Founded in 1897, Kyoto University is the second oldest national university in Japan. It is a comprehensive and research-oriented university with 10 undergraduate faculties, 18 graduate schools and 13 research institutes, 22 centers and other organizations. As to May 2021, Kyoto University has 13,038 undergraduate students and 9,530 graduate students enrolled in different programs, while nearly 4,000 professors and researchers are actively engaged in the academic work of the University.
Kyoto is an ancient city with a rich cultural patrimony accumulated over a thousand years, where Eastern and Western traditions and schools of thoughts meet and interact. In such environment, our university thrives as an international academic hub that promotes academic cooperation and nurtures innovation.
Currently, multiple complex issues threaten the health and lives of all people on earth. Such issues include the unexpectedly rapid worsening of climate change, large-scale natural disasters, and environmental degradation, as well as the escalation of international conflicts, widening disparity, and the international spread of infectious diseases, such as the novel coronavirus. We must now reaffirm our commitment to Kyoto University’s mission — we must earnestly and determinedly seek solutions to the multifaceted and complex issues being faced globally, and consistently share our progress with society.
Kyoto University has a tradition of engaging closely with society. Social contributions are offered through interdisciplinary and engaged research integrating humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medical and life sciences to promote innovation and bring actual solutions to social demands.
Four broad missions guide the work of Kyoto University covering
- world-level research
- innovative education
- strong relation with society; and
- proactive management.
In the field of research, our historical commitment to academic freedom and autonomy, together with a strong pursuance of high ethical standards greatly contribute to the University’s outstanding research output in creating globally distinguished intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom.
Kyoto University as a university open to the world, contributes to deepening international exchange and realization of harmonious coexistence in the global society in various ways ranging from engaging students in research and education; capacity building in higher education through the promotion of internationalization by nurturing its institutional global network. It includes 3 regional centers in Southeast Asia, Europe, North America and strong collaboration with several institutions in Africa. There are also 11 On-site laboratories established to support international collaborations and 59 department level offices and facilities at the service of education and research.
In order to further advance the principles of University Social Responsibility, Kyoto University is an active member of the USR Network, an international alliance of universities pursuing the goal of making a difference through social engagement in higher education.
Kyoto University – Global University Social Responsibility: https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/global/global-usr
University website: https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en
