Nagoya University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nagoya University

名古屋大学
Motto	勇気ある知識人 (courageous intellectual)
Type	Public (national)
Established	1871; 154 years ago (1871) (Chartered 1939)
President	Naoshi Sugiyama
Academic staff	3,847 (2020)
Undergraduates	9,585 (2020)
Postgraduates	6,187 (2020)
Location	Nagoya , Aichi , Japan 35°09′17″N 136°58′01″E / 35.15472°N 136.96694°E / 35.15472; 136.96694
Campus	Urban, 3.2 km²
Colors	Pine Green

Nagoya University (名古屋大学, Nagoya daigaku), also called Meidai (名大) or NU, is a well-known national research university in Nagoya, Japan.

It was started in 1939 as the last of the nine Imperial Universities in Japan. Today, it is a special "Designated National University."

Nagoya University is famous for its work in physics and chemistry. Many important scientific ideas came from here, like the Sakata School of physics. As of 2021, seven Nobel Prize winners have been connected to Nagoya University. This is the third highest number in Japan and Asia, after Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo.

History

Nagoya Imperial University, an important university in the Japanese Empire.

Toyoda Auditorium, a famous building at Nagoya University, designed by Fumihiko Maki.

Nagoya University Higashiyama Campus. This university has had seven Nobel Prize winners in science.

Nagoya Imperial University was founded in 1939. It was later renamed Nagoya University in 1947. Even though it's a newer university, its history goes back to a temporary medical school and hospital that opened in 1871. The university is known for its breakthroughs in physics and chemistry. Some of these include the Sakata model, the PMNS matrix, the Okazaki fragment, Noyori asymmetric hydrogenation, and the Blue LED.

In 2018, Nagoya University was chosen as one of the first five special "Designated National Universities." In 2020, Nagoya University and Gifu University joined to form the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System. This became Japan's largest national higher education group. Both universities are very important in the Tōkai region.

Nobel Prizes

Almost half of the Japanese Nobel Prize winners in Natural Sciences in the 21st century have connections to Nagoya University. They were either students or researchers there. Out of the six Nobel winners linked to the university, three were professors and three were former students. Syukuro Manabe, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2021, was a special professor at Nagoya University from 2007 to 2014.

About Nagoya University

University Goals

Nagoya University wants to help students become brave thinkers. It teaches them to think for themselves. The university is known for being 'free, open, and adventurous' in its studies. From its early days, the idea of 'Harmony is to be valued' has been a main guide. This idea came from the Seventeen-article constitution and was supported by the university's first president.

Students at Nagoya University

Most students at Nagoya University come from the Tōkai region of Japan. However, many students also come from other parts of Japan.

The university also has many students from other countries. In 2021, there were 15,771 students in total. More than 1,900 of these were international students from over 110 different countries.

Departments and Advanced Studies

Departments

Nagoya University name monument

• Humanities
• Education
• Law
• Economics
• Informatics
• Science
• Medicine
• Engineering
• Agriculture

Advanced Study Schools

Nagoya University Hospital

• Humanities
• Education and Human Development
• Law
• Economics
• Informatics
• Science
• Medicine
• Engineering
• Bioagricultural Sciences
• International Development (GSID)
• Mathematics
• Environmental Studies
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Research Centers

Nagoya University has many research centers. Some of these include the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM) and the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE). Another is the Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability (IMaSS). The Kobayashi-Masakawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe (KMI) is also here. The university's Earthquake and Volcano Research Center helps with national earthquake predictions.

Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)

ITbM started in 2013 at the university's Higashiyama campus. It has a team of 14 main researchers from Nagoya University and other countries. ITbM studies five areas, including 'Parasitic plants' and 'Chemistry-enabled plant adaptation'. The institute has mixed labs and offices with great equipment. It also has English-speaking staff to help international researchers. ITbM holds a yearly meeting called the International Symposium on Transformative Bio-molecules (ISTbM). It also gives awards to promising scientists.

Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE)

ISEE was created in 2015 by combining several research centers. It is known as a "Joint Usage/Research Center." ISEE has seven research groups and three research centers. They work on interdisciplinary projects, which means they combine different fields of study. The institute wants to help solve global environmental problems. It also works to improve space-related science for people and society. ISEE works with other countries and offers a summer internship for students.

