Okayama University

Okayama University
岡山大学
Okayama University Library (Tsushima Campus)
Motto	"Creating and fostering higher knowledge and wisdom"
Established	Founded 1870 Chartered 1922
Type	Public (National)
President	Kyozo Chiba
Academic staff	1,402 full-time[1]
Admin. staff	1,201[2]
Students	14,035
Undergraduates	10,567[3]
Postgraduates	3,468[4]
Doctoral students	1,343
Location	Okayama, Okayama, Japan
Campus	Urban
Colors	Blue and Red ocher
Website	www.okayama-u.ac.jp

Okayama University (岡山大学, Okayama Daigaku^?) is a national university in Japan. The main campus is located in Tsushima-Naka, Okayama, Okayama Prefecture.

The school was founded in 1870 and it was established as a university in 1949.

History

The origin of the university is the Medical Training Place (医学館, Igakkan^?) founded in 1870 by Okayama-Han. It underwent the abolition of the han system and was developed into Okayama Prefectural Medical School (岡山県医学校^?) in 1880. In 1888 it was merged into a national school, the Third Higher Middle School (第三高等中学校, Daisan kōtō chūgakkō^?)^[5] to constitute the Medical Faculty. The Medical Faculty became an independent school in 1901 and was renamed Okayama Medical Speciality School (岡山医学専門学校, Okayama igaku semmon gakkō^?)^[6], a four-year medical school for men at ages 17-21 or above. In 1922 the school was chartered as Okayama Medical College (岡山医科大学, Okayama ika daigaku^?), a four-year medical college for men at ages 19-23 or above.

In 1949, after World War II, the college was merged with other national and public colleges in Okayama Prefecture to establish Okayama University, under Japan's new educational system. The predecessors of the university were Okayama Medical College, the Sixth Higher School (第六高等学校, Dairoku kōtō gakkō^?, established in 1900), Okayama Normal School (岡山師範学校, Okayama shihan gakkō^?, founded in 1874), Okayama Youth's Normal School (岡山青年師範学校, Okayama seinen shihan gakkō^?, founded in 1922) and Okayama (Prefectural) Agricultural College (岡山農業専門学校, Okayama nōgyō semmon gakkō^?, established in 1946).

The new campus (Tsushima Campus) was the former camp of the Imperial Japanese Army (the 17th Division). After occupation army left the camp (in 1947), the students of the Sixth Higher School (whose buildings were burnt in the war) guarded the camp, residing in the former military barracks. They finally got the camp as their campus. The faculties of Okayama University, except the Medical School, were gradually removed to Tsushima Campus.

The university at first had five faculties: Law and Letters, Education, Science, Agriculture and Medicine. The latter history of the university is as follows:

• 1951: Ohara Institute for Agricultural Research (大原農業研究所, Ōhara nōgyō kenkyūsho^?, founded in 1914 by Magosaburō Ōhara) joined the university.
  • Later reorganized into the Institute for Agricultural and Biological Sciences (in 1953) and then the Research Institute for Bioresources (in 1988).
• 1960: the Faculty of Engineering was established.
• 1967: Professor Jun Kobayashi (analytic chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture) announced the cause of Itai-itai disease as cadmium poisoning. Itai-itai disease (meaning "ouch ouch" disease in Japanese), was a severe pain disease affecting Toyama Prefecture as a result of mining over the course of 1,500 years.
• 1976: the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences was established.
• 1979: the Dental School was established (in Shikata Campus).
• 1980: the Faculty of Law and Letters was divided into three faculties: Letters, Law and Economics.
• 1994: the Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology was established.

