University of Tsukuba selected as "Designated National University Corporation" by MEXT

Being a university committed to being open and promoting constant reforms, the University of Tsukuba applied to become a Designated National University Corporation for the Fourth Mid-term Goal Period and we received the designation in October 2020.

Designated National University Corporations are national university corporations designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan as showing a certain level of promise for world-class education and research activities, with the aim of accelerating the improvement of education and research standards and the creation of innovations in Japanese universities. Designated universities are expected to go beyond the scope of domestic competition inside Japan to compete with leading universities around the world in the international competitive environment and are expected to lead reform efforts across Japanese national universities by proactively sharing specific outcomes of their contributions to social and economic development.

Remarks from President Nagata

The University of Tsukuba, modeled after innovative universities in the US and Europe, was established in Tsukuba Science City, the largest of its kind in Japan, to become a world-class university based on a new concept. Taking advantage of our international and interdisciplinary nature, which is our legacy, we intend to conduct research across the boundaries of different disciplines, get ahead of the world in terms of educational models, make the most of our location in Tsukuba Science City to actively promote university-industry collaboration, and so on, as a "genuinely comprehensive university" committed to creating new knowledge to design future society. Through such initiatives, we will strive to create and establish GLOBAL TRUST as a new base value for the future society that will come after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The designation we received is a powerful reminder that the University of Tsukuba is expected to play a leadership role in the reform of national universities. We are sure that by meeting this expectation we can become a driving force behind further growth of higher education in Japan, and overall development of the country. All members of the university will make concerted efforts to make this come true, while being fully aware that the whole world is the stage for our collaboration and competition. We look forward to your continued support.