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Kyoto University

Coordinates: 35°01′34″N 135°46′51″E / 35.026212°N 135.780842°E / 35.026212; 135.780842
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Kyoto University
京都大学
File:Kyoto University seal.png
Motto自由の学風
(Template:Lang-en)
TypePublic (National)
EstablishedFounded Jun. 18, 1897
Endowment¥ 250.2 billion (2.2 billion USD)
PresidentJuichi Yamagiwa
Academic staff
2,864 (Teaching Staff)[1]
Students22,707[1]
Undergraduates13,399[2]
Postgraduates9,308[3]
Location
Kyoto
,
Kyoto
,
Japan

35°01′34″N 135°46′51″E / 35.026212°N 135.780842°E / 35.026212; 135.780842
CampusUrban,
135 ha (333 acres)
Athletics48 varsity teams
ColorsDark blue  
NicknameKyodai
AffiliationsKansai Big Six, ASAIHL
MascotNone
Websitewww.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Kyoto University (京都大学, Kyōto daigaku), or Kyodai (京大, Kyōdai) is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university,[4] one of the highest ranked universities in Asia and one of Japan's National Seven Universities. One of Asia’s leading research-oriented institutions, Kyoto University is famed for producing world-class researchers, including ten Nobel Prize laureates, two Fields medalists and one Gauss Prize.

History

The forerunner of the Kyoto University was the Chemistry School (舎密局, Seimi-kyoku) founded in Osaka in 1869, which, despite its name, taught physics as well. (舎密 is a transcription of a Dutch word chemie.) Later, the Third Higher School (第三髙等學校, Daisan-kōtō-gakkō) was established in the place of Seimi-kyoku in 1886, it then transferred to the university's present main campus in the same year.

Kyoto Imperial University (京都帝國大學, Kyōto-teikoku-daigaku) as a part of the Imperial University system was established on June 18, 1897,[4] using the Third Higher School's buildings. The higher school moved to a patch of land just across the street, where the Yoshida South Campus stands today. In the same year of the university's establishment, the College of Science and Technology was founded. The College of Law and the College of Medicine were founded in 1899, the College of Letters in 1906, expanding the university's activities to areas outside natural science.

After World War II, the current Kyoto University was established by merging the imperial university and the Third Higher School, which assumed the duty of teaching liberal arts as the Faculty of Liberal Arts (教養部, Kyōyō-bu). The faculty was dissolved with the foundation of the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies (総合人間学部, Sōgō-ningen-gakubu) in 1992.

Kyoto University has since 2004 been incorporated as a national university corporation under a new law which applies to all national universities.

Despite the incorporation which has led to increased financial independence and autonomy, Kyoto University is still partly controlled by the Japanese Ministry of Education (文部科学省, Monbu-kagaku-shō).

The University's Department of Geophysics and their Disaster Prevention Research Institute are both represented on the national Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction.[5]

Campuses

The Clocktower

The university has three campuses in Yoshida, Kyoto; in Katsura, Kyoto; in Gokashō, Uji

Yoshida Campus is the main campus, with some laboratories located in Uji. The Graduate School of Engineering is currently under process of moving to the newly built Katsura Campus.

Organization

The university has about 22,000 students enrolled in its undergraduate and graduate programs.

Faculties

[6]

  • Faculty of Integrated Human Studies
  • Faculty of Letters
  • Faculty of Education
  • Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Economics
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Medicine
  • Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Faculty of Engineering
  • Faculty of Agriculture

Graduate schools

[6]

  • Graduate School of Letters
  • Graduate School of Education
  • Graduate School of Law
  • Graduate School of Economics
  • Graduate School of Science
  • Graduate School of Medicine
  • Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Graduate School of Engineering
  • Graduate School of Agriculture
  • Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies
  • Graduate School of Energy Science
  • Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies
  • Graduate School of Informatics
  • Graduate School of Biostudies
  • Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies
  • School of Government
  • Graduate School of Management
  • Kyoto University Law School (Japanese Text Only)
  • Kyoto University School of Public Health

Academics

Kyoto University promotes itself as an academic institution fostering a "spirit of freedom."[7] The university claims ten Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medalists among its faculty and alumni. The university is also known as the starting point for the Kyoto School philosophical movement.

