A Message from the President of Doshisha University

Doshisha University
President KOHARA Katsuhiro

The EU Campus is one of Doshisha University's most important overseas hubs, and the University of Tübingen, where the EU Campus is located, and Doshisha University have established a relationship of trust in education and research and have jointly implemented various programs. The EU Campus has excellent potential for the future, as our students, faculty, and staff are expected to use the EU Campus as a base for expanding their activities in Germany and Europe.
The founder of Doshisha, Joseph Hardy Neesima, studied in the U.S. and visited educational institutions in the U.S. and Europe with the Iwakura Mission, a Japanese diplomatic voyage between 1871 and 1873 by leading politicians and scholars. His international perspective and experiences have been incorporated into Doshisha's education ever since. In one of his speeches, Neesima said, "Just loving each individual person might seem much more narrow-minded than loving your country, but if you love the people of not only one country but also the whole world just as you love an individual, you will never be narrow-minded." In an age of heightened nationalism, Neesima emphasizes the importance of loving each person in the world, free from narrow-minded patriotism. Neesima's wish is carried on in the spirit of internationalism at our university.
It is not easy to "love each person," but living and studying abroad plays a significant role in exposing one to the realities of the world. I studied in Germany, and in 1989, I landed in "West Germany," in 1991, I was on my way home from a united "Germany." During my stay in Germany, I saw the Berlin Wall fall before my eyes. Seeing the "Iron Curtain," a symbol of the Cold War era, being torn down by the hands of the people, I strongly felt that the world could change. This experience has had a significant influence on me today.
Germany and the EU are by no means ideal societies. The EU is a great testing ground for humanity. The EU faces many problems, including immigration, refugees, climate change, financial and energy issues, and the Ukraine crisis. I would like our students to learn and experience how Germany and the EU countries are tackling these issues. That will influence their life and give them hints to think about the future of Japanese society.
I hope the EU Campus will be used as a base for further deepening Doshisha's internationalism.