A prominent British educational institution has announced plans to establish its inaugural campus in Japan through a collaboration with a major Japanese university foundation.
Brighton College will open its doors in Hirakata, Osaka, in partnership with the Kansai Gaidai University Educational Foundation.
The new establishment, to be known as Brighton College Kansai Gaidai, will deliver an education programme combining high academic standards with an emphasis on compassion, self-assurance and intellectual curiosity.
Richard Cairns, who serves as both principal and group chief executive of Brighton College, expressed enthusiasm about the venture.
He highlighted Japan’s deep reverence for learning as a key factor in the decision to expand to the country.
Cairns noted that Kansai Gaidai shares the institution’s dedication to academic excellence and its conviction that education possesses the power to shape young people and forge connections between communities.
According to Cairns, the philosophy behind the new school centres on fostering a genuine love of learning among students while helping them uncover their individual passions and develop security in their own identities.
He emphasised that the campus will prioritise compassion as a fundamental principle, enabling students to flourish academically when they feel content and supported.
The partnership was described as creating opportunities for pupils and educators in Japan to become part of a broader international community, facilitating collaborative study, cross-cultural friendships and global ties.
The collaboration unites Brighton College’s heritage spanning more than 180 years with Kansai Gaidai’s longstanding devotion to linguistic instruction and intercultural dialogue.
The curriculum will be tailored for the Japanese context, blending rigorous pedagogy and personalised attention with recognition of local language, heritage and customs.
The preparatory school division is scheduled to commence operations in September 2028, with the secondary and sixth-form phases following in September 2029.
The institution will provide both day-school and boarding facilities for families.
Eiko Tanimoto, president of the board of trustees and chancellor at Kansai Gaidai University, outlined the foundation’s historical mission since its establishment in 1945.
She described the alliance with Brighton College as beginning an exciting new era in the organisation’s ongoing work connecting people through scholarship and international exchange.
Tanimoto expressed anticipation about welcoming families to an institution they would feel privileged to be associated with and observing its students make meaningful contributions to Hirakata, the wider Kansai region and internationally.
The school will admit both Japanese and overseas students.