Nikkyo Niwano School for Global Leadership

Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of Gakurin Seminary, was also a pioneering global leader who helped bring the spirit of Engaged Buddhism and Interfaith Action into practical engagement with the pressing challenges of the modern world. His vision demonstrated how Buddhist values could inspire dialogue, reconciliation, and collaborative action across religious and cultural boundaries.

In 1970, Rev. Niwano played a central role in founding Religions for Peace, the world’s largest international interfaith organization, now active in more than 90 countries. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to interreligious cooperation, peacebuilding, and the service of humanity, he was awarded the Templeton Prize in 1979—the first and, to date, the only Japanese recipient of what is often regarded as the “Nobel Prize for Religion.”

Today, humanity faces unprecedented global challenges, including war and violent conflict, social fragmentation, human rights violations, forced displacement, climate change, and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. In such an era, the world needs leaders who can connect people across cultures, religions, and diverse perspectives while working together to build a more peaceful, just, and sustainable future.

Established as the flagship program of Gakurin: A Seminary Open to the World, the Nikkyo Niwano School for Global Leadership carries forward Rev. Niwano’s vision and practice. It is a leadership education program that brings together young people from Japan and around the world to learn through dialogue, deepen mutual understanding, and co-create solutions for the future.

The program provides opportunities to engage with distinguished leaders from international organizations, religious communities, academia, and civil society who are at the forefront of conflict transformation, peacebuilding, human rights, refugee protection, environmental sustainability, and global development. Through lectures, dialogue, field studies, and international symposia, participants develop broad perspectives together with practical knowledge and leadership skills.

Learning at the School extends far beyond the acquisition of knowledge. Grounded in the teachings of Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra, the program cultivates virtue, character, and compassion while encouraging collaborative learning with people of diverse backgrounds. Students develop the creativity, practical wisdom, and moral leadership needed to address complex global challenges and inspire hope in the world.

The Nikkyo Niwano School for Global Leadership seeks to nurture a new generation of leaders who contribute to the Common Good across Japan, Asia, and the wider world. By connecting people across national, religious, and cultural boundaries, the School aspires to advance Shared Flourishing—a future in which all people and communities can thrive together.