Salem / Oregon / United States
A Message from President TajiriTokyo International University ( TIU ) was founded in 1965 by Taizo Kaneko, who was a devout Christian. The educational philosophy was a quote from Lincoln, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, " and it was aimed to cultivate true citizens of the world.Because of its founding spirit, TIU became a sister university of Willamette University, which expresses its educational philosophy through the motto, "Non nobis solum nati sumus, " ( Not unto ourselves alone are we born. ). Both universities share their historical mission to build human bonds and world peace between different cultures.Through friendship and cooperation of both universities, and the community of Salem, Oregon, Tokyo International University of America ( TIUA ) was established next to Willamette University in 1989. Every year, about 100-150 students endeavor to acquire English communication skills and specialized knowledge through the one year program at Willamette/TIUA. These students, blessed with strong sensitivity and the ability to absorb knowledge, spend a year of their youth in Salem, also benefiting from the hospitality of the local community. The alumni are now active in Japan and abroad as leaders in the 21st century and crystallize the philosophy of the founder, Taizo Kaneko, "Only people can shorten the distance between the world and Japan. " Citizens of the world that I would like to cultivate should indeed become those who are making such connections." TIU will have its 50th anniversary soon. It has developed into a humanistic general university with five schools and ten departments, five graduate schools, and an affiliated Japanese language school, including about 700 international students from about 30 countries, with a total of 6300 young people studying in the TIU system. Differences in culture, living customs, and language are not disadvantages. Five international campuses on both sides of the Pacific, in Japan and the U.S., are intellectual spaces where students can experience meaning and the importance of coexistence of various values. These campuses assure "the quality of the education at TIU" to international society.Only when students spend time at the TIU and TIUA campuses, where young people with different cultural backgrounds and values get together, can they clearly recognize their own personalities and characteristics, and clearly see where they should establish themselves in Japan and the global society in order to build their lives. The international campuses of TIU and TIUA are filled with intellectual and spiritual stimulation, and I hope many young people from around the world become aware of each persons meaning of existence and their personalities, and acquire social values and international values that allow them to share their feelings, as well as show respect for themselves and others.
