Providing the focal point for research activities at Nanzan are its research institutes, research centers, and area studies research centers. Commitment to research has always been a priority for Nanzan and the combination of an active program of seminars, public lectures, and symposia and an excellent record of publishing work of intrinsic academic value has helped Nanzan establish a reputation for academic excellence.
Beyond the centers of research, members of faculty belong to the Nanzan Academic Society, which sponsors or supports a number of journals and bulletins and also supports a monograph series for its members. The Society's principal journal, Academia, was a landmark publication in its field in Japan when first published in 1952 and today it is published in separate editions for the liberal arts, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. This and other more specialized departmental journals provide faculty members with research outlets, while concrete encouragement in the form of generous research grants permits faculty members to fund specific research projects. Named in honor of Father Alois Pache, the first president of Nanzan University, the Pache Research Subsidies program provides members of faculty with the necessary support to engage in a range of research activities, including individual or joint research projects, participation in national and international conferences, and scientific field-work. This program along with the University's research activities as a whole is administered by the Education Planning & Research Promotion Office.
Alois Pache, SVD, the first president of Nanzan University