NEWS

ICU President Hibiya's Declaration Titled "Aiming for a University without Human Rights Violations"

Update: March 27, 2017

More than 60 years have passed since International Christian University (ICU) was established in 1953. As we look toward the next 60 years, we plan to accept students from more foreign countries and regions.

Based on this policy, students with different cultural backgrounds and values will enter ICU more than ever, through a new admissions program for international students titled "Universal Admissions." Furthermore, in April 2017, we will open our 13th and 14th dormitories, named Momi House and Maple House, and about 900 Japanese and international students with diversified backgrounds, which account for 30% of all students, will begin their on-campus dormitory lives.

At ICU, 34.2% of teaching staff, who educate students and lead research studies, are foreign nationals.

To enable students, faculty, and all other people associated with ICU, which is expanding and deepening internationalization, to study, research, work, and live safely, ICU President Junko Hibiya's declaration titled "Aiming for a University without Human Rights Violations" is made available here.

Aiming for a university without human rights violations


International Christian University (ICU) was established as a university open to everyone in 1953 with the support of many people who wished for world peace.

As a university based on the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ICU believes that it has a responsibility to recognize that each and every person is an irreplaceable, precious being; prepare educational/research/work environments without human rights violations; and maintain a campus where constituents can have peace of mind. Therefore, discrimination on the basis of gender, race, nationality, origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, etc. and any harassment that takes advantage of one's position/standing, regardless of the form it takes, are unacceptable. ICU constituents, be they faculty, staff, or students, are called upon to sufficiently understand internationalism and Christianity, which are the spirit of the establishment of ICU, and together create a comfortable campus where human rights are not violated.

Although it is sometimes recognized as being progressive in terms of internationalism and diversity, ICU's current concrete measures are still far from sufficient. Unfortunately, the reality is that human rights violations still happen. In light of the following -- various requests from students, faculty, and staff; the 2015 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) notice calling for consideration of sexual minorities; and the Elimination of Discrimination of Disabled Persons Act and the Hate Speech Control Act, which came into force in 2016 - ICU intends to make further efforts to spread the unacceptability of discrimination and to create an environment where everyone can learn and work with peace of mind regardless of their attributes and nature.

In addition to sexual harassment ( including outing ), academic harassment, and power harassment, ICU aims to eradicate in particular outings of sexuality as well as words and actions based on prejudices against particular races and nationalities. The university will revise various internal systems to further recognize diversity and at the same time create educational and training opportunities that enable each and every student, faculty member, and staff member to cultivate empathy and respect for persons with differing attributes, circumstances, and values.

ICU declares that it will do all it can as an educational and research institution so that it will become a university without human rights violations and so that everyone who studies at ICU will contribute to the realization of a peaceful world that further respects the diversity of human beings as "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:13-16).

March 2017
Junko Hibiya
President
International Christian University

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