Kobayashi-Masakawa Institute (KMI)

KMI was started in 2010. It is a place for international research in particle physics and astrophysics. It was named after Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Masakawa, who won the Nobel Prize in 2008. KMI has two main parts: Experimental Studies and Theoretical Studies. A new center for Flavor Physics was added in 2023. KMI works with universities in other countries. It also has a program called 'DMNet' that studies dark matter. While KMI does not directly accept students, graduate students can work with KMI members on their research.

Campus Life

Libraries

Nagoya University has many libraries. They help students and researchers find the information they need. The Tsurumai Campus has a Medical library. The Daiko Campus has a Library of Health Science. The Higashiyama Campus has the Central Library, which is the biggest. There are also 22 other libraries for different departments like Law, Economics, and Engineering.

NU Co-op

The NU Co-op is part of a national group that helps university students and staff. It makes campus life better by supporting their studies, research, and daily needs. The NU Co-op sells things like cafeteria meals, school supplies, books, and computers. It also offers services like student insurance, help with driving schools, and travel tickets.

Student Clubs

The Federation of Liberal Arts Circles was founded in 1961. It helps different student clubs talk to each other and become friends. It also helps students learn more and develop cultural activities. Some examples of clubs at Nagoya University include tea ceremony, art, volunteering, music, dance, and literature. There are over 60 official clubs.

Sports Teams

The athletic association started in 1956. It now has more than 50 sports clubs.

Nagoya University and Osaka University have a sports competition every year. Also, the Seven Universities Athletic Meet (国立七大学総合体育大会, kokuritsu nana-daigaku sōgō taiiku-taikai) has been held since 1962. This competition is often called the Competition of the Seven Imperial Universities (七帝戦, shichi-tei sen).

Nagoya University Festival "Meidai-sai"

The university festival, "Meidai-sai," happens every June at the Higashiyama campus. It has been held since 1960. Each year, the festival has about 100 different events and activities. These include lab tours, presentations, and hands-on activities organized by clubs. Clubs also set up food stalls selling popular Japanese foods like yakisoba (fried noodles) and kakigōri (shaved ice).

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Meidai-sai was held online in 2020 and 2021.

University Rankings

Nagoya University is known as a top school in Japan for education and learning.

General Rankings

The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2021 placed Nagoya University third in Japan and 84th worldwide. The QS World University Rankings for 2022 ranked Nagoya University 118th globally. It was 28th in the 2022 QS Asian University Rankings. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings put Nagoya University seventh in Japan and between 351st and 400th globally.

Research Strength

Nagoya University is one of the best research schools in Japan. It ranks 6th in Japan for scientific research. About 1.3% of its research papers are highly cited by other scientists. In 2019, Nagoya University also had the 5th highest number of patents accepted (111) among Japanese universities. A ranking by Thomson Reuters in 2011 said Nagoya is the 5th best research university in Japan. Its research is especially strong in Physics (6th in Japan, 61st in the world), Chemistry (7th in Japan, 43rd in the world), and Biology & Biochemistry (5th in Japan, 97th in the world).

Alumni Success

According to a 2020 ranking by Toyo Keizai, graduates from Nagoya University have the 12th best chance of getting jobs at major companies in Japan. This is a big jump from 2010, when it was ranked 38th.

Popularity

Nagoya University is a very respected school. It is one of the top 10 universities in Japan for how hard it is to get into its undergraduate programs.

International Programs

Global 30 Project

Nagoya University is a "Type A" university in Japan's Top Global University Project. It has offered the Global 30 (G30) International Programs since 2011. These programs are taught completely in English. They cover many subjects at both undergraduate (bachelor's degree) and graduate (master's/PhD) levels. These include humanities, law, economics, science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine. New students can join in October each year. The program helps international students learn Japanese. Classes are small, and students are encouraged to do a lot of research. Undergraduate students complete a thesis or lab work. Graduate programs focus on research, so students need to find professors whose research interests them.

