On December 26 (Friday), Soongeui Women’s University (President Kyung-ho Park) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Niijima Gakuen Junior College in Japan (President Yuki Takayama) to promote the global competencies of students from both institutions. Located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, Niijima Gakuen Junior College operates the Career Design Department and the Community Child Studies Department.

Through this agreement, the two institutions plan to expand a variety of exchange programs that allow direct student participation, including student exchange and short-term training programs, as well as joint educational and research initiatives. 

President Park stated, “I am pleased to establish an exchange agreement with a traditional Protestant-affiliated institution in Japan,” adding, “I hope this partnership will provide students with more opportunities to broaden their global perspectives and experience diverse cultures and educational environments.” He further expressed his expectation that the collaboration would expand beyond student exchanges to include staff and faculty exchanges.

President Yuki Takayama of Niijima Gakuen Junior College commented, “It is very meaningful to conclude an international exchange agreement with the historically rich Soongeui Women’s University, located in the heart of Seoul.” She added, “I hope this agreement will enable students from both institutions to experience each other’s cultures and educational environments and to further develop their global awareness.” She also expressed her hope for continued exchanges under the shared values of education and human resource development.

Following the signing ceremony, the visiting delegation from Niijima Gakuen Junior College toured the Food and Nutrition Practice Laboratory on the fifth floor of the main building, where they observed Soongeui Women’s University’s major-specific practical training facilities. The delegation then visited the Sooongeui History Hall, which showcases the university’s founding philosophy and more than a century of educational heritage, sharing in the institution’s deep history and traditions. In particular, the History Hall’s presentation on the origins of women’s education based on Christian values and the evolution of education across different eras attracted significant interest from the visitors.

The delegation continued their campus tour by visiting the Moffett Memorial Church and the Academic Information Center, gaining insight into the university’s integrated values of education, faith, and scholarship. They also visited the practice studios of the Department of Practical Music and the Department of Acting Arts, where they observed the practice-oriented educational environment and student creative spaces in the performing and arts fields. The official schedule concluded with a visit to the Soongeui Figures Hall, which highlights key figures and the educational philosophy of the university.

This visit served as a meaningful opportunity for both institutions to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s educational environments and university cultures, and it was positively evaluated as an important step toward expanding substantive and sustainable exchange cooperation in the future.