Nanzan University
南山大学
Former name
Nanzan College of Foreign Languages (1946-1949)
MottoHominis Dignitati (人間の尊厳のために, Ningen no Songen no Tame ni)
Motto in English
For human dignity
TypePrivate Roman Catholic Research Non-profit Coeducational Basic and Higher education institution
Established1946
FounderFr. Joseph Reiners, SVD
Religious affiliation
Roman Catholic
(Divine Word Missionaries)
Academic affiliations
ASEACCU ACUCA
PresidentRev.Fr.Robert Kisala, SVD
Academic staff
348
Students9,199
Undergraduates9,020
Postgraduates179
Location
Nagoya
,
Aichi Prefecture
,
Japan

35.1481°N 136.963°E
CampusUrban/Suburban
AffiliationsNanzan Gakuen
Websitehttp://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/English/index.htm

Nanzan University (南山大学, Nanzan daigaku) is a private, Catholic and coeducational higher education institution run by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in the Shōwa Ward of Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious private universities in the Chūbu region.[1]

History

Nanzan is named after the forested mountains near Goken'ya-chō (五軒家町), known as Minamiyama (南山), which literally means "southern mountain". The on reading for "南山" is Nanzan. Also, in Chinese poetry "南山" refers to Mount Lushan until the Tang Dynasty and Mount Zhong Nan thereafter. Notably, the word appears in the classical poetry collection Shi Jing and the works of famous poet Li Bai. Thus, the choice of name is a celebration of longevity, perseverance, and prosperity for both the school and its alumni.[2]

Divine Word Missionary Josef Reiners founded Nanzan Junior High School in 1932. Nanzan Foreign Language School was added to the Nanzan system in 1946. Later, as the Society of the Divine Word appointed Rev. Ralph Thyken, the American representative of Fu Jen Catholic University, to Japan to participate in the establishment of a new Nagoya Catholic University,[3] and Nanzan Foreign Language School was formally renamed Nanzan University in 1949.

In 1995, Nagoya Seirei Junior College was subsumed by Nanzan when the two schools' organizations merged.[4] In 2008, Nanzan plans to open an elementary school, officially named Nanzan University Affiliated Elementary School.

Detail of one of the buildings constructed by Antonin Raymond

In 1961, Czech architect Antonin Raymond was commissioned to design most buildings on the Nagoya campus. It was one of the largest projects that he would undertake. The campus was orientated on a north–south axis across rolling hills and the eight buildings were arranged to suit the typography and harmonise with the landscape. In-situ concrete is used throughout the scheme and each building has its own concrete form, some with pilotis, others with shells.[5]

Located to the east of the campus is the Divine Word Seminary Chapel, constructed in 1962. This is a building that exploits the plastic capacity of concrete, with two intersecting shells forming a bell tower. These are punctured with vertical slots which allow light to radiate along the curved interior walls.[6]

Nanzan Junior College (南山短期大学, Nanzan Tanki Daigaku) opened in 1968 as a women's junior college affiliated with the university. In 2011 the junior college campus was closed and reorganized as a department on Nanzan University's Nagoya campus offering courses in English language.[7]

Organization

Nanzan University is part of Nanzan School Corporation (南山学園, Nanzan gakuen), an educational complex of four high schools, and the university itself. Among coeducational universities, Nanzan is the only Catholic missionary school in the Chūbu region.

Nanzan has an active study abroad program with over 100 partner universities around the world. The Center for Japanese Studies opened in 1974, and is now one of the most prestigious Japanese language programs in Japan, accepting over 300 students a year into its fall, spring and summer programs.

For many years, Nanzan has held an annual competition with its Catholic sister schools Sophia University (上智大学, Jōchi daigaku) primarily focusing on athletics. Combining the first two syllables in Japanese of the respective schools, the Nanzan-Sophia event is known as the Jōnan-sen (上南戦) .

The humanities department offers priest training courses through its Christian studies curriculum.

Campus

Nanzan University in Nagoya
The Divine Word Seminary Chapel, constructed in 1962 by Antonin Raymond
Sports ground on campus
International Student House

Nanzan's campus is in Yagoto, in the eastern part of Nagoya, in Shōwa-ku. The campus is about a 10-minute walk from either Nagoya Daigaku (名古屋大学) or Yagoto Nisseki (八事日赤) station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway's Meijō Line. Alternately, campus is a 15-minute walk from Irinaka (いりなか) on the subway's Tsurumai Line.

Faculties and departments

  • Humanities
    • Christian Studies
    • Human Culture
    • Psychology and Human Relations
    • Japanese Cultural Studies
  • Foreign Studies
    • British and American Studies
    • Spanish and Latin-American Studies
    • French Studies
    • German Studies
    • Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • Business Administration
  • Law
  • Public Policy
  • Science and Technology
    • Software Engineering
    • Data Science
    • Electronics and Communication Technology
    • Mechanical Engineering and System Control
  • Global Liberal Studies

Graduate schools and programs

  • Humanities
    • Christian Thought
    • Religious Thought
    • Anthropology
    • Educational Facilitation
    • Linguistic Science
  • International Area Studies
  • Economics
    • Economics
    • Management
    • Policy Studies
  • Law
  • Sciences and Engineering
    • Systems and Mathematical Sciences
    • Software Engineering
    • Mechatronics
    • Data Science
  • Nanzan School of Law
    • Legal Practice

Notable alumni and students

Affiliations

Nanzan is a member of the ASEACCU (Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities), an organization of Catholic institutes of higher learning in the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and Japan. In addition to Nanzan, there are seven other Japanese members, including Sophia.

Sister schools

Associated schools

  • Nanzan Elementary School
  • Nanzan Boys' Junior and Senior High School
  • Nanzan Girls' Junior and Senior High School
  • Nanzan International Junior and Senior High School
  • Seirei Girls' Junior and Senior High School
  • Misono Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School
  • Misono Kindergarten
  • Misono Maria Kindergarten

See also

Close by to the main campus is the Showa Museum of Art.

References

  1. ↑ http:// auabroad. american.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10515
  2. ↑ "Nanzan University Founding Principles". Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  3. ↑ "Peking Catholic University Head in Tokyo - from the Catholic Herald A…". archive.catholicherald.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Nanzan University Children of the Light". Archived from the original on 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  5. ↑ Japan Architect (2005), p124
  6. ↑ Helfrich & Whitaker (2006) p74
  7. ↑ 南山短期大学の名称変更、キャンパス移転および定員変更について [Concerning Nanzan Junior College's name change, campus closing, and transfer of personnel] (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-09-27.
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