Charter of the Keio University for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Keio founder Yukichi Fukuzawa wrote, “Heaven, it is said, does not create one person above or below another” in the opening to his book An Encouragement of Learning. Similarly, Keio University has had the cultivation of a spirit that respects the freedom, equality, and rights of every individual as its educational principle since its establishment. 　Additionally, in Shūshin Yōryō, a compilation of Fukuzawa’s moral codes, he says: “The only way in which social life can continue is for each individual to keep unimpaired his or her own independence and self-respect as well as that of others. This may be done by respecting the rights and happiness of others at the same time that we seek our own happiness and protect our own rights.” Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of acting in a manner that recognizes “social intercourse” or relationships between people, although we are still in the process of realizing this in practice as there remains many issues that must be addressed. Under the principle of “collaboration,” Keio University and all members of the university “company” (shachu) will work together to find solutions to these issues. 　Diverse values coexist today, and we must realize a world in which we mutually respect each other’s dignity and ensure that no one is isolated or excluded from society among people with a variety of backgrounds in terms of age, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), disability, culture, nationality, race, religion, and lifestyle. 　While keeping in line with its founding mission to “become a leader in all societies” by being a “source of honorable character and a paragon of intellect and morals,” Keio University will move forward with the aim of realizing a collaborative society in which people cooperate with each other, accept a variety of values, and equally pay respect to the dignity of oneself and others. To this end, we have established the following charter for the Keio University for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
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Charter

1. We aim to realize a collaborative society in which people cooperate with each other while equally paying respect to the dignity of oneself and others and giving due regard to the personalities of one another.
2. We will promote developmental activities that foster sympathy and consideration to living a life that is true to oneself while deepening our understanding of diverse values.
3. We will establish an environment in which people can live their lives in accordance with their individually chosen lifestyles while making every effort to remove social barriers.