Tohoku University

Overview

Tohoku University is a national university that can be found in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture in Japan’s Tōhoku region. It has campuses in Katahira, Kawauchi, Aobayama, and Seiryo. Founded in 1907 by the Meiji government, the university takes pride in being one of Japan’s top universities. Its vision-mission is to mold future leaders through academic excellence and research pursuits following its tenets: Research First, Open Doors, and Practice-Oriented Research and Education.

Tohoku University offers undergraduate programs taught across 10 faculties: Law, Science, Medicine, Dentistry, Education, Economics, Agriculture, Engineering, Arts and Letters, Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. They also have graduate programs in 17 graduate schools and three professional graduate schools. In addition, they also offer courses taught in English, exchange programs, summer programs, and double-degree programs.

When the university was first established, it was known as the Tohoku Imperial University. Pursuant to its Open Door policy, it became the first Japanese university to admit female students in 1913. In 1922, Albert Einstein paid a visit to the university as part of his Japan trip. At the end of World War II, it was used as a military base for occupation forces.

In 1958, the university put up the Tohoku University Botanical Gardens, one of a few gardens of its kind in Japan. When the Great East Japan earthquake struck in 2011, the university was severely damaged. However, the campus was able to recover and it helped in the reconstruction efforts in the region.

Notable alumni from Tohoku University include Fujio Masuoka, who invented flash memory and Ryuta Kawashima, a neuroscientist who has appeared in Nintendo games like Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! and Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain? It also counts as an alumnus Jun-ichi Nishizawa. Considered the “Father of Japanese Microelectronics,” he invented the PIN diode, semiconductor laser, and fiber-optic communication.

Tohoku University is one of three universities in Japan that have been named as a Designated National University. Globally, it is ranked within the top 80 to 270 according to various university ranking publications.

As part of its Vision 2030, the university is focused on four priorities. First, it aims to nurture creative talent and future leaders. Second, it wants to pursue innovation in new academic fields. Third, it envisions building partnerships with diverse sectors in society. Lastly, it is looking at implementing governance reforms to maintain excellence in education and research.