In July 2024, Sophia School Corporation merged the Office for the Promotion of Diversity and the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion to establish the new “Office for the Promotion of Diversity and Sustainability”. The new office will address challenges shared by previous divisions by strengthening our overall management structure and foster university-wide engagement.

Diversity-related activities at Sophia University began in 2009 with the “Project to Support Women Researchers in a Global Society”, which was initially led by the Office for Promotion of Gender Equality after the establishment of the “Sophia Gender Equality Statement” in 2011. Subsequently, in response to the widening concept of diversity, it was reorganized as the Office for the Promotion of Diversity and Sustainability, and has been expanding the number of people eligible for support and enhancing the system.

The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion was launched as a cross-departmental project to improve energy efficiency and the campus environment. As a unique experiment, we have hired student employees to be involved in event planning, facility improvement, and promotional activities to realize collaboration among students, faculty, and staff.

The corporation’s mid- to-long-term policy “Grand Layout 3.0,” which was established in 2023, calls for the promotion of diversity and sustainability throughout the institute as an important objective, based on the papal encyclical “Laudato Si',” the Jesuits' UAPs (Four Aims), and the UN SDGs. The new office’s mission is founded on this policy.

The new office will not only carry on and strengthen the past achievements, but will also seek new strategies, aiming to contribute to the creation of a MAGIS (better) world through education, research, and social contribution.

Students, faculty, and staff at Sophia University, its junior college and secondary schools will continue to work together to promote these activities. We look forward to your continued support.