Nagoya University (NU) was first founded in 1871 as a temporary hospital and medical school. After undergoing several transitions, NU was established as an imperial university in 1939, and it has grown to be one of the world’s top research universities. Throughout its history, NU has maintained a free and vibrant academic culture. Conducting research and education on all aspects of human beings, society, and nature, the University pursues its goal of contributing to the well-being and happiness of humankind. Nagoya University's fundamental objective is to cultivate leaders with genuine courage and intellect. We call such leaders “Yuuki-aru Chishiki-jin”, that is individuals who are able to harness their courage, curiosity, and creativity to fully, yet responsibly, exploit their freedom with their educational and research endeavors. Our multi-disciplinary curriculum is designed to cultivate ethical leaders who are able to develop innovative solutions, through inquiry and analysis, with strong communication and teamwork skills to be productive members of the global environment. Nagoya University welcomes highly motivated students who share this vision to apply to our programs.
University Introduction Video (English)
University Introduction Video (日本語)
Naoshi Sugiyama, President of Nagoya University
I am delighted to welcome you to Nagoya University, one of the highest ranked national universities in Japan. This is an institution where scholars pursue state-of-the-art research and invent new technologies. We are very proud to be associated with six Nobel Prize Laureates. Among them, Professor Hiroshi Amano remains an active faculty member. Together with the late Professor Isamu Akasaki and Professor Shuji Nakamura of UC Santa Barbara, he was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics for inventing the energy efficient blue light-emitting diode (LED). This invention was truly epoch-making and changed our daily lives. Nagoya University provides students with the opportunity to study with top scholars in their fields, such as Professor Amano.
Today, Nagoya University is focused on internationalisation and increasing the diversity of our campus. For that, the G30 international program, in which we teach all courses in English, is essential. Importantly, a large percentage of undergraduate students in the G30 program receive financial support from either Nagoya University or the Japanese government. Last year, the Japanese government also introduced a generous new scheme to provide financial support for PhD students. As a result, most PhD candidates receive full support for their studies. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the number of international students reached almost 3000, from over 100 countries. Although the number dropped because of the pandemic, many people continue to apply to the G30 program. Nagoya University stands ready to speed up its internationalisation once the pandemic ends.
The pandemic has made it difficult for students to meet other students, whether they are from Japan or abroad. Nagoya University is, therefore, enhancing opportunities for students to meet, study, and work together. To encourage this, we will construct a new, half-underground building with an area of 7000 square meters. You will find it in the university's heart, between the subway station and the central university library. We hope this new facility encourages interaction between Japanese and international students, as well as faculty members and citizens. It will open in early 2024.
If you are interested in changing society and building the future, please join us at Nagoya University.
Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and Mechanics are some of the fields where NU leads internationally with cutting-edge research. The high achievements of NU alumni and researchers demonstrate both the university’s commitment to the creation of knowledge and the quality of work produced. Our ground-breaking scholarship is passed on to our students through coursework and research projects with faculty members dedicated to producing a new cohort of scholars:
Dr. Ryoji Noyori
Laureate in Chemistry in 2001
Dr. Osamu Shimomura
Laureate in Chemistry in 2008
Dr. Toshihide Maskawa
Laureate in Physics in 2008
Dr. Makoto Kobayashi
Dr. Isamu Akasaki
Laureate in Physics in 2014
Dr. Hiroshi Amano
Nagoya University China Center for International Exchange was established in November 2005 with the aims of facilitating academic exchange with higher education and research institutes in China, promoting public relations in China, and connecting NU alumni overseas.
The Uzbekistan Office was set up in March 2010 as a shared overseas office for Japanese universities. Its role is to promote the recruitment of students in Uzbekistan and to enhance cooperation activities related to international students for Japanese universities.
The European Center was set up in April 2010 in cooperation with University of Freiburg as a base for research, education, international exchanges and other activities. The aim is to increase Nagoya University’s presence in Europe.
Since its foundation, Nagoya University has created numerous research innovations and provided many highly skilled human resources to industry. Because of its high priority on alliance building between academia and industry, Nagoya University continues to achieve the highest licensing revenue of all universities in Japan. In October 2007, Technology Partnership of Nagoya University Inc. was established in the state of North Carolina to enhance technology exchange between the U.S. and Japan, especially the Nagoya area.
The Bangkok Office was established in April 2014, aiming to facilitate academic exchange between Nagoya University and higher education and research institutes in Thailand as well as to promote public relations of Nagoya University in Thailand and the ASEAN region.
