Niigata University | Japan

Niigata University boasts a long history and rich tradition, with the predecessor institutions of the university tracing back about 130 years. The university has played a key role as a center of scholarship in the Japan Sea Rim region. With the incorporation of Japan’s national universities on April 1, 2004, Niigata University became a national university corporation. Today the school is a large comprehensive university with nine faculties, five graduate schools, two professional schools, the Brain Research Institute, and the Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital. Our student body numbers about 12,800 and our academic and administrative staff totals approximately 2,600. Niigata University places the highest priority on education. Students not only delve deeply into their own fields of specialization, but they also gain the ability to think about issues comprehensively from a broad perspective. The university aims to develop each student’s unique character by offering thorough-going education that features opportunities for hands-on practical experience. To satisfy students’ academic aspirations, the university offers education programs that bring together general and specialized courses and the university has introduced minor degree programs that certify a student has earned a certain number of credits on a specific topic or field of study. Niigata University also places emphasis on international exchange. The university is currently home to more than 300 young people from nations around the world, including exchange students who come to the institution based on the university’s exchange agreements with overseas universities. Because Niigata is located in Northeast Asia and is near Russia, our university is a distinctive hub for international academic exchange along the Sea of Japan.