Challenging the possibilities of "culture" and becoming a "creative global citizen"

School of Cultural and Creative Studies aims to cultivate in each individual the ability to creatively engage with society and forge the future by comprehensively studying "culture."

The world is made up of diverse cultures and values. Understanding cultures different from our own and engaging in dialogue with people from various backgrounds is essential for living together in peace. Furthermore, cultural activities and art not only enrich our hearts but also raise fundamental questions such as "Who am I?" and "What does it mean to be human?" Creative practices shed light on social issues, connect people, generate empathy across borders, and have the power to create new ideas, industries, and social values.

Since ancient times, humans have shaped the world in which they live by weaving words, building institutions, constructing cities, creating arts and performing arts, and deepening their thoughts. The accumulation of these activities is "culture." Culture has also been nurtured in relation to the natural environment, such as climate and topography, and has shown distinctive forms in each region and era.

Therefore, understanding "culture" requires a variety of perspectives, spanning the humanities, social sciences, and even the natural sciences. Aoyama Gakuin University cultivates the thinking skills necessary to comprehensively explore "culture" by traversing knowledge from these various disciplines. Furthermore, it fosters the ability to utilize the knowledge gained there in various fields of society—that is, to shape it into "policy."

To this end, we value practical learning through fieldwork and collaboration with external organizations, in addition to lectures. By learning by moving back and forth between theory and practice, you will be able to gain a more experiential understanding of the dynamism and potential of "culture."

In today's rapidly changing and diverse society, what is needed is the ability to create new value by respecting diversity, thinking for oneself, and collaborating with others, without being bound by fixed frameworks. Aoyama Gakuin University aims to cultivate "creative global citizens" who challenge the possibilities of "culture" and proactively engage with the world.

I am truly looking forward to learning together, thinking together, and envisioning the future together with all of you.

—Dean General Manager School of Cultural and Creative Studies
Sayoko Iizasa

Nurturing creative global citizens

The "Comprehensive Cultural Policy Studies" advocated by Aoyama Gakuin University is a field of study aimed at making our lives, our cities, and our times more vibrant through culture and art. Its scope spans all areas, from classical to pop culture, and encompasses music, film, performing arts, religion, urban planning, media, and more. Aoyama Gakuin University 's definition of "policy" is the wisdom needed to share the dreams and goals of those involved in each creative field and work together to realize them. In other words, it's not about appreciating or learning about culture and art, but about cultivating the ability to recognize the potential for creating new value, and developing the skills to produce and manage. We collaborate with leading cultural organizations, companies, creators, and artists, and participate in their projects. This challenging faculty offers a unique learning experience unlike any other university education, allowing students to acquire the wisdom, embodied knowledge, and skills necessary to bring ideas to life with their own hands. From Aoyama to the world, let's propose and disseminate new values and sensibilities, aiming for the creation and development of culture and art.

Educational and research objectives

In accordance with the founding principles of School of Cultural and Creative Studies as a university based on Christian faith, the aim of the Faculty of Cultural Policy Studies is to cultivate global citizens who have a spirit of tolerance and can contribute to cultural exchange and mutual understanding in a variety of situations in the international community, talents who can understand diverse cultures, contribute to the creation of culture and the arts, and design various cultural and artistic environments that foster rich human lives, and talents who can deeply explore human intellectual and spiritual activities and build academic systems for the criticism, creation, and refinement of culture.

To this end, the curriculum of School of Cultural and Creative Studies includes subjects that provide a comprehensive understanding of the cultural activities of humanity, subjects that allow students to relativize and critically understand views of humanity, society, and the world, and subjects aimed at acquiring the policy capabilities to make culture and the arts a common asset of society.The Faculty also fulfills its educational objectives by offering course programs that anticipate fields of activity after graduation, and participatory education programs that open up some of the faculty research and collaborative projects with various partner organizations to students.

In addition to the education mentioned above, School of Cultural and Creative Studies aims to contribute to the development of humanity and society by conducting comprehensive research on the creation and criticism of culture, society, and the arts. To this end, it will deepen creative academic research in various fields of culture and the arts, develop policy science that will contribute to the formation and development of culture and society, and by disseminating the results of its research to the world, it will be its mission to serve the shared future of humanity.

Mid- to Long-Term Plan

School of Cultural and Creative Studies and Graduate School of Cultural and Creative Studies