Niigata University

Niigata University is located in the City of Niigata, a key metropolis on the Sea of Japan. Niigata is the only government ordinance–designated city on that coast and thus is the region's leading municipality. The university is nestled between the Sea of Japan and the Echigo Plain. Off the coast is the picturesque island of Sado, and the Shinano River travels over the plain. The university boasts two campuses: the Ikarashi Campus and the Asahimachi Campus. With this magnificent natural environment, the two campuses offer an ideal setting for students to enjoy concentrating on their studies.

Niigata University boasts a long history and rich tradition, with the predecessor institutions of the university tracing back about 140 years. The school was inaugurated as Niigata University in 1949 under the new university system introduced in Japan soon after the end of World War II. Since then, 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 our 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 13,000, and our academic and administrative staff totals approximately 2,600.

To mark our change in status to a national university corporation, Niigata University adopted "autonomy and creation" as its guiding principle and "contributing to the solid development of the region and the world through education and research" as its objective. We promote university reform based on the following four fundamental goals to achieve our guiding principle and objective:

1.	Education: Train people who can appropriately address the needs of the times and serve in a wide range of capacities by providing both a well-rounded general education and high-level specialized knowledge through a refined program of education.
2.	Research: Promote creative research of value to the world and interdisciplinary research that makes the most of the university's unique position as a comprehensive university, while carrying forward the intellectual assets passed down in traditional fields of learning.
3.	Social Contribution: As a key education and research institute in the Japan Sea Rim region, support the development of the regional and international communities through healthcare services and joint activities through industry-government-academia partnerships.
4.	University Administration: Undertake ongoing reform aimed at the optimal administration of the university's resources to maintain our legitimacy as a university supported by the people of Japan.

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. We aim 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, we offer education programs that bring together general and specialized courses and we have 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. We are currently home to more than 300 young people from nations around the world, including exchange students who come to our institution based on our exchange agreements with universities overseas. 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.

With the cooperation of the university's academic and administrative staff, I am committed to doing my utmost in every regard to ensure that all students have pride in studying at and graduating from our university.

We look forward to welcoming you to Niigata University.

Fumitake GEJYO
President of Niigata University