational system that limits class size, centers around a seminar-style classroom, and utilizes the Socratic method (a teaching style based on guided questioning and a dialogue between student and teacher). In addition, we have worked to create a system in which the educating of the student becomes the driving force and which serves to draw out and stimulate the curiosity of our students.

A future path that expands out into the world

Students will not only acquire outstanding foreign language skills, but they will come to possess a modern liberal arts education and an ethical perspective. In addition, they will be able to gain the skills necessary to act and think at a global level. The possibilities for their place of employment or activity following graduation will extend through the world. Through the broad network created by Waseda University alumni, they will have employment opportunities not only at companies in Japan, but also at enterprises abroad and within international organizations. Moreover, as a result of the education they received in the School of International Liberal Studies, students can pursue research by entering a graduate program, either in Japan or abroad, or enter a professional graduate program, such as a law school, and be employed in a highly specialized field.

Departments	Degrees
Department of International Liberal Studies	B.A. in International Liberal Studies