| Message from the President (Graduate) |
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President
Sadayoshi Ito
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Taking on the Challenge of Exploring New Possibilities
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Aoyama Gakuin, celebrating its 135th anniversary in 2009, is an educational institute with the most liberal and international tradition in Japan. Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU), which has inherited this tradition, has sent 185,186 graduates into society, many of whom have excelled in their respective fields.
AGU has a total of nine graduate schools, of which seven are in either the liberal arts or social sciences, with the remaining two being the College of Science and Engineering and the School of Social Informatics (the latter merging the arts and sciences). In addition, there are three professional graduate schools, the Graduate School of International Management, the Law School, and the Graduate School of Professional Accountancy. To date, 7,655 persons have been granted master’s degrees based on research conducted in the graduate schools, while 191 have been granted doctoral degrees. From the professional graduate schools, 684 persons have been granted master’s degrees and 165 have been granted Juris Doctor degrees. As such, AGU is highly evaluated by society.
Graduate schools play a key role in creating knowledge. However, today’s graduate education is not only meant to nurture a few researchers. Graduate education has become a requirement even in certain professional occupations. Furthermore, graduate school also provides a forum for testing a wealth of experience and expertise earned in public office, at companies, etc. using modern science and academics, as well as a forum for deepening one’s understanding in new areas.
Furthermore, the graduate schools of AGU are wide open to society and to the world. For example, numerous academic professionals from overseas universities come and teach students, and we also hold lectures in partnership with the United Nations University, located just across the street from our main campus, as well as with the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID). Moreover, many business professionals and members of society, as well as researchers from overseas and exchange students, come to study here. As globalization progresses, the role of graduate education is becoming more important.
The graduate schools of AGU are a place where persons can take on the challenge of exploring new possibilities in order to assist in the advancement of society and to take a step forward in life as individuals.
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Japanese 
![School Motto "The Salt of the Earth, The Light of the World" [Mathew 5:13ff.]](/en/image_common/bnr_theory_01.gif){kind=small}