Notable research institutes and facilities

Academic rankings

The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked the Kyoto University as follows:

Year Japan Asia World
2015 2nd 2nd 26th
2014 2nd 2nd 26th
2013 2nd 2nd 26th
2012 2nd 2nd 26th
2011 2nd 2nd 27th
2010 2nd 2nd 24th
2009 2nd 2nd 24th
2008 2nd 2nd 23rd

The Times Higher Education ranked the Kyoto University as follows:

Year Japan Asia World
2015-2016 2nd 9th 88th
2014-2015 2nd 9th 59th
2013-2014 2nd 7th 52nd
2012-2013 2nd 7th 54th
2011-2012 2nd 5th 52nd
2010-2011 2nd 8th 57th

The QS World University Rankings[note 1] ranked the Kyoto University as follows:

Year Japan Asia World
2015/16 3rd 14th 38th
2014/15 2nd 12th 36th
2013 2nd 10th 35th
2012 2nd 10th 35th
2011 2nd 7th 32nd
2010 2nd 8th 23rd
2009 2nd 5th 25th
2008 2nd 3rd 25th

The URAP ranked the Kyoto University as follows:

Year Japan Asia World
2011 2nd 2nd 24th
University rankings
T. Reuters National[8] Research 2
WE [ja] National[9] Employment 10
NBP Kansai[10] Reputation 1
Shimano National[11] Selectivity SA
QS Asia
(Asia version)[12]		 General 7
ARWU Asia[13] Research 2
THE World[14] General 57
QS World[15] General 32
ARWU World[13] Research 24
ENSMP World[16] Alumni 5
Program rankings
Social Sciences & Humanities
LAW
Asahi National[17] Research 6
Natural Sciences & Technology
Engineering
Kawaijuku [ja] National[18] General 2~3
QS World[19] General 20
MATERIALS SCIENCE
T.Reuters National[20] Research 4
T.Reuters World[20] Research 22
PHYSICS
T.Reuters National[20] Research 4
T.Reuters World[20] Research 25
CHEMISTRY
T.Reuters National[20] Research 1
T.Reuters World[20] Research 4
BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
T.Reuters National[20] Research 2
T.Reuters World[20] Research 23
MATHEMATICS
ARWU National[21] Research 1
ARWU World[21] Research 19
Life Sciences
IMMUNOLOGY
T.Reuters National[20] Research 3
T.Reuters World[20] Research 25
PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
T.Reuters National[20] Research 2
T.Reuters World[20] Research 30
* T. Reuters World rankings include non-educational institutions

Kyodai is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.

General rankings

The university was ranked 3rd in 2008 and 2010 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai.[23] In another ranking, Japanese prep school Kawaijuku ranked Kyodai as the 2nd best university in Japan.[24]

Kyodai is also one of the top universities in the world. The following rankings are the example of Kyodai's ranking positions in the world rankings.

  • Kyoto University was ranked 24th in the world in the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities
  • 11th worldwide in the Global University Ranking.[25][26]
  • A human competitiveness index and analysis by the Human Resources & Labor Review, and published in Chasecareer Network, ranked the university 24th internationally and 2nd in Asia for 2010.[27]
  • QS World University Rankings[28] in 2011 placed Kyoto University 32nd overall in the world, one behind University of Melbourne, seven places lower than the previous year.
  • The 2011 QS Asian Rankings make Kyoto University the seventh highest ranked university in Asia, the highest being The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Research performance

Kyodai is usually considered as one of the top research institution in Japan. In fact, the 2nd largest amount of investment from Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, which is the national grants program for research institutions.

