Under the basic philosophy of "respect for human beings", NIU was founded in 2000 through a “public private partnership” among our parent organization, an educational foundation Kyushu Bunka Gakuen, Nagasaki Prefecture, Sasebo City, and the local business community. In fact, it was founded owing to the great expectation, and enthusiasm we receive from the community.

Since its foundation, NIU established the Faculty of Health Management in 2002, the Graduate School of Human and Social Studies in 2004, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Graduate School of Health Management in 2006 and the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2014 and has grown into a comprehensive university with four departments in three faculties and five courses (master or doctorial) in three graduate schools.

In such professional education curriculums related to “life, health, and livelihood”, we support students in acquiring the various specialized knowledge and skills to obtain national qualifications and licenses and provide various career support so that students can play an active role as key personnel in the local community after graduation based on the consistent policy from enrollment to graduation. In recent years, we promote cooperation with the local municipalities and industries as well as other domestic universities to become a regional intellectual base in an effort toward regional revitalization, and therefore students can access many opportunities to learn from the social engagement.

Moreover, just like our university name, which includes the term “international,” we promote the cultivation of human resources with a global perspective. We actively conduct study abroad programs in which students can study at sister universities in Asia, Europe, and the United States. In addition, we also actively accept international students mainly from Asia in order to create an environment to learn about multicultural coexistence.

Furthermore, one of the characteristics of the university is the practice of cultural education. We adopt the “culture of tea ceremony” to embody our “founding principles” of hospitality. It is also the basis of the human education our parent organization, Kyushu Bunka Gakuen, has developed for 60 years since its foundation. The term “tea ceremony” means more than just an art form. It is a philosophy. It is also the history of ideas as well as culture. It is because tea (ceremony) is closely tied to Zen (Buddhism).

The tea ceremony is based on the idea of the "seat." The person who serves the tea and the person who drinks it both sit and share the same space. In the context of a university, it encompasses the concepts of teacher and student, and of junior and senior, both standing on the same footing and supporting each other with mutual respect. One could say that the graceful carriages, dignity and “hospitality” acquired from it are the spirit of NIU. I believe that students can make use of the spirit in the future no matter which departments they are in or what field they are going into.

In addition to acquiring specialized knowledge and skills, the cultivation of lasting personality is one of the significant implications of what we learn at university in our social and occupational life as well as in our long life.

Many universities are founded based on the principles of Christianity or Buddhism. One could say that the equivalent of such religion or religious principles that support the philosophies of universities is the “culture of the tea ceremony” at NIU. We intend to cultivate cultured human resources with a rich sense of humanity through the culture of tea ceremony as a comprehensive art.

I hope student at NIU acquire the “spirit of hospitality”, develop their individuality, and pursue their hopes for the future. I would like them to become human resources that can contribute to the local community and are valued and loved by the local people.

My name is Seiji Nakamura, and I assumed the office of president in April 2024. I retired from the position of professor at the Kyushu University Graduate School of Dental Science when I reached retirement age at the end of March 2022, and since then, I have been engaged in education and research as a specially appointed professor at the same graduate school. This year, I have had a chance to be assigned president of Nagasaki International University (NIU). NIU is a young university that celebrates its 24th anniversary this year; however, closely related to the international city of Sasebo and founded through a public-private partnership, our university has attractive characteristics. I believe NIU has ample room for growth with the potential to develop together with society. It is a great honor to be able to spend my second life in such wonderful new grounds, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have given me this opportunity. With a fresh start, I will fully devote myself to the position of president of the university, and I would like to have a great time with students who have a keen longing for a university life filled with motivation and hope.

