In the aftermath of WWII, visionaries in Japan and the United States came together to establish a university in Japan that would educate “new leaders for a new Japan” committed to reconciliation, democracy, and human rights. The Japan ICU Foundation was incorporated in New York in 1949 to support this endeavor, and International Christian University (ICU) was founded the same year. Over 75 years later, ICU has grown into a leading university, and JICUF and ICU remain steadfast partners.
With our eyes on the future, JICUF’s mission is to nurture global citizens who contribute to the well-being of humanity. We fulfill this mission by supporting innovative educational programs at ICU and other higher education institutions in Japan. Examples include Refugee Education Japan, the SDG Projects, the Othmer Research Fellowship and the Global Citizen Fellowship.
Most Recent Articles
Alumni Stories No. 27 – Dr. Masako Hashigami
This March, Masako Hashigami completed her ten years of service as a trustee on the JICUF board. She is an ICU graduate (class of 1975) who went on to earn graduate degrees from Harvard Business School and Bard Graduate School. She has had a career in finance and served on the boards of the Japan Society and the Freer and Sackler Galleries. We asked Masako to share her “ICU story.”
2026 Japan Education Pathways Scholars Matriculate at ICU
On April 2, two new Japan Education Pathways (JEP) Scholars matriculated at ICU. Solomiia, who is from Ukraine, and Zahra, who is from Afghanistan, are this year’s recipients of this scholarship.
Faculty Grant Project Report “ICUHS School Farm to Table”
In addition to the “SDG Project” grants for students, JICUF also offers grants for faculty and staff. In fiscal year 2025, we provided a total of 9,485,960 yen in grants to 10 faculty and staff projects. One of these was the “ICUHS School Farm to Table” project led by Minako Kuhara, the International Programs Coordinator at International Christian University High School. In 2022, ICU High School launched “NO AGRI NO LIFE/ NO 農 NO LIFE” as part of its Global Learning Programs, offering students hands-on learning opportunities about agriculture and environmental issues. This is a voluntary group activity involving teachers from various subjects, such as science and home economics, and […]
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