President's Message: SUA Is Expanding Its Mission to Monterey

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• Campus News

Dear Soka Community,

I am excited to share news of a significant development. Soka University of America (SUA) has entered into exclusive negotiations with Middlebury College for the potential purchase of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) campus in Monterey, Calif., and the operation of selected M.A. programs.

MIIS has spent seven decades training diplomats, policy experts, translators, and nonproliferation specialists - people doing the hard work of building understanding across borders and reducing the dangers that threaten humanity. With SUA's mission to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life, our institutions share a common purpose the world today truly needs. Three years ago, when SUA formally partnered with MIIS to give our undergraduates accelerated pathways to its master's programs, we recognized and celebrated that alignment.

We are pursuing the potential purchase because we believe SUA can carry these programs forward to advance our shared mission. If completed, this agreement would expand SUA's graduate program offerings while establishing a second campus in Monterey under the name Monterey Institute of International Studies at Soka University of America, focusing on programs in nonproliferation and terrorism studies, threat intelligence, international policy and development/global governance, and translation and localization management.

Soka's Board of Trustees has approved our signing a letter of intent while we work toward a final agreement. I will keep this community informed with updates as they become available. You can find additional information, including a list of planned programs and answers to common questions, at soka.edu/miis.

SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda believed that education was humanity's most powerful instrument for peace and global citizenship. MIIS shares a similar belief and ethos. Bringing these two institutions together honors and strengthens both of us.

With great excitement, I look forward to sharing more soon.

Ed Feasel
President, Soka University of America

Note: This message was delivered to the SUA community via email on May 11, 2026.