On April 14, 2025, the first session of the 2025 Academic Frontier Lecture Series, titled “Toward the World 30 Years from Now — The Changing Kyoyo, the Changeable Kyoyo”, was held online. As an introduction, Prof. Tsuyoshi Ishii (EAA) explained the theme of this year’s lecture series and introduced the lecturers for each session.

Starting from Building 101 of the Komaba campus, Prof. Ishii briefly introduced the educational philosophy of the East Asian Academy for New Liberal Arts (EAA), which aims to innovate university education by integrating close readings of classical texts with modern perspectives. EAA also explores new possibilities for education through collaboration with society and ongoing education initiatives.

During the lecture, Professor Ishii engaged students in a discussion on the definition of “kyoyo”. Students viewed kyoyo as a broad foundation of knowledge and practical wisdom necessary for understanding society and navigating reality.

The lecture gave a brief overview of the meaning of kyoyo. Generally, the concept is associated with “culture” or “Kultur,” and often linked with personal refinement or shitsuke (discipline), which has been considered a quality one should cultivate. In a liberal arts education, “arts” refers not only to knowledge but also to technical and practical skills. In the modern age, the concept has constantly evolved with spatial, temporal, political, and economic contexts. In response to today’s rapid social changes and emerging hopes, the aims of the “New Liberal Arts” are also continuously evolving.

Given the increasing diversity of student populations and rapid changes in our world, this year’s lecture series, under the theme “The Changing Kyoyo, the Changeable Kyoyo”, invites lecturers from various disciplines and countries to re-examine the role and significance of the liberal arts in our time.

Report by XI Zihan (EAA Research Assistant)