Long tradition of academic excellence

The Faculty of Economics is one of the oldest academic units at Sophia University. In 1913, the Society of Jesus, a male religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, founded Sophia University at Yotsuya in Tokyo. At the time of its establishment, the university consisted of three departments, Philosophy, German Literature, and Commerce. The original Department of Commerce has since been reorganized as the current Faculty of Economics. Thus, counting from the founding of Sophia University, our history has spanned over one hundred years. Right now, the Faculty has two departments, Economics and Management, and each department has about seventeen faculty members and one hundred sixty-five full-time students in each year of study. Over its long history, the Faculty of Economics has continued to produce individuals who make great contributions in business, government, and academics. Its network of alumni substantially benefits the current students in terms of education and placement, and we consider it one of our most precious assets.

New challenges

While we respect tradition, the Faculty of Economics takes on the challenge of new educational programs for students who will lead the next generation. While anti-globalization movements have arisen in recent years, economic globalization is a fundamental force that is unstoppable from the viewpoint of world history. In response to the wave of economic globalization, we launched a new program for each department in which students can learn the core curriculum in Japanese and also take applied courses taught in English. In these programs, students are expected to learn not only English communication skills but also different values and cultures by making use of opportunities to study with foreign students who visit Sophia University as exchange students. Furthermore, we are launching the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF) in Economics in the fall of 2020, and in Management in the fall of 2022. In SPSF, all courses will be taught in English and a fulltime student can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics or Management. SPSF also plans to offer courses in which students can learn government policies and business strategies that will contribute to the achievement of sustainable futures for the global society.

Leaders who can excel on the global stage

The educational philosophy of the Faculty of Economics is to “develop leaders with broad perspective and foresight who can excel on the global stage.” This philosophy is based on Christian humanism, the educational ideal of Sophia University. In our current society, there are many global issues, such as poverty and inequality, as well as environmental and health issues. To tackle these problems, what kinds of economic activities are needed and what types of government policies are desired? Economics and Management are academic fields that could be useful for thinking about these questions. We are making continuous efforts to further strengthen our educational system, in which students can learn the wisdom of Economics and Management and utilize it to realize “a society where every individual can enjoy economic affluence”. The Faculty of Economics aims to nurture people who will hold in their hearts the ideal of “Men and Women for Others, with Others,” the spirit of Sophia University, and contribute toward the building of such a society.