Tohoku University

The Ranking of University of Tohoku, Japan


www.tohoku.ac.jp

Tohoku University (東北大学 (東北大學 prior to 1945) Tōhoku daigaku), abbreviated to Tohokudai (東北大 Tōhokudai), located in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in the Tōhoku Region, Japan, is a Japanese public university. It is the third oldest Imperial University in Japan. The university has 10 faculties and 15 graduate schools with a total of about 17,800 students (2007). The spirits of its foundation are "Research First(研究第一主義)" and "Open-door(門戸開放)" policies.

In 1999, it was ranked no.1 in Asiaweek Magazine as Asia's Best University. In 2000, it was ranked no. 2 in the same magazine's Universities Ranking list In 2008, Tohoku University is internationally ranked 19th in the field of Engineering and Technology, and 35th in Natural science by ARWU. As Tohoku University has been emphasizing on 'practical' research, Tohoku got the top place at the number of patents accepted during 2007 among Japanese Universities.

History

The origin of the university was Meirin-yokendo (明倫養賢堂 Meirin yōkendō), which was founded as a medical school in Sendai in 1736. It was reorganized a few times. Later it became Sendai Medical College (仙台医学専門学校 Sendai igaku senmon gakkō); this was the forerunner of the medical department of the university.

In June 22, 1907, the university was established under the name Tohoku Imperial University (東北帝國大學 Tōhoku teikoku daigaku) by the Meiji government as the third Imperial University of Japan, following the Tokyo Imperial University(1877) and the Kyoto Imperial University(1897). From its start, it has advocated "Open-door" policies. This stems from that it first began to accept female students as well as foreign students in Japan universities, the first in the country to do so.

In September 1907, it set up the faculty of Agriculture in Sapporo; Sapporo Agricultural College (札幌農學校 Sapporo nō gakkō) took the lead it. It set up the Science (1911), and the Medical Department (1915); the latter had been Sendai Medical College. In 1918 it ceded the Faculty of Agriculture to Hokkaido Imperial University. It subsequently launched Faculties of Engineering (1919), and Law and Literature (1922).

After World War II the university assumed its current name, Tohoku University (1947) and acquired a new Faculty of Agriculture. Furthermore, the old Faculty of Law and Literature was split up to form new faculties of Law, Literature, and Economics (1949). Further additions: Faculty of Education (1949), Dentistry (1965) and Pharmacy (1972). Tohoku has been a national university corporation since April 2004.

2007 was the centenary of Tohoku University.

Mission of Tohoku University

ohoku University is committed to the "Research First" principle and "Open-Door" policy since its foundation, and is internationally recognized for its outstanding standards in education research useful in the solutions of societal problems and for the education of human resources in the capacities of leadership.

Towards Tohoku University 2016

In order to fulfill this mission, Tohoku University will carry out the following objectives within the following 10 years.
-- Establish an internationally recognized university and research center

• Consistently produce top research in a broad spectrum of fields, including the natural science, humanities and social sciences.
• Create cutting edge research institutions and other forums capable of responding to the rapid dissemination of knowledge and a knowledge-based society.
• Establish the presence and reputation as an international locus in general research by maintaining intimates relationships with major national and international research networks.

-- Nurture human resources capable of leadership contributing to the knowledge and advancement of society.

• The faculty's cutting edge research will be reflected in their teaching.
• Contents and pedagogy of all courses will be that of a top level of educational institutions.
• Establish an educational foundation which enables studies to explore new avenues of human knowledge and become aware of responsibilities in leadership. Develop educational programs and institutions that foster outstanding, internationally minded specialists with theoretical and practical knowledge.

-- Contribution to the community and to the world

• Contribute to the development of community and humanity by making available to the world the benefits of research and of human resources with exceptional leadership abilities.
• Giving out equal opportunity to all capable, highly motivated students and faculty, regardless of nationality, race or religion, age or gender, or any other social standing.
• In keeping with our tradition of practice-oriented research and education, create a science park by further promoting university-industry collaboration.
• Dramatically increase the quality and availability of public education, and the consultative services requiring specialized knowledge.
• Open the campus to the general public and consider ways in which the university's intellectual and material resources such as the libraries, academic materials and facilities can be beneficially utilized.