Faculties (Undergraduate Schools)

• Faculty of Letters
  • Department of Humanities
• Faculty of Education
  • Training Course for School Teachers
  • Training Course for School Nurse Teachers
• Faculty of Law
  • Department of Law (including Evening Course)

History

In 1949, Okayama University set up the department of law, economics and literature at the same time as the University was founded. In those days, this was the only faculty of law in the region of Chugoku and Shikoku. Later in 1980, Okayama University reorganized the department and separated the faculty of law which became the department of law today. Then, in 2004, Okayama University reorganized again when the law graduate course was established. As a result, there are both daytime courses and nighttime courses in the faculty of law. The law department continues to be a base of education, law and politics. During 50 years, the University has produced many great person in various field, especially the judicial world.

Educational Aims

The faculty of law aims at educating people who can deeply understand and analyze modern society and who have the ability of logic and application. To be concrete, 1, people who can gain a basic knowledge about each law field and who can solve problems logically with their legal mind. 2, people who understand various view about politics and society and have a curiosity and ability to solve problems in current society. 3, people who understand about international society and have communication skills and can we deal with information well.

What is a legal mind?

Study in the department of law is mainly founded on law. But students also develop the texts of law and the knowledge of system and thinking skills in order to cope with the various problems which really occurs in society. In addition, students will develop a legal mind in this faculty . Such students can clearly analyze legal problems and quickly solve a variety of such issues.

Discover to solve and problems in current society

On lectures about professional fields of law and politics, people study basic knowledge and basic ways of thinking. In addition, student can take small class, seminar. They can develop the ability of arguing, thinking deeply and discovering problems. Moreover they can improve their personality.

In order to learn communication ability and information use ability

Thought many small seminars, students are challenged to think deeply and improve their problem solving ability.

Connection to business

In the department of law, students learn from actual problems which have occurred in society. In addition, use in discovery of the problem in the result of education research of the University society and survey of solution method, students are advancing the people and the cooperation which participate to business.

• Faculty of Economics
  • Department of Economics (including Evening Course)

Modern Economic Analysis

The students of this Course learns macro and micro economics and their trends, that is, to figure out structures and movements from theoretical, empirical (statistical), and strategic points of view by taking this course. Students can better understand the contents of newspapers and economic magazines, and furthermore, interpret economic survey data of the government.

International Comparative Economics

In this course, students learn about the current economic states of major countries or regions in order to make comparisons and analyses of them, as well as each country’s economic development and history. The students of this course learn basic knowledge that is very useful to work for multinational companies in many fields, including the manufacturing, trading, or service industry.

Management and Accounting

Students who take this course work in administration, including management, organization, and strategy, and in accounting and financing, Students come to understand and develop insights into actual company operations. This course has students who want to be a certified public accountant or a licensed tax accountant.

• Faculty of Science
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Department of Physics
  • Department of Chemistry
  • Department of Biology
  • Department of Earth Sciences
• Medical School (in Shikata Campus)
  • Faculty of Medicine
  • Faculty of Health Sciences
    • Department of Nursing
    • Department of Radiological Technology
    • Department of Medical Technology
• Dental School (in Shikata Campus)
  • School of Dentistry
• Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Department of Pharmacy
  • Department of Pharmaceutial Technology
• Faculty of Engineering
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • Department of Applied Chemistry
  • Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Department of Information Technology
  • Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology
  • Department of Systems Engineering
  • Department of Communication Network Engineering
• Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology

Environmental science and technology has four departments: Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, Environmental and Civil Engineering, Environmental Management Engineering, and Environmental Chemistry and Materials.

The environmental science and technology faculty began in 1995. The faculty was established to create knowledge that is a fusion of the natural, health and cultural sciences. This is the first university in Japan where such a special knowledge of environment is studied so many universities and companies have a special interest in this department.

Environmental problems are seriously influencing the world. This faculty is contributing to solving these problems, and practicing a number of important projects. For example, an environmentally-friendly resource recovery process using waste nickel hydride battery project; risk management security strategies for toxic substance disposal; advanced nano materials fullerene project; full color rewritable paper using functional capsules; ecological genetic study of clock genes that can cause speciation project.

