Two universities in the city of Yokohama have been aggressively enlisting more foreign students and faculty members, while remaining faithful to its original mission to contribute positively to society through well rounded courses and varied research programs.
Established in 1876, Yokohama National University offers a wide array of courses with a particular specialization in information technology and information science adapted for medical purposes. YNU President Yuichi Hasebe believes it is the right time to look especially toward China, India and the other fast-growing economies of East Asia.
“We want to promote the interdisciplinary approach on this new global stage and strengthen our university further with humanities, social sciences and natural sciences,” Hasabe explains.
YNU hopes to find solutions to the city’s problems, such as the aging and shrinking population and challenges faced by small- and medium-size enterprises. Through its interdisciplinary approach, the university seeks those solutions mainly by studying the experiences and gathering insights of its students and professors who have extensive exposure to international environments.
“We want to contribute to innovation in the Yokohama and Kanagawa area through the strength of our research in information technology,” Hasebe also says.
Meanwhile, Yokohama City University, maintains close ties with the city government, which owns a major stake in the school, to instill a globalized mindset into its students while simultaneously contributing to the city’s development. YCU boasts of balanced programs with a clear strength in medical studies.
The school is ranked No. 2 in Japan among small universities. Its size is part of its strengths because it allows closer collaboration, discussion and teamwork among students and professors.
“From the beginning, more than 100 years ago, we have always been a small university. We will continue with this concept and still work in close partnership with the city of Yokohama. As the city grows, our university also grows,” says YCU President, Yoshinobu Kubota.
YCU, set up in 1882, has also formed partnerships with international universities, institutions and private companies for its research programs. It also opened international branch offices that focus mainly on helping its students in those places and on looking for new partner universities and institutions, especially in the fields of medicine and science.
Both universities also actively encourage all its students to go abroad to gain valuable experience and, during their time away, to promote the beauty of Yokohama and the strength of their school. Another of its unique requirements, YCU students must pass the TOEFL (Test of English As A Foreign Language) exam in order that they overcome any language barrier while overseas.
“We want to increase the number of students going abroad and coming over. From the city government’s perspective, we want to promote Yokohama’s diversity and multicultural aspect, and show it off to the world,” Kubota says.
