The University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida and Jikei College Group in Japan established an educational partnership in 1989. An official agreement was signed in January 1990 in Tokyo by Dr. Morris Marx, President of UWF, and Dr. Kunihiko Ukifune, Chairman and CEO of Jikei College Group. The purpose of the partnership was to provide students, both American and Japanese, with opportunities to learn about each other's country. On September 20, 1994, the office was formally named the Jikei-American Center and continues to be located on the main campus of UWF. The collaboration between UWF and Jikei has set the model for international education. For more information about the Jikei-American Center's accomplishments, please see the "Past Events" page.
About Jikei College Group
The Jikei Group runs twenty colleges with approximately 16,500 students enrolled throughout Japan, in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Saitama, Osaka, Kobe and Fukuoka. Its first school, Shin-Osaka Dental Technician College opened in April 1976 with 90 new students who became the foundation of the Jikei group. They currently offer a total of 165 courses under 56 departments. The courses are designed and organized under the theme of creating an immediate workforce for industry and the community. The fields of study offered are diverse, including Welfare Services, Medical Services, High Technology, Commercial Design, Industrial Design, Sports & Health, and Entertainment.
Goals for their reputation:
1. Respect from the organizations who employ our students.
2. Appreciation from the students both now and their future lives.
3. Trust and approval from the high school from which our students graduate.
4. Esteem from the local community and local administrative bodies.
Educational Guidelines
Practical Education: The knowledge and practical techniques that our students gain from the courses allow them to enter the workforce immediately as fully trained experts that industry now demands.
Social Education: We train students to be responsible and independent professionals. They must be aware of their responsibilities to society as well as their colleagues and clients.
International Education: We develop the students' ability to use computer networks to access worldwide information as well as broadening their cultural awareness, enabling them to communicate on an international basis.
Dr. Kunihiro Ukifune has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer since the founding of the Jikei Group in 1975. He received an Honorary Doctorate in International Education from University of West Florida in May 1994.