This financial support from the Japanese government has a direct effect on Kyodai's research outcomes. According to Thomson Reuters, Kyodai is the 1st best research university in Japan.[8] Its research excellence is especially distinctive in Chemistry (1st in Japan, 4th in the world), Biology & Biochemistry (2nd in Japan, 23rd in the world), Pharmacology & Toxicology (2nd in Japan,30 in the world), Immunology (3rd in Japan, 25th in the world), Material Science (4th in Japan, 22nd in the world), and Physics (4th in Japan, 25th in the world).[29]

In another ranking, Nikkei Shimbun on 2004/2/16 surveyed about the research standards in Engineering studies based on Thomson Reuters, Grants in Aid for Scientific Research and questionnaires to the heads of 93 leading Japanese Research Centers. Kyodai was placed in the 10th position (research planning ability 6th) in this ranking.[30]

Kyodai also has a high research standard in Social Sciences & Humanities. Repec in January 2011 ranked Kyodai's Institute of Economic Research as Japan's 3rd best economic research institution.[31] Kyodai has provided 6 presidents of the Japanese Economic Association in its 42-year history, which is the 3rd largest number.[32]

Asahi Shimbun summarized the amount of academic papers in Japanese major legal journals by university, and Kyodai was ranked 6th for the period between 2005 and 2009.[17]

Graduate school rankings

Kyodai Law School is considered as one of the top Law schools in Japan, being ranked 4th in terms of the number of successful candidates of Japanese Bar Examination in 2009 and 2010.[33]

Eduniversal ranked Japanese business schools, and the Faculty of Economics in Kyodai is placed 4th in Japan (111th in the world).[34]

Alumni rankings

Kyodai alumni are distinctively successful in Japanese industries such as shown below.

According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings, graduates from Kyodai have the 10th best employment rate in 400 major companies in Japan.[35] However, it has to be noted that this lower ranking position is because of the large number of alumni who become government bureaucrats, which is 2nd largest among Japanese universities.[36] In fact, alumni of Kyodai's average salary is the 5th best in Japan, according to the PRESIDENT.[37]

Mines ParisTech : Professional Ranking World Universities ranks Kyodai as 5th in the world in 2011 in terms of the number of alumni listed among CEOs in the 500 largest worldwide companies.[16]

Popularity and selectivity

Kyodai is one of the most selective universities in Japan. Its entrance difficulty is usually considered as one of the top among 180 national and public universities.[38][39][40]

Athletics

Kyoto University competes in 48 sports. The university is a member of the Kansai Big Six Baseball League.

Notable people

Main article: List of Kyoto University people
  • Ten alumni or faculty of the University of Kyoto have received the Nobel Prize:
  1. Hideki Yukawa - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949; he became the first Japanese to win the Nobel prize
  2. Shinichiro Tomonaga - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965
  3. Kenichi Fukui - winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1981
  4. Susumu Tonegawa - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1987
  5. Aung San Suu Kyi - winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991
  6. Ryōji Noyori - winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001
  7. Makoto Kobayashi - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008
  8. Toshihide Masukawa - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008
  9. Shinya Yamanaka - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012
  10. Isamu Akasaki - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014
  • Two alumni of University of Kyoto have received the Fields Medal:
  1. Heisuke Hironaka - mathematician, Fields Medalists in 1970
  2. Shigefumi Mori - mathematician, Fields Medalists in 1990

Notable alumni

See also: Kyoto University alumni

Graduates of Kyoto University including Nobel laureates, Japanese politicians, philosophers, economists, and scientists.

