Research Institutes

ICU has five Research Institutes and one Center devoted to different disciplines. While involved in research activities, these institutes plan and sponsor conferences, lectures, symposiums and seminars and provide students with opportunities to meet excellent scholars from Japan and overseas.

The Institute for Educational Research and Service (IERS)

IERS was established in 1953 to pursue both basic and applied research activities in education and contributing the fruits of those activities to society. In addition to research and study, the Institute plans and sponsors conferences, lectures, symposia and seminars and study meetings and publishes an annual research bulletin entitled Educational Studies.

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI)

SSRI was established in 1958, as an outgrowth of its forerunner, the Rural Welfare Research Institute. The main purpose of the Institute are; 1) to form a global networking for interdisciplinary social science research and information exchange; and 2) to promote partnership with the local community through public lectures and joint research projects. The Institute publishes research reports entitled the Journal of Social Science and Monograph Series.

The Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture (ICC)

Since its establishment in 1963, ICC has conducted research on Christianity and on Christianity's impact on Eastern and Western cultures. In 1995, the Institute added to its research agenda the study of scientific thoughts in relation to Christianity. The Institute publishes a bulletin entitled Humanities : Christianity and Culture.

The Institute of Asian Cultural Studies (IACS)

The Institute was established in 1971 to study the cultural characteristics of Asian societies, including Japan, and their historical development from a global perspective. Its main activities include inviting foreign scholars, and holding public lectures on Asian culture (history, religion, economics, politics, and other topics), and issuing publications such as the journal Asian Cultural Studies.

The Peace Research Institute (PRI)

PRI was established in 1991 to fulfill ICU's founding philosophy by strengthening and promoting peace research. The institute is an outgrowth of the undergraduate course Peace Studies, a course popular with students since it was first offered in 1984. The institute emphasizes diversity in research areas, planning and executing research projects, holding open lectures, conferences and international seminars, and publishing newsletters and research journals. Since 1992 the Institute has taken students on field trips to places in Japan and overseas with special significance to the field of peace research.

The Center for Gender Studies (CGS)

CGS was established in 2004. The Center conducts research in gender and sexuality from an interdisciplinary and global perspective, builds world-wide networks and supports the development of the Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies at ICU. It organizes open lectures, research groups and seminars, and publishes a newsletter and a journal. The Center serves as a forum for those interested in the field of gender and sexuality.

Rotary Peace Center

In 1999, Rotary Peace Center was established on the ICU Campus under cooperation with Rotary International as one of the six Rotary Peace Centers located in different countries. Other partner universities include: Duke University / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US), University of Bradford (UK), University of Queensland (Australia), Uppsala University (Sweden), and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand). ICU was selected as the only institution which provides Master's Degree program in Asia. Since 2002, each year ICU accommodates up to ten Rotary Peace Fellows who pursue a two-year Master's level degree in peace studies at ICU Graduate School Arts and Sciences.

The Jonathan Edwards Center Japan (JECJ)

In 2013 Yale University and International Christian University signed on the agreement to open the first Jonathan Edwards Global Center in Asia on the ICU campus. The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University has eight Global Centers, including ours, to promote studies on the life and thought of Jonathan Edwards. The Jonathan Edwards Center Japan aims to broaden the scope of research and education on related early American studies with the help of researchers and scholars across institutions in Japan and Asia.

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