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Ritsumeikan University

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Ritsumeikan University
立命館大学
Zonshinkan is one of the symbolic buildings in Kinugasa Campus.
TypePrivate
Established1869 (chartered 1922)
PresidentKawaguchi Kiyofumi (since Jan 2007)
Academic staff
1,234
Undergraduates32,222
Postgraduates3,273
Other students
800 (international)
Location
Kyoto
,
Kyoto
,
Japan
CampusUrban
Websitewww.ritsumei.ac.jp
As of May 2006[1]

Ritsumeikan University (立命館大学, Ritsumeikan Daigaku, abbreviated to Rits and 立命 Ritsumei) is a private university in Kyoto, Japan. With the Kinugasa Campus, the university also has a satellite campus called Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, and an internationalized Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture.

Ritsumeikan was founded by Prince Kinmochi Saionji in 1869, and was upgraded to full university status in 1922. Historically, the school was seen as a liberal alternative to the state-run Kyoto University. Today, Ritsumeikan is one of the most internationalized mainstream universities in Japan and it has established exchange programs with hundreds of schools worldwide, including a pioneering exchange with the University of British Columbia and a dual degree program with American University.

The Origins of the Name Ritsumeikan

Its name was adapted from a Mencius quotation:

Some die young, as some live long lives. This is decided by fate. Therefore, one's duty consists of cultivating one's mind during this mortal span and thereby establishing one's destiny.

It literally means "place to establish one's destiny."






Foreign Professors Controversy

As of 2006, Ritsumeikan University and the General Union have been in dispute over a contract system that limits employment for many educators to three years. The union argues that lower pay is given to foreign educators, even though they teach similar classes to their Japanese colleagues. Foreign employees taking part in a rally in 2006 suffered from severe disadvantages, extending to lay-offs or threats that their (yearly) contract would not be renewed if they would not stop their activities in the General Union. A recent decision of the labor commission found this to be unfair labor practice. Many other universities in Japan, on the other hand, offer jobs with greater financial and professional stability.[2]

Colleges and Graduate Schools (by Campus)

"Nakagawa Kaikan" building in the Suzaku Campus
Rohm Plaza of Biwako Kusatsu Campus
"Saionji Memorial Hall" (Kinugasa Campus, Kyoto, Japan)
"Zonshinkan Hall" (Kinugasa Campus, Kyoto, Japan)

Kinugasa Campus

In Kita-ku, Kyoto. This liberal arts-oriented campus is a roughly five minute-walk from Ryōan-ji and Kinkaku-ji temples. The campus has eight graduate schools, 17,000 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students.[3]

  • Colleges
    • College of Law (法学部)
    • College of Social Sciences (産業社会学部)
    • College of International Relations (国際関係学部)
    • College of Policy Science (政策科学部)
    • College of Letters (文学部)
    • College of Image Arts and Sciences (画像学部)
  • Graduate Schools
    • Graduate school of Law
    • Graduate school of Sociology
    • Graduate school of International Relations
    • Graduate school of Policy Science
    • Graduate school of Letters
    • Graduate school of Science for Human Services
    • Graduate school of Language Education and Information Science
    • Graduate school of CoreEthics and Frontier Sciences

Suzaku Campus

In Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto. This campus houses the School of Law, Graduate School of Management, and Graduate School of Public Policy, in addition to the Ritsumeikan Academy headquarters.

  • Graduate Schools
    • Graduate School of Management
  • Schools

Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC)

In Kusatsu, Shiga. This technology-oriented campus is southeast of Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan, and is a 30 minute train ride from Kyoto Station. The campus has four undergraduate colleges, four graduate schools, 16,000 undergraduates and 1,600 graduate students.

  • Colleges
    • College of Economics (経済学部) The College of Economics offers three programs pertaining to Economic Strategy, Economic Cooperation and International Economics, and Human Welfare and Economic Conditions. The curriculum integrates theory, history, and knowledge of the current state of affairs in a structured approach on a domestic and foreign scale.
    • College of Business Administration (経営学部)
    • College of Science and Engineering (理工学部)
    • College of Information Science & Engineering (情報理工学部)
    • Integrated Institute of Arts & Science (文理総合インスティテュート)
    • College of Life Sciences (生命科学部)
    • College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (薬学部)
  • Graduate schools

Facilities

"Art Research Center"

Research Center for Disaster Mitigation Systems

Established in April 2005 on the Biwako-Kusatsu Campus, work at this center focuses on disaster mitigation using sensor systems and computer networks.

Art Research Center

Located at Kinugasa Campus, this center houses the Digital Humanities Center for Japanese Arts and Cultures, which focuses on research on Japanese art and culture using digital archives, databases and geographical information systems.

Museums

The Kyoto Museum for World Peace seeks to critically examine Japan’s militaristic past, and includes numerous exhibits ranging from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-5 to the Iraq War.

Notable People Associated with Ritsumeikan

Famous people affiliated with Ritsumeikan University, including graduates, former students, and professors:

References

  1. ^ Rits - 2005 General Information
  2. ^ "BLACKLIST OF JAPANESE UNIVERSITIES—RITSUMEIKAN UNIVERSITY". Debito Arudou.
  3. ^ 2006 General Information. Ritsumeikan University (2006). Retrieved on May 14, 2008.
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