History of Osaka University
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Osaka University was founded in 1931 as the sixth imperial university,
starting with two faculties: Medicine and Science. However, its
academic roots reach back to the Edo period
Let’s
take a look at the history of Osaka University after its founding.
In 1933, Osaka University merged with Osaka University of Engineering,
thereby establishing the School of Engineering. It changed its name
from Osaka Imperial University to Osaka University in 1947. Comprised
of the five schools of Science, Medicine, Engineering, Letters, and
Law, Osaka University made a fresh start under the educational reform
conducted by the government in 1949. Concurrently, the Department of
Liberal Arts was also established.
One
after another, unique faculties were set up
Developing rapidly, Osaka University set up unique undergraduate
schools, graduate
schools, and research centers. The School of Dentistry separated from
the School of Medicine in 1951 and the School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences followed in 1955. Osaka University was the first national
university to set up a separate School of Engineering Science in 1961,
a unique faculty aiming at reciprocal exchange between science and
technology, between the School of Engineering and that of Science.
The departments of psychology, sociology and pedagogy were moved out of
the School of Letters in 1972, producing the School of Human
Sciences, as the tenth faculty of Osaka University. This School of
Human Sciences became a pioneer in establishing the new field of
research
and education referred to as "human sciences."
Osaka University Hospital was transferred from Nakanoshima, Osaka, to a
new building on the Suita Campus in 1993, completing the integration of
Suita and Toyonaka campuses and realizing a long-cherished plan of
Osaka University.
Then, in 2007, the School of Foreign Studies was established through
Osaka University of Foreign Studies’ integration with Osaka
University.
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Graduate
Schools
As a result of the post-war educational reform, the graduate schools
began offering a two-year master’s course and three-year
doctor’s course in 1953. Osaka University started with the
six graduate schools of Letters, Law, Economics, Science,
Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Engineering. Later, the four graduate
schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering, and Engineering Science
were established. Consequently, all ten faculties have graduate
schools.
The Graduate School of Language and Culture was established in 1989 as an independent graduate school without parent faculties. Osaka School of International Public Policy was established in 1994 as a cross-faculty/research center type of independent graduate school, integrating aspects of its parent faculties--the schools of Economics and Law, the Institute of Social and Economic Research, and the Department of Liberal Arts. In 2002, the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology was set up from its parent faculties, the schools of Engineering and Engineering Science, while the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences was established from its parent faculties--Medicine, Science, Engineering, Engineering Science, and the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology. With the addition of the Graduate School of Law in 2004, the total number of graduate schools came to fifteen.
Research institutes established in rapid succession
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Including the Central Workshop, National Joint-Use Facilities and [Osaka University] Joint-Use facilities were established in 1966. With the establishment of the Museum of Osaka University, the Center for the Study of Communication-Design, the Center for the Study of Finance and Insurance, the Global Collaboration Center, Osaka University now possesses 24 facilities in all. Thus, as one can see, Osaka University has pioneered the establishment of faculties, graduate schools, research centers, and other facilities without being limited by how they relate to the arts or sciences. In short, Osaka University possesses a free and forward-looking spirit and remains enthusiastic in responding to the needs of the times. |
Research
institutes
were established in rapid succession. In addition
to the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases and the Institute of
Scientific and Industrial Research, both of which were established
before World War II, the Institute for Protein Research became an
independent institution from the School of Science in 1958. At the same
time, the Institute of Social and Economic Research gained independence
from the School of Economics, while the Welding Research Institute (the
current Joining and Welding Research Institute) gained independence
from the School of Engineering. Since that time, these institutes
review their organization, responding to new research and social
trends.
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