-- Establish a culture, environment and management system appropriate for an internationally renewed research and education institution

• maintain and further develop a university culture that will stimulate the creation of world-class research and education
• create an atmosphere conductive to intellectual activities by bringing aesthetic unity to its natural surroundings.
• Establish a human, material and financial base in a management system which allows a world-class research and educational institution to develop quickly and flexibly.
  

Campus

Principal five campuses are in the Sendai City, Japan;
Katahira (片平 Katahira)
Administration Unit. and Principal institutes
Kawauchi (川内 Kawauchi)
North-Kawauchi; The freshmen and sophomore of all undergraduates
South-Kawauchi; Law, Education, Economics, Letters
Seiryo (星陵 Seiryō)
Medicine, Dentistry
Aobayama (青葉山 Aobayama)
Science, Engineering, Pharmacy
Amamiya (雨宮 Amamiya)
Agriculture

Amamiya campus and some institutes are planned to transfer from the present place to the New-Aobayama campus.

Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology

This is a Special Coordination Fund which is based upon the strategies of Council for Science and Technology Policy. The Funds are established for and initiate the Promotion of Science and Technology; they are used in coordinating the Comprehensive Areas which arise on the Key issues of Science and Technology. Selected programs, which utilize this Promotion Fund, show and produce results of high effectiveness by government-led supports. These Programs are A）
original and novel efforts found in policies of Offices and Ministries, B）in boundaries areas, having difficulty in proactive approaches in terms of Departmental Policies within existing organizations, C）expected to generate synergy effects, in cooperation with different organizations, D）for rapid and flexible actions, etc.

Tohoku University, Industry-University-Government Cooperation Policy

Tohoku University has been committed to the "Research First" principle and the "Open-Door" policy since its date of foundation, and has been internationally recognised for its outstanding standards in the field of education and research. The university contributes to the peace and prosperity of human society by devoting itself to research useful in the solutions of societal problems and for the education of human resources in the capacities of leadership.The university aims to become a "World-class university" which contributes to human society by applying the knowledge it has been accumulated over the past century, and by devoting itself to continuous research and education for the next century. Under the plan of "Being an open university to the world and region," the university contributes to the development of human society through its collective strength, and its human and intellectual resources, and by collaborating with our region and international society. The Industry-University-Government coope ation is our core to social contribution; it is the third mission of the university followed by education and research, and is one important means of delivering the benefits of knowledge to society. The university is actively committed to Industry-University-Government cooperation on the basis of the "Industry-University-Government Cooperation Policy" and is as follows:

• Increase the added social value of the University's research and education by actively transferring their scientific and technological achievements to industry and the other sectors, steadfast to the University's founding principles of"Research First" and "Practical-Oriented Research and Education."
• Build an organizational structure for utilizing products of intellectual activity at the University and contributing to global competitiveness of Japanese industry through university-industry partnerships.
• Effectively promote activities oriented in the collaboration with industry which contributes to society and the development of Japan's economy.
• Develop the ongoing partnerships with local industry and local government.
  
  

Faculties and Graduate Schools

Faculties (10)
Arts and Letters
Education
Law
Economics
Science
Medicine
Dentistry
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Engineering
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Information and Intelligent Systems
Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biomolecular Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture
Agriculture

Graduate Schools (15)
Arts and Letters
Education
Law
Economics and Management
Science
Medicine
Dentistry
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Engineering
Agricultural Sciences
International Cultural Studies
Information Sciences
Life Sciences
Environmental Studies
Educational Informatics Research Division / Education Division
Professional graduate schools (3)
Law School
School of Public Policy
Accounting School

Research Institutes

• Institute for Materials Research,IMR (金属材料研究所,金研 Kinzoku Zairyō Kenkyūsyo, Kinken)
• National Collaborative Research Institute
• Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (加齢医学研究所 Karei Igaku Kenkyūsyo)
• Institute of Fluid Science (流体科学研究所 Ryūtai Kagaku Kenkyūsyo)
• Research Institute of Electoric Communication (電気通信研究所 Denki Tsūshin Kenkyūsyo)
• National Collaborative Research Institute
• Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (多元物質科学研究所 Tagen Busshitsu Kagaku Kenkyūsyo)
  
  
  

Tohoku University was ranked 112th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking.