Founded in 1949, Seinan Gakuin University (SGU) is a private Christian university in the city of Fukuoka. Seinan Gakuin University is an educational institution which includes the university as well as other institutions providing education at all levels from kindergarten to graduate school. This institution was founded in 1916 by Rev C Dozier, a Southern Baptist missionary from the United States. The university's nine faculties are theology, human sciences, commerce, intercultural studies, genetic counselling, literature, economics, law and child care. The six graduate schools include economics, law, business administration, literature and human sciences. There are over 8,000 students, about 40 of which are international students. There are about 260 faculty staff, of which about 27 are international. SGU's International Division has exchange programmes with universities in countries such as the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Norway, Finland and Denmark. In 2009, SGU opened the largest university athletic field in western Japan, Seinan Gakuin University Tajiri Green Field, which has an environment conservation zone. The university has a number of botanical gardens across its campus. The main one is the Seinan Gakuin University Biblical Botanical Garden, which has about 80 plants that are mentioned in the Bible, with labels in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, English and Japanese, as well as a reference to the Biblical passage in which the plant is mentioned. The university motto is taken from the founder's last words, "Tell Seinan, be true to Christ", and the university colour is green.