The following message expresses my thoughts principally to the students who are aiming or have chosen to enter NIU. The university’s motto is “Always with humanity, always from the heart.” We also cherish our founding philosophy: “Respect for humanity is the founding principle from which we strive for better human relations and hospitality. Also, through our educational and research endeavors, we wish to contribute to a society that values health and culture. Based on this principle, we offer the Culture of the Tea Ceremony as a course in the liberal arts to learn the spirit of hospitality through theory and practice, and the course represents one of the characteristics of our education. The Japanese word motenashi or omotenashi expresses distinctive Japanese hospitality. It is still fresh in our memory that the keyword in the bidding campaign for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games was omotenashi. After that, every time Japanese players and cheering squads are the first to clean locker rooms and spectator stands after games, and even under the challenging situations of disasters, the actions of the Japanese people are praised around the world. In my view, these Japanese people’s actions are grounded in the spirit of hospitality, and I hope that, through the learning unique to our university, Japanese students strengthen this spirit once again, and international students make it one of the meanings of studying in Japan. My vision is to develop talented graduates equipped with a spirit specific to the Japanese and capable of contributing to local communities, communicating messages to the world, and playing an active role in society.

The university has four departments: International Tourism, Social Work, Health and Nutrition, and Pharmacy. I sincerely hope that students recognize what they can learn at our university and what they can gain from their studies and then set the goals that they want to achieve while in school or after graduation. People can work hard if they have a clear goal, but if they just work hard without a goal, it will not last long. When your goals are unclear and uncertain, do not hesitate to consult with the faculty members. The university provides various support centers, such as the Career Center, the Campus Life Health Support Center, and the International Exchange and International Student Support Center, which you are free to use if you have any concerns or problems. I would also like you to set higher goals; you should not necessarily stick to the realistic goals that fit your abilities. You are more than welcome to have high aspirations since they raise your motivation, and when you achieve your goals, you will feel an even greater sense of accomplishment. People often learn more from failures than from successes, so it is important to take on challenges without fear of failure. Students are also required to become active learners who aggressively study with a strong spirit of inquiry, rather than learning passively. I would like to encourage you to have high aspirations and study as active learners with a strong spirit of challenge and an inquiring mind to build the foundation for a bright future.

Studying and life at university are the final preparations for the start of your adult life, and if you compare it to a marathon, it would be the last adjustment stage for a race. I have taken on marathons many times, and no trick works in the marathon; unless you prepare properly and thoroughly, you cannot run fast nor even complete the course. I think universities are places where you make the final adjustments and finishes based on competence (for marathons, probably muscular strength and stamina) that you have built up in kindergarten, elementary school, and junior and senior high schools. I am sure that if you prepare properly and thoroughly, you will be able to demonstrate your abilities and reach your full potential. On the other hand, it is also important to acquire a broad and rich sense of humanity and sociability in university life. I would like you to actively participate in circles and volunteer activities and make positive efforts to interact with society from a broad perspective.

By the way, I often say, “Enjoy your university life.” The verb “enjoy” is tanoshimu in Japanese, and this Japanese word is also translated as “have fun” in English. I think that in my context, “enjoy” is more appropriate than “have fun.” Of course, both means tanoshimu, but “have fun” implies the meanings of “playful,” “joking,” and “amusing” and refers to one’s emotions and thoughts, whereas “enjoy” also means “to take full pleasure” and “to experience” and refers to the behavior allowing you to enjoy. In other words, when I say, “Enjoy university life,” the true meaning is that sometimes, even in tough times, I want to you to work hard with gritted teeth of your own will to achieve a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. What I have explained may seem trivial, but I hope that you will enjoy your university life to your heart’s content.

Last, I would like to say the following to students. You will start your life as an adult after graduation, and what does it take to become an adult? In simple terms, I think it should be “think on your own, make your own decisions, take action by yourself, and take responsibility for yourself.” I encourage you to, during your university days, strive to develop independence, the ability to live on your own, and self-control, the ability to control yourself, as the finishing touch to becoming a full-fledged adult. We will do our utmost to support all of you so that you can fully enjoy university life and grow into independent adults!

In conclusion, I have a request of the faculty and staff members of the university. As mentioned above, I would like to ask you to work with one accord to provide education and support to our students. In addition to education, research is also an important responsibility of faculty members. I hope that not only students but faculty and staff members have high aspirations, a spirit of challenge, and an inquiring mind and enjoy fulfilling their responsibilities and duties, consequently leading to the enrichment and development of the university. Thank you for your cooperation in advance.