[New] Japan's First Women's University to Launch Department with IB Teacher Education Program (Pending Authorization)

Sagami Women's University (Location: Sagamihara, Kanagawa) is pleased to announce that in April 2026, the first cohort of 49 students (out of a capacity of 60) has enrolled in the newly established 'Department of Global Communication' within the College of Arts and Sciences.

This department was created as a new place of learning that combines multilingual education, including English and Korean, with an internationally standardized education program. It will be the first women's university in Japan* to offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher education program (pending authorization), aiming to cultivate human resources who can thrive in a global society.

*As of April 2026, based on our university's research.

**■ 'To a New World'—Fostering Skills for a Multicultural Era**
This department features inquiry-based learning that cultivates the 'ability to pose questions, think, and act independently.' In addition to traditional knowledge-acquisition education, it adopts an educational style that emphasizes dialogue, collaboration, and practice.

Students will encounter diverse values, deepen their learning based on their own interests, and acquire the 'thinking, communication, and collaboration skills' required in the international community.

**■ Japan's First Women's University* to Offer an IB Teacher Education Program**
This department will offer a teacher education program for the 'International Baccalaureate (IB),' an international teaching qualification (pending authorization). Combined with obtaining a teaching license, it allows students to aim to become educators of international standards.

The curriculum, incorporating the essence of IB education, provides a learning cycle of 'inquiry, thinking, expression, and practice,' rather than just knowledge acquisition.

**■ A Multilingual Environment for Learning Both English and Korean**
This department provides an environment where students can learn multiple languages, including English and Korean. This allows them to naturally acquire not only language skills but also multicultural understanding and an international perspective.

Furthermore, the university offers a rich variety of overseas training and study abroad programs. In partnership with The Study Abroad Foundation (SAF), students can choose from various durations and program contents at over 50 universities worldwide.

**■ A Unique Curriculum Combining Five Programs Freely**
A major feature of this department is the ability for students to design their own learning by freely combining five specialized programs.

- Global Practitioner Program (Practical Skills)
- Area Studies Program on Korea (Korean Specialization)
- Advanced English Studies Program (English Specialization)
- Global Education Program (Education/IB)
- Communication Designer Program (Communication Skills/Design)

Among these, the program specializing in Korean studies will feature a project in collaboration with Korea Koryo Ginseng Co., Ltd., the official distributor of the popular Korean cosmetics brand 'rom&nd' in Japan. This provides students with opportunities to engage with real corporate challenges, offering practical learning that goes beyond lectures.

**■ A Wide Range of Career Paths from Foreign Companies to Education and Tourism**
The language skills and international perspective acquired in this department...