Nagoya University: Institution Main

About Nagoya University:

Nagoya University (名古屋大学 Nagoya daigaku or 名大 Meidai) dates back to 1871 when it was established as a temporary medical school. In 1939 it became Nagoya Imperial University. It was the 7th Imperial University in Japan.  In 1947, it was renamed Nagoya University. In 2004, it became a National University Corporation.

Meidai actively promotes international academic exchange on the basis of exchange agreements that have been signed with over 190 institutions of higher education. At present there are about 1,200 international students and a large number of international researchers in residence.

The university is one of the top research institutions in Japan.  Its research standard is especially high in Physics and Chemistry, and Biology & Biochemistry. It also is highly regarded in the Social Sciences & Humanities. In Jan 2011, Repec (Research Papers in Economics) ranked Nagoya's Economic department as Japan's 13th best economic research university.

Notable alumni and affiliates include 4 Nobel Prize winners: Kobayashi Makoto (小林 誠) and Masukawa Toshihide (益川敏英) in physics, Shimomura Osamu (下村脩) and Noyori Ryōji (野依 良治) in chemistry.  Another eminent alumnus and faculty member was Reiji Okazaki (岡崎令治) who discovered the Okazaki fragments. 

Nagoya University currently has 9 faculties, and 13 graduate programs.  The university has 3 Campuses: Higashiyama, Tsurumai, and Daiko.

Nagoya University was designated as one of Japan's Global 30 institutions.  Created by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology the "Global 30" Project Establishes Core Universities for Internationalization to function as core schools for receiving and educating international students. In 2009, 13 universities were selected. These core universities have established English degree programs and will play a major role in dramatically boosting the number of international students educated in Japan as well as Japanese students studying abroad.