International Christian University

International Christian University
国際基督教大学
Established	June 15, 1949
Type	Private
President	Dr. Norihiko Suzuki
Academic staff	111
Undergraduates	2,934
Postgraduates	237
Location	Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
Campus	Suburban
Website	www.icu.ac.jp

International Christian University (国際基督教大学, Kokusai Kirisutokyō Daigaku) is a non-denominational private university located in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. Commonly known as ICU (both within Japan and abroad), the university was founded in 1949.

ICU's follows a liberal arts curriculum, and offers 32 majors. The university was accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education in 2005, although ICU lost this accreditation three years later.^{[citation needed]}

Institution

History

ICU was founded in 1949. With an emphasis on reconciliation and peace, ICU was envisaged as a “University of Tomorrow,” a place where Japanese and international students would live together and learn to serve the needs of an emerging, more interconnected world. When students enter ICU they sign the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are challenged to commit themselves to help bring about social justice and world peace. Due to this commitment to human rights, Eleanor Roosevelt delivered ICU's first convocation address.

Campus

ICU's main campus of 150 wooded acres is located in west Tokyo. Downtown Tokyo is a half hour train ride away. Computer and internet access is available throughout campus.

The campus sits on ancient pre-Jomon and Jomon archaeological remains, giving students the opportunity to participate in archaeological fieldwork. Excavated items found on the campus are on permanent display in the Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum. In addition, the campus' location is directly on the former location of a Nakajima Aircraft Company factory, which came close to producing a long range bomber capable of flying from Tokyo to New York and back during World War II

In a quiet wooded area of the campus and through a large thatched gate is the Taizanso Garden. Built in the 1920s, the garden includes a traditional Japanese tea house and the historically significant One-Mat Room constructed out of wood gathered from sacred and historic sites throughout Japan.

ICU also owns a 240-acre (0.97 km²) campus in Nasu and a 13-acre (53,000 m²) retreat center in Karuizawa.

Academics

ICU offers bachelor's degrees in liberal arts fields, as well as master's and doctoral degrees in education, public administration, comparative culture, and natural sciences. About 18% of the faculty come from overseas (primarily English-speaking countries). There is a strong English language program (ELP), taught by both tenured and contract faculty English teachers, which is currently embroiled in a contentious curricular reform.

ICU houses one of the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution, partnering with Rotary International.

Japan ICU Foundation

The Japan ICU Foundation was incorporated in New York State on November 23, 1948, and helped in the effort to establish ICU in 1953. Today, the foundation maintains two non-profit corporations: The Japan ICU Foundation, Inc. and the JICUF Endowment, Inc.

The Japan ICU Foundation supports ICU in a variety of ways, including providing scholarships, running a faculty exchange program, providing funding for international programs and projects and helping to fund new buildings on campus. The Foundation has offices in New York City. The current President of JICUF is Dr. David Vikner.

ICU Dining Hall

The ICU Dining Hall also known as Gakki (ガッキ), is the official cafeteria of International Christian University. Rebuilt in 2010, the ICU Cafeteria is a public, self-service cafeteria, and is one of the newest and most renowned infrastructure on campus.

Student life

Demographics

As of 2009, ICU had 2793 undergraduates studying in the College of Liberal Arts, with a 1020 male students and 1773 female students. The ICU Graduate School had 162 students, with 70 men and 92 women. 90.7% of ICU's undergraduate and graduate students are Japanese citizens, and the remainder represent 39 countries.

The majority of ICU students live off-campus, either at home with their families or in apartments. As of October 2009, 249 students were living on campus. However, construction is being completed on the first of three new dormitories, which will house a total of 360 students.

Student clubs/circles

ICU students are known for their remarkable energy and initiative in creating a kaleidoscope of student-led and student-managed co-curricular activities. Currently, there are about 100 student-led clubs and organizations in the arts, sports, academic and social fields. New clubs are formed as student interest dictates, and most ICU students participate in one or more of these organizations.

Academic rankings

University rankings (overall)

WE National	Employment	24
NBP Greater Tokyo	Reputation	10
Shimano National	Selectivity	SA
QS Asia	General	151

There are several rankings related to ICU, shown below.

General rankings

QS World University Rankings ranked ICU as 151st in Asia in 2010.

Alumni rankings

According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the PRESIDENT's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from ICU have the 24th best employment rate in 400 major companies, and their average graduate salary is the 4th best in Japan.

Popularity and Selectivity

ICU is one of the most selective universites in Japan. Its entrance difficulty is usually considered as one of the top among 730 private universities.

Nikkei BP has been publishing the ranking system "Brand rankings of Japanese universities" every year, composed by the various indications related to the power of brand, and ICU was ranked 10th in Greater Tokyo Area in 2010.

Alumni

• Kei Akagi – Jazz pianist
• Takeshi Amemiya – The Edward Ames Edmonds Professor of Economics at Stanford University
• Toshio Arima – President of Fuji Xerox
• Betsy Boze (née: Vogel) – CEO and Dean of Kent State University Stark
• Kazuo Hirai – Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment
• Jay Rockefeller – U.S. Senator from West Virginia
• Hirotaka Takeuchi – Dean of the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy at Hitotsubashi University and visiting professor at Harvard Business School
• Kazuko Yokoo – Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan
• Shigeru Miyagawa – Professor of Linguistics & Kochi-Manjiro Professor of Japanese Language and Culture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Princess Mako of Akishino ( currently a second year student) – A member of the Japanese imperial family; she is the first-born granddaughter of the reigning emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

Faculty

• Iwao Ayusawa, Joined staff in 1952.

See also

International Christian University High School

External links

• ICU website Japanese
• ICU website English
• ICU Science Faculty website Bilingual
• English Language Program website English
• Japan ICU Foundation
• ICU High School website Japanese