Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU) is an independent institution for higher education, offering Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees in over 35 different disciplines to a student body of about 20,000, including approximately 400 foreign students. The University maintains academic standards that rank among the highest of all Japanese universities and colleges. Kwansei Gakuin's symbol, the crescent moon, represents its purpose of education, growth to fullness in knowledge and wisdom. The educational system at this institution is built on its motto, "Mastery for Service," as envisioned by Dr. C.J.L. Bates, the fourth Chancellor, when Kwansei Gakuin was an all-male institution. The university encourages students not only to strive for the mastery of academic knowledge for their own career, but also to nurture their personality and character for the purpose of serving others.