Its mission is to foster the exchange of ideas between the fields of cultural studies and design by having the two combined at one relatively small institution.

SUAC is one of Japan's newest universities, established in December 1999 and enrolling its first class in April 2000.

SUAC hosted NIME-04, the 4th International Conference on New interfaces for musical expression in June, 2004.

The conference featured public invited lectures by synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog and media artist Toshio Iwai.

The campus's architecture is somewhat unusual, dominated by large undulating rooftops, one of which is topped with a roof garden.