Exchange Programs

Nagoya University has several exchange programs for international students. One is the Nagoya University Program for Academic Exchange (NUPACE), started in 1996. NUPACE is a short program, lasting four to twelve months. Over 2,300 students from 155 schools have joined it. It offers courses in English and Japanese. These courses cover Japanese language, different cultures, and specific subjects. Some courses are only for NUPACE students, while others, like G30 courses, are open to all students. Students can also do research with professors. They get help with student insurance and housing in international dorms. Other exchange programs include Campus Asia for law and political science, JUACEP for engineering research, NUSIP for car technology, and NUSTEP for learning Japanese.

Nagoya University students can also study abroad. They can go to partner universities through agreements with 161 universities and 306 departments. These programs offer money to help with travel and living costs. Engineering students can join JUACEP to do research in North American schools. These exchange chances show that Nagoya University wants to work with other countries and share cultures.

International Student Groups

Nagoya University has many active groups for international students. The Nagoya University International Student Group (NUISG) helps G30 students get used to the university. It shares information and plans activities. The Nagoya University International Student Association (NUFSA) started in 1976. It helps students from different cultures meet and interact. The Co-op Foreign Student Association (COFSA) began in 2015. It helps students from different countries connect and build a community. Also, the Nagoya University HeForShe Club started in 2017. It works to raise awareness about gender equality through events and activities.

Famous People from Nagoya University

You can find a full list in the Japanese Wikipedia article: List of Nagoya University people (in Japanese)

Physics and Materials

• 

  Shoichi Sakata (坂田 昌一), a physicist, known for his ideas about tiny particles (Sakata model). He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

• 

  Makoto Kobayashi (小林 誠), won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the CKM matrix.

• 

  Toshihide Maskawa (益川 敏英), won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the CKM matrix.

• 

  Isamu Akasaki (赤崎 勇), won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue LED.

• 

  Hiroshi Amano (天野 浩), won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue LED.

• 

  Syukuro Manabe (真鍋 淑郎), won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for his models of Earth's climate.

• Hiroomi Umezawa (梅沢 博臣), a physicist, known for his important work in quantum field theory.
• Sumio Iijima (飯島 澄男), a physicist, who invented carbon nanotubes.
• Akira Tonomura (外村 彰), a physicist, known for developing electron holography.
• Morinobu Endo (遠藤 守信), a physicist and chemist, who helped create carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes.

Chemistry and Biology

• 

  Koji Nakanishi (中西 香爾), a Japanese-American chemist who studied living things and natural products. He graduated from Nagoya and became a professor at Columbia University.

• 

  Ryōji Noyori (野依 良治), won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He spent most of his career researching and teaching at Nagoya University.

• 

  Osamu Shimomura (下村 脩), won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for finding the green fluorescent protein (GFP).

• 

  Yoshito Kishi (岸 義人), a chemistry professor at Harvard University.

• 

  Tsuneko Okazaki (岡崎 恆子), a pioneering molecular biologist who discovered the Okazaki fragments. She won the 2020 L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science.

• 

  Masatoshi Takeichi (竹市 雅俊), a cell biologist who discovered the Cadherin. He won the 2020 Canada Gairdner International Award.

• Yoshimasa Hirata (平田 義正), an organic chemist, known for the "Hirata-school" in Japan.
• Reiji Okazaki (岡崎 令治), a pioneering molecular biologist who discovered the Okazaki fragments. He graduated from Nagoya and later became a professor there.
• Hisashi Yamamoto (山本 尚), a Japanese chemist, who received the Medal of Honor with a Purple Ribbon.

Mathematics

• 

  Shigefumi Mori (森 重文), won the 1990 Fields Medal. He spent most of his career at Nagoya University until he won the award.

• Masayoshi Nagata (永田 雅宜), a Japanese mathematician, who disproved Hilbert's fourteenth problem.
• Goro Azumaya (東屋 五郎), a Japanese mathematician, who introduced the idea of Azumaya algebra.

More Famous Alumni

• Tang Jun, President and CEO of Xin Hua Du Industrial Group Co..
• Uichiro Niwa - Japanese Ambassador to China, former Chairman and President of Itochu, former CEO of Japan Post Holdings.
• Shoichiro Toyoda - Former CEO of Toyota Motor.
• Sai Khaing Myo Tun - Deputy Minister of Education of National Unity Government of Myanmar.

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Nagoya para niños