Message from the President

IMAGINE THE FUTURE - Message from the President

The University of Tsukuba has a long history and tradition. Seizing the opportunity provided by the relocation to the Tsukuba area of its predecessor, the Tokyo University of Education, the University of Tsukuba was established in 1973 based on a new educational concept. The university's history dates back to its founding as a Normal School (later named Tokyo Higher Normal School) in 1872. We aim to be an open university in every sense. With its proactive initiatives to create a flexible education and research structure as well as a university system for the needs of the next generation, the University of Tsukuba is now a frontrunner in university reform in Japan. We aspire to be an ideal university, continuously meeting new challenges and developing new areas.

The foremost mission of a university is to provide an environment that allows future leaders to realize their potential in full. The University of Tsukuba gives students the opportunity to develop their individuality and skills through an education that is backed by cutting-edge research. Our goal is to endow students with a rich sense of humanity and a creative intellect, equipping them with the ability of working independently and internationally. In particular, we aim to improve their communication skills, moral values, sense of responsibility, and logical thinking abilities. Each individual student faces the challenge of acquiring independent thinking and imagination, how to communicate and familiarize themselves with new concepts. We are determined to develop their creativity and ability of identifying and solving problems to the highest level.

With its quiet suburban setting removed from the bustle of Tokyo, our campus has an abundant natural environment that is attractive to students and faculty alike. It is an environment in which they can develop their strengths through reflection and discussion. It also hosts a highly diverse student body, both domestically and internationally. With the second largest number of international students among Japan's national universities, and having been chosen as a Core University for Internationalization through the Global 30 Project, the University of Tsukuba has developed into a university of international flavor and diverse values.

As a comprehensive university with a wide range of academic fields, we are actively expanding interdisciplinary and integrative approaches to education and research while furthering specialized expertise. Owing to the wide dissemination of research outcomes, we have achieved a reputation as a base for international research and education. Three Nobel Prize winners are connected to our University, Dr. Sin-Itiro Tomonaga (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1965), Dr. Leo Esaki (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1973) and Dr. Hideki Shirakawa (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2000). This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Jigoro Kano, who not only acted as principal of the Tokyo Higher Normal School for 23 years, but also enlightened the teaching of Judo as well as literary and martial arts throughout Japan. Many young athletes from our university have participated in the Olympics and brought home gold medals.

Universities are expected to act as a focal point of knowledge that holds the key to a balanced development of human society. Besides education and research, a further essential role of universities is to serve society through international and local contributions, and advance collaboration among industry, academia, and government. At the core of Tsukuba Science City with its concentration of scientific research institutes, we are at the forefront of such collaboration, and have been actively contributing to society as a whole while continuing to strengthen our education and research. Ours is a rapidly globalizing world where information travels the world in an instant. Some feel uneasy by the sheer pace of change, but times of change are also times of opportunity. We must foster the kind of imaginative power that can create added value for the future. Imagine the Future is our logo, symbolizing the forward-looking stance of the University of Tsukuba and its human resources.