TG Grand Vision 150
(Tohoku Gakuin University Medium-Term Plan)

Tohoku Gakuin University 2026 Priority Items

The scripture verse that best represents Tohoku Gakuin University in the 2026 academic year is Ephesians 5:15-16 (Japanese Bible Society Common Translation), and the special emphasis items and emphasis items are shown below.

The Epistle to the Ephesians, a book of the New Testament, is traditionally said to have been written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome to the Christian community in Ephesus (Ephesians) in Asia Minor. Since the Common Translation is difficult to understand, following the translation by the New Bible Translation Committee (Iwanami Shoten), it is translated as follows:

"Find yourself exactly how you are walking—not as ignorant people, but as wise people. Make the most of this time, for these days are evil."

Even without resorting to apocalyptic expressions from the Bible, you can probably all feel that these are bad times. There are natural disasters such as global warming, floods, earthquakes, and blizzards; infectious diseases like the COVID-19 pandemic; the war in Ukraine, the war in Palestine, and the recent war in Iran; and if we look closer to home, there are soaring prices and the suspension of admissions at local private universities due to the declining birthrate.

Now, having successfully opened our downtown campus (Itsutsubashi) and established four faculties and five departments, we are planning to launch the Department of Digital Design within the Faculty of Future Exploration Sciences and the Faculty of Education (Department of Education) in the 2026 academic year to prepare for the impending sharp decline in the population of 18-year-olds.According to a 2025 survey of high school students conducted by the Recruit Institute for Higher Education Research, we ranked first among universities in the Tohoku region that students wish to attend. This is a testament to the daily efforts of our faculty and staff, and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to them.However, we must not become complacent. The Bible states that we should make full use of the present time to prepare for what is to come and carefully examine whether we are walking as wise people. In other words, it teaches us that we must not neglect planning, execution, review, and evaluation.

Planning, execution, inspection, and evaluation are not just necessary for newly established faculties. They are especially essential for existing faculties and departments that require continuous improvement. Currently, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Central Council for Education's University Subcommittee's "Working Group on New Evaluation Methods for Improving the Quality of Education and Learning" is discussing and nearing a conclusion on a major change to the university accreditation evaluation system starting in 2030. According to this, a new evaluation data platform will be built, rather than being based on individual accreditation bodies. Evaluation will not be limited to the traditional two-option system of compliant or non-compliant for each university, but will instead involve a four- or three-level evaluation for each faculty (field-specific evaluation) within the overall university (institutional evaluation), which will then be made public. In this process, the evaluation criteria will focus on quantitatively measuring educational outcomes rather than qualitatively, and similar faculties and departments at universities nationwide will be evaluated on a level playing field. The amount of private school subsidies will also depend on the evaluation. In other words, evidence-based decision-making support for continuous improvement through IR (Institutional Research) will become crucial. When it comes to comparing faculties and departments on a level playing field, university entrance exam scores (deviation scores) are generally what comes to mind. However, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology intends to abandon the belief in entrance exam scores and instead measure the effectiveness of education and research at each university and faculty after enrollment, and to compare the substance of education and research based on that evaluation.

We must address the challenge of whether such large-scale and meticulous "new evaluations" conducted on a field-by-field basis are actually possible. However, as the Bible says, "Make full use of this time, and see if you are walking like a wise man, in preparation for the coming time," we will make full use of "this time," which is the stage before the sharp decline in the 18-year-old population, to strengthen the planning, implementation, inspection, and evaluation systems of each faculty and department.

Below, we set forth the special priority items and priority items for fiscal year 2026, based on the Tohoku Gakuin Educational Corporation's "TG Grand Vision 150" Phase III Medium-Term Plan (fiscal years 2026-2030, hereinafter referred to as "TGGV150"). TGGV150 is a grand design toward fiscal year 2036, the 150th anniversary of the university's founding. It sets KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for each fiscal year against KGIs (Key Goal Indicators) every five years, and aims to develop the university while evaluating and improving progress and results. Phase III Medium-Term Plan is based on the philosophy of "education based on the founding spirit of Tohoku Gakuin" and the school motto "LIFE LIGHT LOVE". The future vision of the university is set forth as "opening the door to the future through co-creation with the community," and in order to realize this, it aims to become a comprehensive university that cultivates human resources with rich general knowledge and deep expertise, while utilizing the characteristics of an urban campus and co-creating with the community.

Fiscal year 2026 marks the first year of the third medium-term plan, and each department is expected to proactively work towards setting and implementing KPIs to realize an "unparalleled school" that is chosen by society, primarily in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. Departments that are not the implementing body for these measures under TGGV150 should work in cooperation with the relevant department and the entire university to promote the project.

Special priority measures

Pillar 1: Creating an environment that fosters learning and growth

A302 Development of educational programs that contribute to an inclusive society (for working professionals and international students)

At Graduate Schools, the Department of Graduate School of Economics Data Science within the Graduate Graduate School of Economics, established through the project to create a double-major Graduate Schools education combining economics and digital technology, will reach its completion year. Furthermore, Graduate School of Business Administration will launch a course system and certificate programs starting in 2026. Building upon these achievements, and in conjunction with A303 "Promoting Graduate Schools Reform with a View to the Next Generation," efforts will be made to establish Graduate Schools based on the four faculties and five departments established in 2023. In conjunction with this, efforts will also be made to optimize the enrollment capacity of existing Graduate Schools, and these will be implemented based on the recommendations submitted to the President's consultation.

