New Campus of Soka University of America Being Built in California

October 2, 1999

Source: Los Angeles Times

On October 2, 1999, the Los Angeles Times reported that a new campus of Soka University of America is being built in Aliso Viejo, CA. There is already a campus in Los Angeles. The new campus will eventually accommodate 1,200 undergraduate students, and also graduate students. The campus is being built by Soka Gakkai International, a lay organization of Buddhists based in Japan and drawing from 128 countries. Wendy Harder, director of community relations for Soka in Aliso Viejo, stated that the purpose of the California campuses is "...to serve the Pacific Rim and bring together Eastern and Western cultures." The campus will be on 100 acres and will be structured to "foster a sense of community," with an artificial lake, cluster spots of benches or outside terraces, and a "Peace Fountain."

See also: Buddhism, Campus