School name The name originated from the desire of
Walter Russell Lambuth, the university's founder, to serve citizens of , the western part of Japan, while the word means "college". The unusual romanization of
Kansai as
Kwansei is due to the way it would have been pronounced by progressive students in the late 19th century when
Kan-on pronunciations were seen as more educated. The "official" pronunciation of
Kwan can be heard in performances of the school song, but the modern pronunciation of
Kan is the standard in other contexts. Though the university is commonly referred to as
Kangaku, it would also be correct to say
Kwangaku. School motto In the context of "Mastery for Service", a "master" is an accomplished person in terms of their humanity, learning, and daily life. Kwansei Gakuin's avowed goal is to help students "master their God-given gifts in order to serve their neighbors, society, and the world."
School symbol Kwansei Gakuin's symbol, the crescent moon, represents the purpose of education: students' growth to fullness in knowledge and wisdom.
International relations Kwansei Gakuin University has agreements with several
United Nations organizations. The university and
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) reached an agreement establishing the university as the first institution of higher education in Asia to form a volunteer-sending partnership with the United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS) in 2003. KGU and the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representation in Japan agreed to establish a special university scholarship system for refugees in Japan in May 2006. Under this agreement, Kwansei Gakuin started the UNHCR-KGU Higher Education Program for Refugees in Japan in April 2007, and two refugees were enrolled. ==Academics and organization==