Diana Khor, President of Hosei University

Aiming to be a university open to the world, we implement global education.

Diana Khor, President of Hosei University

■ Profile
He completed his doctoral studies in sociology at Stanford University in 1994. He joined Hosei University in 1999, becoming a professor in the Faculty of Law in 2005 and a professor in the Faculty of Global Liberal Arts from 2008. He has served as Director of the Global Education Center, Vice President, and Executive Director, and will assume the position of President of Hosei University in March 2025.

Hosei University has established a new faculty, the Faculty of Global Liberal Arts (GIS), to strengthen its global education program. In addition to working tirelessly on curriculum development, President Khor is also promoting university reforms, such as establishing the DEI Center to globalize the entire university. We interviewed President Khor about Hosei University's initiatives and future prospects.

■What kind of student life did you have?

While attending the University of Hong Kong, I had the opportunity to speak with people from various departments and learned about the diversity of perspectives. Although I majored in sociology, I wanted to delve deeper into the subject, so I went on to graduate school at Stanford University. As I studied feminism, I realized that the perspective was primarily Western at the time, and I wanted to learn about the Asian perspective as well. Therefore, I utilized the Visiting Research Fellowship Program and spent a year as a researcher before beginning my career as a faculty member at Hosei University.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a teacher, and I reaffirmed my love for teaching. Every lesson is a unique and precious experience.
I valued each lesson, teaching writing and preparing handmade materials based on multiple textbooks. I'm very happy that some of my former students still keep those materials.

■Please tell us about your efforts toward globalization.

The Faculty of Global Studies (GIS) was established in 2008. I myself was involved in the creation of the faculty, including curriculum development, and I believed that in order to improve students' English skills, all classes should be conducted in English. Therefore, all classes in this faculty are conducted in English.
Furthermore, globalizing the entire university requires an understanding of diversity throughout the campus, including not only students and faculty, but also facilities such as the campus itself. Therefore, believing that a place where all students can learn on an equal footing is necessary, we established the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Center in 2024. There, in addition to individual consultations regarding sexual orientation, nationality, and culture, the center functions as a place for diverse students to understand each other through the opening of community spaces and the hosting of events.

■Please tell us about your future prospects as president.

I want to make the university even more open to the world, diverse, equitable, and inclusive than it is now.
We want our students to develop a "global mindset," to be aware of their own existence and actions from a global perspective, and to cultivate the ability to move forward by utilizing the knowledge and experience they have gained so far, even when encountering different values ​​and cultures or facing new situations.
We hope to send these kinds of students out into society and help build a better society.

■Message to students

University life is a time to build the foundation of your life. If you don't create a detailed plan, even if it's just a draft, you'll end up being swept along by those around you or stuck when you graduate. Think about what talents you have, what goals you want to achieve, and what kind of people are important to you.
Also, I hope you'll cherish the time you spend with your friends. Friends you meet in college can become people who stay with you for a long time afterward.
Furthermore, by talking to various people during your university life, you can reflect on your own values ​​and re-examine yourself.

Student Newspaper, April 2026 Issue, Hosei University 4st Year Student, Aoba Watanabe

Yurie Watanabe, 2nd year student at Josai International University / Haruna Shoji, 3rd year student at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences / Aoi Watanabe, 1st year student at Hosei University