• Faculty of Agriculture
  • Department of Agricultural Sciences
• Matching Program Course

This course is designed to help students create their own integrated program matching individual career interests and goals with what they study. Each student will decide an area of interest and investigate it. Choices will not be limited to the existing curriculums offered by faculties and departments. The goal is to develop students' character as well as ability. Okayama University will award a bachelor's degree in "Philosophy" to those students who complete the matching program course.

This course needs students who have inquiring minds about many things and to research about it themselves. So they have to do a lot of unique examinations the below example. The course will train people who want to have a job on the international stage therefore the students have original English classes in the course and the teachers support students to go abroad to study English. Students can take many lectures which they want so students can develop their thinking skills.

• • Entrance examination

In Japan, almost all university entrance tests have written form. But in this course, there are four parts as entrance exams:

First of all, the candidates have to take two lectures and to write a report on each of them about the assignment which is given by teacher.

Second, they should write a short essay, from a choice of six themes; mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, earth science and sports. And at the same time, candidates have to make a poster to use after next part.

Third, they have to do the presentation about the poster and every candidate has 5 minutes to show it in front of everyone including the teachers. After the presentations, they have a discussion about their presentation for about 20 minutes.

The last part of the examination is an individual interview. This lasts approximately 15 minutes, and candidates are asked about not only themselves but also the examination such as the presentation and the discussion.

Many candidates feel it is a very tough exam but they can have a very good experience through the exam.

• • History and Now

The matching Program course in Okayama University started from 2006, and now 47 students belong to three grades of the course. Almost all students in the university can’t have their room, and they can take classes from only their faculty. Besides they could not change their faculty if they feel somewhat out of place for their major. On the other hand students in MP course can have their own desk and computer until the second grade.

Students can take classes from other faculties which they are interested in and some original classes in this course. So students can decide their major after thinking through many experiences. These reasons are why The MP course is so good and unique.

Now there are some interesting lesson in this course. One of the original lessons is “MP seminar”. In this class students study many topics from various departments and practice to share their thinking through presentations. So students can learn to make good PowerPoint and can get used to present in front of an audience.

Graduate Schools

• Graduate School of Education (Master's courses/Professional Degree Course)
• Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Master's/Doctoral)
• Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology (Master's/Doctoral)
• Graduate School of Health Sciences (Master's/Doctoral)
• Graduate School of Environmental Science (Master's/Doctoral)
• Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Master's/Doctoral)

Attached Institute

• Research Institute for Bioresources

Nationwide Joint-use Facility

• Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior

Campus

Each campus is located in central part of Okayama-city, excepting the Misasa Campus

Tsushima Campus

Tsushima Campus has Administrative Center.

• Address:1-1,Tsushima-Naka,1-chome, Okayama/1-1,Tsushima-Naka,2-chome, Okayama/1-1,Tsushima-Naka,3-chome, Okayama/1-62,Tsushima-Kuwanokicho, Okayama

Shikata Campus

• Address:5-1,Shikata-cho,2-chome, Okayama

Misasa Campus

• Address:827,Yamada, Misasa,Tottori Prefecture

References

1. ^ excluding the teachers at the attached schools. "Number of Staff" (pdf). Okayama University. 2007-05-01. http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/ad/gaiyou/pdf/12_13.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
2. ^ including the teachers at the attached schools. "Number of Staff" (pdf). Okayama University. 2007-05-01. http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/ad/gaiyou/pdf/12_13.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
3. ^ "Number of Students (at the Faculties)" (pdf). Okayama University. 2007-05-01. http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/ad/gaiyou/pdf/23_24.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-29. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Number of Students (at the Graduate Schools)" (pdf). Okayama University. 2007-05-01. http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/ad/gaiyou/pdf/14_15_16.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-29. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ The Third Higher Middle School was headquartered in Osaka (-1889) / Kyoto (1889-).
6. ^ "Historical Sketch" (pdf). Okayama University. http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/ad/gaiyou/pdf/08_09.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-29. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Official website