As part of this effort, preparations are underway for the opening of the Tohoku Gakuin University Psychological Counseling Center in June 2026, in order to establish a system for training certified psychologists. Furthermore, plans are also being made for the establishment of the Tohoku Gakuin International Exchange Dormitory, Aramachi (tentative name), in March 2027.

Furthermore, Faculty of International Studies is also planning to co-host the 8th Asia Future Conference with the Atsumi International Exchange Foundation at Itsutsubashi Campus.

These initiatives will further strengthen our function as a university that collaborates with the local community.

A305 Development and implementation of educational methods and content that promote students' motivation to learn and the development of their abilities.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Central Council for Education's University Subcommittee is currently considering new evaluation methods for improving the quality of education and learning through its "Working Group on New Evaluation Methods for Improving the Quality of Education and Learning." Discussions are emphasizing the importance of quality assurance for graduating students, including the understanding and visualization of learning outcomes based on degree awarding policies. Therefore, it is necessary to realize education in line with the "founding principles," "educational philosophy and objectives," and "three educational policies," and to organically connect liberal arts and specialized education within each faculty, while continuously improving while confirming the policies for curriculum development and implementation and assessment plans. To achieve this, it is crucial to strengthen Institutional Research (IR) functions more than ever before as a foundation for educational management, and to promote continuous improvement activities based on information gathering and analysis.

Furthermore, the Information Processing Center will be reorganized and expanded into a new IT Education Center (tentative name), and efforts will be made to promote mathematics, AI, and data science education utilizing digital technology.

Pillar 2: Strengthening local characteristics

A307 Promotion of PBL (Project-Based Learning) Education for Solving Local Issues

Currently, in the proposed Department of Digital Design within the Faculty of Future Science (tentative name, pre-consultation completed), the Tohoku region is recognized as a leading area for addressing Japan's challenges. The program will utilize a project-based learning (PBL) approach to cultivate individuals who can identify challenges and solve them using digital technology. Furthermore, in the proposed Department of Department of Education within the Faculty of Education, the slogan is "Nurturing people, changing the future," and the aim is to establish this department by reorganizing Department of Education within Faculty of Letters and submitting an application for notification.

A311 Promotion of Entrepreneurship Education Program

We plan to establish the Entrepreneurship Education Co-creation Center (tentative name) with the aim of launching it in June 2026. This will strengthen education at our university, making it a hub for entrepreneurship education, and will help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to identify social issues, take on challenges to solve them, and explore solutions through collaboration with others.

As a result, the university will establish a system centered on four educational centers: the Regional Collaboration Center, the International Exchange Center, the IT Education Center, and the Entrepreneurship Co-creation Education Center.

Pillar 3: Promotion of All Tohoku Gakuin

A314 Qualitative deepening of education through evaluation of the outcomes of integrated middle school, high school, and university education.

Since the campus relocation in 2023, the number of applicants for admission through recommendations from affiliated TG schools has been increasing. While this is a continuation from the TGGV Phase II Medium-Term Plan, the academic performance of students admitted through recommendations from affiliated TG schools has been improving year by year, and the results of the integrated junior high school, high school, and university education program are beginning to show. From 2026 onward, we will further deepen the collaboration between junior high school, high school, and university, promoting cooperation in various forms, such as comprehensive inquiry-based learning time and education in mathematics, AI, and data science at both affiliated schools.

This will create new value for Tohoku Gakuin Educational Corporation by allowing not only students in the TG affiliated school recommendation course but also other students to experience university-level learning at an early stage, and will build new relationships with affiliated schools that can only be achieved at our institution.

A316 Strengthening connections among alumni across generations

In 2026, Tohoku Gakuin will celebrate its 140th anniversary. As part of the commemorative projects, three initiatives are planned: 1) the release of a digital archive, 2) a competition for mascot characters submitted by students, and 3) a problem-solving contest for students. Through these initiatives, the aim is to increase opportunities for current students to connect with alumni, create new opportunities for students to engage with society, and leverage Tohoku Gakuin's network.

Pillar 4: Strengthening the foundation of the school corporation

• A314 Expanding the applicant base by improving student engagement.
• A319 Advancement and Promotion of Entrance Examination Strategies

From the 2027 academic year entrance examinations, a new faculty will be established and the enrollment capacity will be changed. Increasing application opportunities for prospective students, as well as attracting students who understand Tohoku Gakuin University's educational approach, is a crucial strategy in a time of population decline. Therefore, new systems, such as entrance examinations utilizing atama+, will be introduced.

Furthermore, the Faculty of Faculty of Engineering will revise its curriculum to make its course system easier to understand, thereby broadening the pool of applicants who choose Tohoku Gakuin University and working to attract new applicant groups. Regarding the educational organization, we will continuously review the results for ongoing improvement and continue our tireless efforts to adapt to changing times so that Tohoku Gakuin University can become a university that leverages its strengths.