Notable research

Researchers at the University of Kyoto and Toyohashi University of Technology have conducted research that leads to the conclusion that ten-month-old babies prefer the Underdog.[41]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The results for Japan and Asia are ranked separately by the QS Asian University Rankings

References

  1. ^ a b c "Kyoto University: 2008/2009 Facts and Figures" (PDF). Retrieved October 31, 2008.
  2. ^ http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/ja/issue/ku_eprofile/documents/facts_2008.pdf%7C
  3. ^ http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/ja/issue/ku_eprofile/documents/facts_2008.pdf
  4. ^ a b "Historical Sketch". About Kyoto University. Kyoto University. 2004. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2007. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Organizations with ties to CCEP CCEP, accessed 2011-03-19
  6. ^ a b "Departments". Kyoto University.
  7. ^ "Basic Ideas & Policies: Kyoto University Mission Statement". Kyoto University. Archived from the original on June 14, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2007. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Thomson Reuters 20 Top research institutions in Japan". Thomson Reuters. 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2022. (this ranking includes 5 non-educational institutions)
  9. ^ "Employment rate in 400 major companies rankings" (in Japanese). Weekly Economist. 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  10. ^ "Nikkei BP Brand rankings of Japanese universities" (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications. 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  11. ^ "GBUDU University Rankings" (in Japanese). YELL books. 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  12. ^ "QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Academic Ranking of World Universities". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  14. ^ "THE World University Rankings". Times Higher Education. 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "QS World University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "ENSMP World University Rankings" (PDF). École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris. 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  17. ^ a b Asahi Shimbun University rankings 2010 "Publification rankings in Law (Page 4)" (PDF) (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  18. ^ "Kawaijuku japanese universities rankings in Engineering field" (in Japanese). Kawaijuku. 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  19. ^ "QS topuniversities world rankings in Engineering field". Topuniversities. 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Thomson Reuters 10 Top research institutions by subject in Japan" (in Japanese). Thomson Reuters. 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  21. ^ a b "ARWU in Mathematics". Shanghai Jiaotong University. 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  22. ^ a b "ARWU in Computer Science". Shanghai Jiaotong University. 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rankings_TSU_N was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rankings_Kawai_N was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ http://www.globaluniversitiesranking.org/images/banners/top-100(eng).pdf
  26. ^ [1] Archived 2007-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ [2] Archived 2011-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "QS World University Rankings - 2011". Top Universities. December 19, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  29. ^ "Thomson Reuters 20 Top research institutions in Japan" (in Japanese). Thomson Reuters. (this raking includes non-educational institutions)
  30. ^ "大学工学部研究力調査（04.2.22）". Homepage3.nifty.com. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  31. ^ "Within Country and State Rankings at IDEAS: Japan". Ideas.repec.org. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  32. ^ "Japanese Economic Association - JEA Global Site". Jeaweb.org. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  33. ^ "2010年(平成22年)新司法試験法科大学院別合格率ランキング -法科大学院seek". Laws.shikakuseek.com. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  34. ^ "University and business school ranking in Japan". Eduniversal-ranking.com. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  35. ^ "Employment rate in 400 major companies rankings" (in Japanese). Weekly Economist. 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  36. ^ "図録▽大学ランキング：国家公務員試験合格者数". .ttcn.ne.jp. January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  37. ^ 大学偏差値情報局 at 02:51 - TrackBack(0) - 就職に強い大学ランキング (February 22, 1999). "年収偏差値・給料偏差値ランキング（2006・10・16）：稼げる大学はどれ？". Hensachi-ranking.seesaa.net. Retrieved January 8, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ Private universities apply different kind of exams. Thus it's only comparable between universities in a same category.
  39. ^ e.g. Yoyogi seminar published Hensachi (the indication showing the entrance difficulties by prep schools) rankings http://www.yozemi.ac.jp/rank/gakubu/index.html
  40. ^ Japanese journalist Kiyoshi Shimano ranks its entrance difficulty as SA (most selective/out of 10 scales) in Japan. 危ない大学・消える大学 2012年版 (in Japanese). YELL books. 2011. ISBN 4-7539-3018-1.
  41. ^ Mohan, Geoffrey (June 12, 2013). "Even babies prefer the underdog, psychologists say". latimes.com. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
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