Message from the Chancellor | CHUKYO UNIVERSITY

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In the case of private universities, it can be said that the fundamental character of the institution is determined to a large extent by the spirit of its traditions. In its 84-year progress from the founding of the Chukyo School of Commerce in 1923, the Umemura Group of Educational Institutions has consistently based its development on maintaining the high standards of our well-balanced educational experience throughout a period of rapid and massive social change.

Our institution’s goal of providing “a focus of excellence in both learning and sports” was the philosophy of our founder, the educator Kiyomitsu Umemura, who believed that the mind and the body were essentially indivisible, and that both should be developed in harmony. This was in fact the creed of his ancestor, the clan leader Kiyoshige Umemura, who educated young nobles in this spirit of Mito-gaku in the Edo period, over about 300 years ago.

In their academic studies, therefore, students are encouraged to realize the importance of human relations as they pursue their studies, while in their sports activities there is similar emphasis placed on the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play. “Follow the rules; do your best; work as a team; respect your opponents and partners”. These four precepts may be said to embody the spirit we try to foster in our institution, and the special character this has created has enabled us to achieve remarkable success over the years, while simultaneously strengthening the tradition it springs from.

We fully intend to maintain and develop this positive approach to learning, an approach which we believe to be welcomed in every part of the world and in every era, as it builds in students a cognitive perspective which will be of benefit to them all their lives. In this sense then, in order to give our students the greatest possible opportunity to develop their creativity, their humanity and their knowledge, we shall continue to strive to provide the ideal educational environment.