Ritsumeikan University

Infobox University
name = Ritsumeikan University
native_name = 立命館大学


image_size = 250px
caption = Zonshinkan is a building on the Kinugasa Campus.
motto =
established = 1869 (chartered 1922)
type = Private
affiliation =
endowment =
officer_in_charge =
president = Kawaguchi Kiyofumi (since Jan 2007)
faculty = 1,234
students =
undergrad = 32,222
postgrad = 3,273
doctoral =
other = 800 (international)
city = Kyoto
province = Kyoto
country = Japan
campus = Urban
free_label =
free =
website = [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/eng www.ritsumei.ac.jp]
footnotes = As of May 2006 [ [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/eng/profile/datafile/2006/index.shtml Rits - 2005 General Information ] ]

nihongo|Ritsumeikan University|立命館大学|"Ritsumeikan Daigaku"|abbreviated to Rits and 立命 "Ritsumei" is a private university in Kyoto, Japan. With the Kinugasa Campus, the university also has a satellite campus called Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, and an internationalized Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture.

Ritsumeikan was founded by Prince Kinmochi Saionji in 1869, and was upgraded to full university status in 1922. Historically, the school was seen as a liberal alternative to the state-run Kyoto University. Today, Ritsumeikan is one of the most internationalized mainstream universities in Japan and it has established exchange programs with hundreds of schools worldwide, including a pioneering exchange with the University of British Columbia and a dual degree program with American University.

Origins of the name Ritsumeikan

Its name was adapted from a Mencius quotation:

Some die young, as some live long lives. This is decided by fate. Therefore, one's duty consists of cultivating one's mind during this mortal span and thereby establishing one's destiny.

It literally means "place to establish one's destiny."

Controversy

As of 2006, Ritsumeikan University and the General Union have been in dispute over a contract system that limits employment for some educators to three years. [cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20050709a6.html |title=Foreign teacher unionists face ax |date=2005-07-09 |accessdate=2008-07-15 |publisher=The Japan Times] The union argues that lower pay is given to some foreign educators, who are employed on a contract basis, even though they teach similar classes to their Japanese colleagues. Foreign employees taking part in a rally in 2006 suffered from severe disadvantages, extending to lay-offs or threats that their (yearly) contract would not be renewed if they would not stop their activities in the General Union. A recent decision of the labor commission found this to be unfair labor practice. [ cite web
last=
first=
url= http://www.debito.org/ritsumeikandata.html
title= Blacklist of Japanese Universities—Ritsumeikan University
publisher= Debito Arudou
date=
accessdate= ] It should be noted that Ritsumeikan also employs many foreign professors on a full time, permanent basis, with employment conditions identical to their Japanese counterparts.

Colleges and graduate schools (by campus)

Kinugasa Campus

In Kita-ku, Kyoto. This liberal arts-oriented campus is a roughly five minute-walk from Ryōan-ji and Kinkaku-ji temples. The campus has eight graduate schools, 17,000 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students. [ [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/eng/profile/datafile/2006/index.shtml 2006 General Information.] Ritsumeikan University (2006). Retrieved on May 14, 2008.]
*Colleges （学部)
** College of Law (法学部)
** College of Social Sciences (産業社会学部)
** College of International Relations (国際関係学部)
** College of Policy Science (政策科学部)
** College of Letters (文学部)
** College of Image Arts and Sciences (映像学部)
*Graduate Schools (大学院)
**Graduate school of Law (法学研究科)
**Graduate school of Sociology (社会学研究科)
**Graduate school of International Relations (国際関係研究科)
**Graduate school of Policy Science (政策科学研究科)
**Graduate school of Letters (文学研究科)
**Graduate school of Science for Human Services (応用人間科学研究科)
**Graduate school of Language Education and Information Science (言語教育情報研究科)
**Graduate school of CoreEthics and Frontier Sciences (先端総合学術研究科)

*Institute at Kinugasa Campus (インスティテュート)
**Inter-faculty Institute for International Studies (国際インスティテュート)
***International Law & Business Program (国際法務プログラム)
***International Civil Service Program (国際公共プログラム)
***International Community Program(国際社会プログラム)
***International Welfare Program (国際福祉プログラム)

uzaku Campus

In Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto. This campus houses the School of Law, Graduate School of Management, and Graduate School of Public Policy, in addition to the Ritsumeikan Academy headquarters.
*Graduate Schools (大学院)
** Graduate School of Management (経営管理研究科)
** Graduate School of Public Policy (公務研究科)
*Schools (専門職大学院)
** [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/gr/hoka/en/ School of Law] (法務研究科)

Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC)

In Kusatsu, Shiga. This technology-oriented campus is southeast of Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan, and is a 30 minute train ride from Kyoto Station. The campus has four undergraduate colleges, four graduate schools, 16,000 undergraduates and 1,600 graduate students.
*Colleges (学部)
** [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/cg/ec/ College of Economics] (経済学部) The College of Economics offers three programs pertaining to Economic Strategy, Economic Cooperation and International Economics, and Human Welfare and Economic Conditions. The curriculum integrates theory, history, and knowledge of the current state of affairs in a structured approach on a domestic and foreign scale.
** [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/cg/ba/index-j.html College of Business Administration] (経営学部)
** College of Science and Engineering (理工学部)
** College of Information Science & Engineering (情報理工学部)
** Integrated Institute of Arts & Science (文理総合インスティテュート)
** College of Life Sciences (生命科学部)
** College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (薬学部)
*Graduate schools (大学院)
** [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/gr/gsec/ Graduate School of Economics] (経済学研究科)
**Graduate School of Business Administration (経営学研究科)
**Graduate School of Science and Engineering (理工学研究科)
** [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/gr/mot/index_e.html Graduate School of Technology Management] (テクノロジー・マネジメント研究科)

*Institute at BKC (インスティテュート)
**Integrated Institute for Arts and Science
***Environment & Design Institute (環境・デザインインスティテュート)
***Finance Institute (ファイナンス・情報インスティテュート)
***Service Management Institute (サービス・マネジメントインスティテュート)

Facilities

Research Center for Disaster Mitigation Systems

Established in April 2005 on the Biwako-Kusatsu Campus, work at this center focuses on disaster mitigation using sensor systems and computer networks.

Art Research Center

Located at Kinugasa Campus, this center houses the Digital Humanities Center for Japanese Arts and Cultures, which focuses on research on Japanese art and culture using digital archives, databases and geographical information systems.

Museums

The Kyoto Museum for World Peace seeks to critically examine Japan’s militaristic past, and includes numerous exhibits ranging from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-5 to the Iraq War.

SR center [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/re/src/index.htm]

Located at BKC campus, This center is established for reserch using Synchrotron Radiation.
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Notable people associated with Ritsumeikan

Famous people affiliated with Ritsumeikan University, including graduates, former students, and professors:
*Ando Momofuku (1934 College of Economics), founder of Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd.
*Kenichiro Sato(佐藤研一郎)(college of engineering),founder of RohmCo., Ltd.
*Furuta Atsuya (1988 College of Business Administration), Nippon Professional Baseball player (Tokyo Yakult Swallows)
*Cico, (College of International Relations), singer and half of Bennie K
*Hasegawa Shigetoshi (1990 College of Social Sciences), MLB player
*Kawaguchi Masafumi (1996 College of International Relations), American football player
*Kinoshita Noriaki (College of Business Administration), American football player
*Koyama Rikiya (College of Law), Actor
*Matsui Daisuke (College of Business Administration), soccer player
*Minakami Tsutomu, author
*Nagare Masayuki, artist
*Naya Goro, actor
*Naya Rokuro (College of Law), actor
*Ohka Tomokazu (College of Business Administration), MLB player
*Okamura Takashi (College of Business Administration), comedian, Ninety-nine)
*Quruli, Japanese music group
*Savanna, both halves of this comic pair
*Timur Dadabaev (Ph.D. and MA), scholar of international relations
*Mai Kuraki (2005), singer
*Hiroshi Tanahashi, professional wrestler
*Tomoaki Taniguchi, Japan rugby player
*Yuji Ijiri, accounting professor
*Princess Raiyah of Jordan
*Yoshio Arita, journalist
*Kan Izue,architect
*Michael Emmerich,literature,translator
*Mizukami Tutomu,novelist,Naoki Prize winner
*Tomotaka Takahashi,robot creator
*Akira Matida,archaeologist

References

External links

* [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/eng Ritsumeikan University] (English)
* [http://www.apu.ac.jp Ritsumeikan Asian Pacific University]
* [http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/records/cgi-bin/rcl.cgi?lng=E&cls=0 Profiles of Faculties]