Office of the President

Since its founding in 1953, ICU offers an authentic liberal arts education.

Liberal arts represents an amalgam of diverse knowledge. ICU students build and organize their own network of scholarship in each of them, and which is subsequently carried on into action at the societal level.

ICU offers 31 majors which include natural science majors (biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and information science), humanities and social sciences majors.

At the core of all these majors is "science", which comes from the Latin word scio, (I know), and implies the intent to discover and understand. It also embodies our eagerness to learn and create which, in turn, motivates us to grasp humanity and the world based on theory and evidence. Liberal arts education respects the arts which give shape to this passion. Art, including art itself, technology and academic skill, transforms the as yet unrecognized and unnarrated into perceivable form. The name "ICU College of Liberal Arts, Division of Arts and Sciences" epitomizes our determination to pursue this undertaking.

Morals, involving inner thoughts, mores, and ethics are indispensable in the practice of science. When we grapple with issues in modern society, such as the natural environment and development, AI and humans, war and reconciliation, we inevitably reach an impasse without morals. At ICU, Christianity is at the core of our moral compass. "Serving God and Humankind" is our motto.

At ICU, whose language policy is Japanese-English bilingualism, students and faculty from all over the world understand each others' backgrounds while having their own opinions and this, in turn, enables everyone to discuss topics freely with each other as equal individuals. The ICU campus is full of dialogue and diversity. Critical thinking is practiced to better understand others and oneself.

In the 21st century that seems threatened by increasing division and conflict, we must share what is necessary to make the best of our lives through sturdy mutual connections in finding a way to live together.

The liberal arts at ICU offers the opportunity to explore and realize this ideal.

Robert Eskildsen

Dr. Robert Eskildsen completed his M.A. in Comparative Culture at International Christian University (ICU) Graduate School and then completed his Ph.D. in Modern Japanese History at Stanford University. After serving as Lecturer at Smith College from 1996 and later as Assistant Professor, he was appointed Associate Professor at College of Arts and Sciences, J. F. Oberlin University in 2008. Following positions as Senior Associate Professor (2014-2019) and Professor (2019-2020), he was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs of ICU in April 2020. He specializes in Modern Japanese History, with his interest centered on the early Meiji Era and how nationalism and imperialism had affected the lives of people in Japan and East Asia.

Researchers Information System

Mark Williams

Dr.Williams took his B.A. in Japanese Studies at the University of Oxford and received his Ph.D. in Japanese Literature from the University of California, Berkeley in 1991. He was on the faculty of the University of Leeds from 1988-2017, but between 2011 and 2014, he was seconded to Akita International University, Japan, where he served as Vice President for Academic Affairs. He served as President of the British Association for Japanese Studies between 2008-11. His research has focused on the writings of a series of post-war Japanese Christian authors, most notably those of Endō Shūsaku.

Email: vpiae[@]icu.ac.jp

Natsumi Ikoma

Professor Ikoma received Ph.D. from Durham University in 2002. She has served as Director of the Center for Gender Studies at ICU and Chair, Dept. of Literary Studies, International Christian University. She specializes in Gender, European Literature, Literature in general, Japanese Literature, and history of thought.

Researchers Information System

Yoshito Ishio

Dr. Yoshito Ishio received his undergraduate degree from Seinan Gakuin University where he belonged to the Division of Foreign Languages (English Course) in the Department of Literature. He received an M.A. in sociology from Baylor University and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Minnesota. In 1996, he became a research associate in the Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences at the University of Tsukuba and then became a lecturer in the institute in 1998. He joined International Christian University as an assistant professor in 2000 and became a professor in 2012. At ICU he has served as the Director of the Public Policy and Social Research Program in the Graduate School and as the Associate Dean of Students. His specialty is sociology. His research focuses on American patriotism.

Researchers Information System

KIBE, Takashi

Dr. Kibe received his Ph.D. from the University of Tübingen in 1995. He joined ICU in 2000, and served as Director, Peace Research Institute from 2011 to 2014 and from 2021 to 2022. He specializes in political science, mainly on egalitarianism, multiculturalism, the history of political thought in the early modern period, social justice theory, and the methodology of the social sciences.

Researchers Information System

KAWAI, Naoyuki

Mr.Kawai received a B.A. in Economics from Seijo University. He joined International Christian University as the Director of Personnel in 2014, Director of the Admissions Center in 2019. He assumes the possition of the Director of the University Secretaritat from April 2025.