“Freedom of academic culture.” Does that sound intriguing? That’s the motto of Kyoto University. We are standing before a building of Kyoto University. It is \u672c\u9928\u30fb\u5408\u540c\u8b1b\u7fa9\u68df.
Kyoto University is a national research university. It is located right here in Kyoto. The university was founded in 1897. It is one of Japan’s former Imperial Universities. It is the second oldest university in Japan.
Kyoto University has ten undergraduate faculties. It also has eighteen graduate schools. Thirteen research institutes belong to it. The university’s activities center on three main Kyoto campuses. They are Yoshida, Uji and Katsura.
The Kyoto University Library Network is vast. It has over 40 libraries across the campuses. The collection holds more than 7.49 million books. This makes it the second largest university library in the country. The university also owns other facilities and lands. These are used for education and research. They are spread around the country.
Two Prime Ministers of Japan are Kyoto University alumni. Three more attended the Third Higher School. This was a university preparatory school. It merged into KyotoU in 1951. Nineteen Nobel Prize laureates have ties to KyotoU. So do two Fields Medalists. One Gauss Prize winner also has ties. Five Lasker Award recipients are also affiliated. They were either alumni or faculty.
Kyoto University traces its roots to the Chemistry School. It was founded in Osaka in 1869. The Chemistry School taught chemistry and physics. In 1894, the Third Higher School replaced it. The Third Higher School was a specialized boys’ boarding school. Back then, Japan only had one university. That was the Imperial University. Today, it is the University of Tokyo. People wanted a second university in the Kansai region. The government hesitated due to money.
Aristocrat Saionji Kinmochi proposed a solution. He suggested using war reparations. These would come from the First Sino-Japanese War. This plan was approved in 1896. Kyoto Imperial University was established on June 18, 1897. It became the country’s second university. The university used the Third Higher School’s buildings. The higher school moved across the street. The Imperial University in Tokyo was renamed. It became Tokyo Imperial University.
The College of Science and Engineering began teaching immediately. The College of Law followed in 1898. Other faculties and colleges were established soon after. Yoshihito Takane was a Chief Commercial Law Professor. He created a unique teaching style. He cherished the freedom of research, teaching, and learning. He is said to have originated the motto. That motto is “freedom of academic culture.”
After World War II, Japan’s educational system changed. Kyoto Imperial University dropped “imperial” from its name. It became Kyoto University in October 1947. In 1949, former Imperial Universities merged with higher schools. They became four-year universities. Kyoto University merged with the Third Higher School. The higher school became the College of Liberal Arts. It equipped first-year students with general knowledge. This included math and foreign languages. In 1992, the college became the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies.
Kyoto University is now a national university corporation. It has more independence. Nagahiro Minato is the current president.
The Yoshida Campus is the oldest. It is the university’s central hub. Its architecture mixes historic brick buildings with modern facilities. The Clock Tower Centennial Hall is one example of a historic brick building. The Yoshida Campus is divided into seven areas.
The Uji Campus was once used by the Imperial Japanese Army. It now houses research institutes. They focus on natural sciences and energy.
The Katsura Campus is a “Techno-science Hill.” It focuses on engineering and informatics. It aims to pioneer new knowledge domains.
Kyoto University maintains a high academic reputation. It is regarded as one of the nation’s top universities. The clock tower here watches over Kyoto University. It has stood for almost 90 years. It is a well-known symbol of the university. It is reputed to be the first giant electronic clock in Japan.