In keeping with its founding spirit, which honors the regional characteristics and internationalism of Hiroshima—an international city of peace and culture—and in order to respond to the demands of society as one of the largest comprehensive universities in Japan, Hiroshima University offers liberal arts education to cultivate within students a broad and deep cultural sensitivity, comprehensive judgment and rich humanity. By providing specialized education on the basis of a holistic liberal arts education, we aim to develop individuals who can contribute to international society by working to promote international understanding and world peace based on human dignity and love.

The purpose of liberal arts education is to cultivate rich humanity supported by a broad education. Students are expected not only to acquire basic knowledge and skills that link directly to their specialty, but also to develop academic interest in a wide range of fields and cultivate the ability to approach things in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive manner. We hope that you will make the best use of what you have learned through liberal arts education to achieve your personal growth and contribute to a better future for mankind.

To achieve the principles and purpose of liberal arts education, students will select and learn subjects from four major classifications: Peace Science Courses, Basic Courses in University Education, Common Subjects, and Foundation Courses.

To provide students with the opportunity to think about peace from various perspectives, such as war/conflict, the abolition of nuclear weapons, poverty, starvation, population growth, the environment, education and culture, and thereby to deepen their understanding of peace.

To enable students to understand the significance and objectives of studying at university and acquire the skills and attitude necessary for studying at university.

To develop students’ ability to think logically, based on facts and evidence, regarding historical and contemporary issues facing humankind and society, to examine their own thoughts critically, and to express their own ideas effectively.

To help students explore how knowledge accumulated by mankind has been created and developed, and what concepts underlie such knowledge, from cultural, social and natural scientific perspectives, and learn intellectual techniques required across disciplines, beyond their specialized fields.

To develop students’ communication skills necessary for receiving and transmitting information effectively in various foreign languages, and deepen their knowledge and understanding of different languages and cultures, so as to enable them to play an active role in the era of globalization.

To equip students with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to use information and computers in today’s advanced information society, and develop their understanding of the usefulness and problems of computers and information-related ethical issues, so as to enable them to use information and computers properly and effectively.

To introduce students to scientific theories for promoting health and physical strength, and develop an attitude of enjoying sports throughout their lifetime as well as social skills, such as manners and cooperation, through the practice of sports suited to their own aptitudes and sports skills.

To help students understand diversity in society and improve their ability to participate in and contribute to society through engaging in various practical activities.

As pre-specialized education, which is organically linked to specialized education, Foundation Courses are aimed at providing students with the basic knowledge necessary to understand specialized studies in their chosen areas, and thereby providing them with the logical structure and system of the basic disciplines and helping them acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for further academic development.