2021 Cohort, 2023 uiguides, 2024-cohort-mentor
71
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
== 1. A general overview General Overview of Sophia University ==
Sophia University (Jouchi Daigaku 上智大学) is one of the most prominent private universities in Japan. Founded in 1913 by the Roman Catholic religious order of the Society of Jesus, it has grown from its three original departments of Philosophy, German Literature, and Commerce to nine undergraduate faculties and ten graduate schools, with over 13,900 students in total.
While physically located in the heart of Tokyo, right across the Imperial Palace, Sophia University is also close to the socio-economic and political core of Japanese society. From its early days , the University has been a center for internationalization and to this day continues to act as a bridge to the wider world. Many of its graduates find their way into fields such as the media (national broadcasters like NHK), global development (international organizations like the United Nations), or global business (multinational corporations).
== 2. Promoting student innovation Student Innovation and entrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship: ==
Sophia University is continuously developing as a higher education institution. In recent years, it has shifted away from a classical discipline-based institution to one that aims to be more innovative and student-centered. An example is the Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA), which offers English-taught undergraduate degrees. This faculty has increased interactions between Japanese and international students, and many of its professors have been at the university’s forefront in adopting innovative teaching methods.
Recently, Sophia University has been increasingly focused on the environment and sustainable development. Many of its programs have conscientiously incorporated courses related to the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs (a set of global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015). As a prominent institution for research and higher education in the fields of social sciences, humanities , and natural sciences, Sophia University was one among 37 Japanese universities to be selected for the “Top Global University Project” – a funding project initiated by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to support the innovation and internationalization efforts of universities. Based on this project, Sophia University launched a new English-based undergraduate program called “Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures” (SPSF) in the fall of 2020. This program brings together seven different disciplines (journalism, education, sociology, economics, management, international relations, and area studies) and is designed to foster interdisciplinary and action-oriented learning.
Another English-taught degree program known as the Faculty of Science and Technology aims to educate future scientists and technologists to become productive members of the global community. Students at the Faculty of Science and Technology seek a deeper understanding of human development and harmonious coexistence with people and nature.
Overall, the university’s core values of respect for equality, diversity, and contribution to the larger social good are captured into its motto: “Men and Women, With Others, For Others.” These values permeate not only its academic curriculum but also guide students in their extracurricular activities. Students undertake many volunteer activities run inside and outside the university, but also beyond Japan, such as the support activities focused on refugees, or the areas damaged by the Great Tohoku Earthquake, to name a few. Extracurricular clubs that promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity include Horizon (a student empowerment organization committed to inspiring youth to create innovative solutions for social change) and Sophia Start-up Club (Sophia University’s first entrepreneurship organization established in 2021). Other programs that generate awareness and fundamental elements of I&E include TEDxSophia and Sophia University Future Center.
== 3. Encouraging faculty innovation Faculty Innovation and entrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship: ==
Responding to the need to further develop as a “university in line with the world,” Sophia University has been taking bold steps in rethinking the old approach to teaching and learning. Through various initiatives, it has sought to reform “towards a qualitative change in university education to build a new future” for Japanese society and foster a “knowledge-based independence, collaboration, and creative model” which “cultivates independent thinking and creativity” (Report of the Central Equation Council, August 2012).
However, while Sophia University has focused on working in the areas of innovation in recent years, the institution lacks resources for promoting entrepreneurship. There continue to be limitations, such as not having offices, faculties, or organizations that are specifically focused on encouraging students to explore I&E. Sophia University hopes to improve on these areas in the near future through new programs such as SPSF.
== 4. Actively supporting Supporting the university technology transfer functionUniversity Technology Transfer Function: ==
Sophia University is active in funding and supporting research programs through the Sophia Research Support Organization. The Organization has been exploring the possibility of further expanding its research support system and providing enhanced support for faculty to commercialize their research. They aim It aims to act as an incubator that would facilitate successful technology transfers, licensing, and innovation projects. In this way, Sophia University is working to advance development projects through collaboration between industry, government, and academia.
In addition, Sophia University has several seed funding sources for students’ activities. For extracurricular activities, Sophia University provides grant support each semester for projects of Sophia the University’s official extracurricular activities for each semester. Students go through the process of examination by submitting a proposal and having an interview to receive the grant and report the usage and the impact of the project. Likewise, despite not being a group specifically for at Sophia University, many of its students actively utilize a social incubator for movements and change-makers called Social Innovation Japan where students they can join its community to get information and opportunities regarding topics they are passionate about.
In 2021, Sophia University joined the renewable energy university leagueRenewable Energy University League of Japan. The universities that joined join this community are aiming aim to transition their campuses to make the university campus’ energy 100% renewable sometime energy between 2030 and 2040. Sophia University is trying to create an ecosystem in which encourage its students to also take action to make actions regarding for renewable energy and decarbonization.
== 5. Facilitating university-industry collaboration: ==Recognizing that Japan’s industry-academia collaboration in Japan is poor compared to western Western countries, Sophia University 's Faculty of Science and Engineering created the “Sophia Science & Technology Liaison Office” in November of 2001 that aims to transfer research breakthroughs more easily into society through its position as an industry-academia collaborative organization. Unfortunately, this organization is no longer in operation within the university University, but its impacts have left a strong impression on the I&E community and students involved in its mission.
Another way the university Sophia University emphasizes Universityindustry-Industry Collaboration academia collaboration is through the Bulletin Board of Information found in Sophia University’s the student portal where many . The University posts about scholarship opportunities and programs involving university-business collaborations in the form of programs are posted. Some of these scholarships and programs sometimes offer students opportunities to engage with industries and learn some I&E skills by working directly with the area of work of these industriesthem. Not only are students given a chance to expand their range of experiences by applying to these activities, but they are also able to build their own network webs for their future career. On the other hand, some of the posts within this the Bulletin Board of Information are related to research labs and research funding. Sophia University highly values quality research and the involvement of students in developing new technologies and thus often offers these openings to all its entire student body.
Although Sophia University’s history with innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) is short, the institution’s efforts such as opening new programs and opportunities for innovation to faculty and students have become more apparent in the past few years. Over time , a growing number of faculty members have become active in organizing events and activities where they encourage students to incorporate entrepreneurial elementsskills and mindsets.
== 6. Engaging with regional Regional and local economic development effortsLocal Economic Development Efforts: ==
Sophia University has been promoting educational and research activities based on a spirit of charity and globalism through encounters and dialogues with people of diverse backgrounds in the hope to bring forth solutions to the many problems that torment our world today. Through its participation in the Inter-University Exchange Project called the “Collaborative Online International Learning,” Sophia University offers programs towards Human Security and Multicultural Coexistence which allow students in Japan to connect and learn together with other students at institutions in Japan and abroad.
