5Since the beginning of human history, human beings have attempted to create their own distinctive cultures and develop civilizations in the various regions of the world. They have also had to overcome many constraints and obstacles in order to achieve their goal of living in conditions of freedom, peace and humanity.The twentieth century was an era of rapid progress and unprecedented advance in the political, economical and cultural elds, as human activity increasingly took place on a global scale. Through the experience of the two World Wars, the United Nations and other international organizations were formed to enhance cooperation in order to maintain peace and to promote international understanding.Given that the 21st century will see the emergence of a global society, we rmly believe that coexistence between mankind and nature, as well as between diverse cultures, will be indispensable for the peaceful and sustainable development of the Asia Pacic region. This is why we are now establishing a university here, to nurture the young talent and to create a new academic discipline which will help shape the region's future.April 1, 2000 therefore marked the birth of the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacic University, based on a vision of freedom, peace and humanity, international mutual understanding, and the future shape of the Asia Pacic region. The establishment of the University at Jumonjibaru, in Beppu City, has been made possible through the cooperation of the people of Beppu and Oita Prefecture, together with many others both within and outside Japan.Our hope is that it will be a place where the young future leaders from countries and regions throughout the world will come to study together, live together, and understand each other's cultures and ways of life, in pursuit of goals that are common to all mankind.The Ritsumeikan Asia Pacic University is hereby declared open.April 1, 2000Ritsumeikan traces its roots to Prince Saionji's private academy of the same name, established in 1869. It was ofcially founded in 1900 by his protégé, Kojuro Nakagawa, as the Kyoto Hosei Gakko (Kyoto School of Law and Politics), later to take on the name "Ritsumeikan." The name is derived from a passage in the Jinxin chapter of the Discourses of Mencius, and means "a place to establish one's destiny through cultivating one's mind."Ritsumeikan's founding ideals are "freedom and innovation" and reecting upon its wartime experience, it committed itself to a core educational philosophy of "peace and democracy" after World War II. Ritsumeikan has faced the challenges of the times by pursuing an independent path to rise above adversity and has become the comprehensive private educational institution that it is today through extensive cooperation and support from both within and outside Japan.Ritsumeikan, as a Japanese institution located in the Asia Pacic region, is committed to sincerely reecting upon history and to building an institution where many cultures coexist in the spirit of international mutual understanding. Ritsumeikan will build relationships of trust, through research and education, as well as sports and cultural activities, and establish its roots in the local community, to create an academic institution open to international society. Ritsumeikan will strive to strengthen links with society and promote its institutional development by fully utilizing the characteristics of a private academic institution, the participation of its faculty, staff and students, and the support of alumni and parents, while respecting the principles of autonomy, democracy, transparency, non-violence and justice.Ritsumeikan will pursue the creation of universal values based on academic freedom and search for solutions to the pressing issues facing humankind, with its educational endeavors based on its founding spirit and educational ideals, bearing in mind "to believe in the future, to live for the future." Ritsumeikan will foster learning and the development of individual talents in order to nurture just and ethical global citizens. Ritsumeikan, as an institute of education and research, pledges to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development in Japan and throughout the world, in keeping with the spirit of this Charter.The Ritsumeikan TrustJuly 21, 2006Declaration on the Occasion of the Opening of APUThe Ritsumeikan Charter
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