Kyoto Notre Dame University is a small, private Catholic university for women, located in a residential area in the city of Kyoto, Japan.
The university was founded as a junior high school in 1948 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters, after they were requested to do so by the Kyoto Catholic Church.
The motto is "Virtue and Knowledge" and the goal is to "be a lady", in other words, to be as cultured and refined as Notre Dame - which translates to "Our Lady", and refers to the Virgin Mary. The mission faiths for students are respect, communication, sympathy and action.
Departments at the university include departments of psychology – which was originally established in 1963 as the department of life and culture – cross-cultural studies, English and literature, and social science and welfare.
The university awards certificates for teachers, librarians and museum curators from each of its departments.
Students who wish to be flight attendants may take an airline industry programme with All Nippon Airways, which teaches students about business manners, hospitality, and the airline industry. This programme is also open to all students in the department of English and literature.
Kyoto Botanical Garden, Kyoto concert hall, Shimogamo-jinja shrine and Daimonji-Yamaare are all nearby.
The university welcomes international students. A significant number come from China, as well as others from countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The university also has a study abroad programme, in which students attend other universities around the world.
