Kobe University

History

The roots of the university can be traced back to 1902, when the Kobe Higher Commercial School was established. Its first president was Tetsuya Mizushima. In 1929 this school was renamed Kobe University of Commerce, and it was further renamed in 1944, Kobe University of Economics.

In 1949, under Japan's new educational systems, the university was merged with Hyogo Normal School, Hyogo Junior Normal School, Kobe Technical College and Himeji High School, all of which were in Hyōgo Prefecture, leading to the creation of Kobe University.

The university has since been expanded and has created new faculties to complement its main academic foundations, which have been strongly established in the fields of economics and commerce.

Organisation

Undergraduate faculties

• Faculty of Letters
• Faculty of Global Human Sciences
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Economics
• Faculty of Business Administration
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Agriculture
• Faculty of Maritime Sciences

Graduate schools

• Graduate School of Humanities
• Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
• Graduate School of Human Development and Environment
• Graduate School of Law
  • Tier 1 full-time law school
• Graduate School of Economics
  • The Okishio Theorem (Nobuo Okishio) is well known and appreciated worldwide
• Graduate School of Business Administration
  • Tier 1 full-time MBA school
• Graduate School of Science
• Graduate School of Medicine
• Graduate School of Health Sciences
• Graduate School of Engineering
• Graduate School of System Informatics
• Graduate School of Agricultural Science
• Graduate School of Maritime Sciences
• Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies

Research institutes

• Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration

Campuses

The university comprises four campuses: Rokkodai, Kusunoki, Myodani, and Fukae. Rokkodai Campus is the main campus of the university, and nine out of the eleven faculties are located there.

Rokkodai area

• The First Rokkodai Campus :Law, Economics, Business Administration (2-1, Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe)
• The Second Rokkodai Campus :Letters, Science, Agriculture, Engineering (1-1, Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe)
• The First Tsurukabuto Campus :Intercultural Studies (1-2-1, Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe)
• The Second Tsurukabuto Campus :Human Development (3-11, Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe)

Kusunoki area

• Kusunoki Campus :Medicine (7-5-1, Kusunoki, Chūō-ku, Kobe)

Myodani area

• Myodani Campus :Health Sciences (7-10-2, Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe)

Fukae area

• Fukae Campus :Maritime Sciences (5-1-1, Fukaeminami, Higashinada-ku, Kobe)

Academic reputation and rankings

QS World University Rankings ranked the university 465th in the world in 2024.

In 2023, THE World University Rankings categorised the university within the 601-800th tier globally, without specifying an exact rank.

Popularity and selectivity

Shindai is a popular university in Japan. Its admission process is usually considered as selective. It is ranked in top 20 in Japan.

International education

Scholarships for international students

Kobe university encourages international students to study at the university through a number of scholarships for eligible students. Some of them are:

• Japanese Government Scholarship System
• JASSO/ Honors Scholarship
• Hyogo Prefecture Private Foreign Student Scholarship
• Kobe/Sugawara Scholarship

Notable alumni

Sosuke_Uno_19890603.jpg|Sōsuke Uno, 75th Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba and Sanae Takaichi 20241211 (cropped).jpg|Sanae Takaichi, 104th Prime Minister of Japan Sazō Idemitsu.jpg|Sazō Idemitsu, founder, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. Rizaburo Toyoda.jpg|Rizaburo Toyoda, The first president of the Toyota Motor Corporation Co., Ltd. Masato_Sagawa_March_3,2014-.png|Masato Sagawa, the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering laureate PM_Modi_during_a_visit_to_the_stem_cell_research_centre_at_Kyoto_University(cropped).jpg|Shinya Yamanaka, the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winner 脇田晴子.jpg|Haruko Wakita, historical researcher, Order of Culture

• Politics
  • Sōsuke Uno, 75th Prime Minister of Japan
  • Masayuki Naoshima, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
  • Sanae Takaichi, 104th Prime Minister of Japan
• Technology
  • Sazō Idemitsu, founder, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
  • Rizaburo Toyoda, founder, the first president of the Toyota Motor Corporation Co., Ltd.
  • Tadahiro Sekimoto, recipient of the IEEE Medal of Honor, ex-CEO, NEC Co., Ltd.
• Academic
  • Masato Sagawa, Neodymium magnet researcher, awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering in 2022
  • Shinya Yamanaka, stem cell researcher, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012
  • Haruko Wakita, historical researcher, Order of Culture in 2010
• Arts
  • Shirin Nezammafi, Iranian writer
  • Shijaku Katsura II, Rakugo performer
  • Kuranosuke Sasaki, Japanese actor
  • Kumi Tanioka, Japanese video game music composer and musician
  • Yasuo Mizui, Sculptor, awarded Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Commandeur)

Notable faculty

• Yasutomi Nishizuka, biochemist, awarded the Lasker Award in 1989
• Ichiro Fujimori, visiting professor, electrical engineer

References

References

1. "Kobe University". [[National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education.
2. "入学者数・収容定員・在籍者数". Kobe University.
3. "沿革年表".
4. (2021-10-31). "神戸大学概覧2021". Kobe University.
5. (2021-10-31). "神戸大学概覧2021". Kobe University.
6. "国立大学法人神戸大学学則".
7. [http://www.econ.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/about/history.html Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Kobe University]
8. (2024-08-21). "QS World University Rankings 2025".
9. (2021-11-05). "Kobe University".
10. "Archived copy".
11. "【2024年度入試対応】東進の大学入試偏差値一覧（ランキング）".
12. "KOBE UNIVERSITY - MARITIME SCIENCES (KUMS) AT KOBE, HYOGO, JAPAN". EduMaritime.com.