Nagoya University and Gifu University corporations integrate as one national system; NU President Matsuo appointed as Founding Chancellor

The Nagoya University (NU)  and Gifu University (GU), both located in central Japan, have integrated their national university corporations under the umbrella name of Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS) which was officially realized on 1 April 2020.  
The integration was a product of continuing discussions since April 2018 led by NU President Seiichi Matsuo and GU President Hisataka Moriwaki, followed by the enactment of the Law for the Partial Revision of the School Education Act on 17 May 2019.  On 21 October 2019, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan appointed Dr. Seiichi Matsuo, NU President,  as the first Chancellor of THERS.  

As a common national university under one corporation, THERS was established to essentially strengthen education and research functions and enhance sustainable regional development and international competitiveness.  By combining the strengths of the two universities, THERS boosts efforts to become an intellectual hub through world-class research, internationally recognized competitive education addressing social and industrial concerns, as well as development of future leaders of the next generation not only within the Tokai region but also in the whole of Japan and other countries in the world.


NU President and THERS Chancellor Matsuo

In an interview by Director Hitoshi Shirai of the Hitachi Research Institute on the topic, University Reform in the Era of Global Competition, President and Chancellor Matsuo said that the  universities’ important role and function was to recognize first that "the target is the world." He said that while efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations are in progress, the utilization of science and technology to address issues facing humanity is one of Japan's mission as part of its contribution to the international community. Among the challenges faced by Japan is its declining population and aging society, he said.  Another concern is the declining number of students entering universities that has impact on developing human resources and preparing them to help solve diverse problems across fields not only in Japan but also the whole world. He also stressed that the world is evolving and with it goes the teaching styles of universities.  Here, digital technology paves the way for virtual classrooms and online learning.  (Read full article on interview at https://www.hitachi-hri.com/english/reciprocal/i047.html)
(contributed by e.cedicol)



About the two universities
Nagoya University  (Nagoya daigaku), abbreviated to Meidai is a Japanese national university located in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya. It was the last Imperial University in Japan, one of the Designated National University and selected as a Top Type university of Top Global University Project by the Japanese government. It traces its roots back to 1871 when it was a temporary medical school. In 1939 it became Nagoya Imperial University. In 1947 it was renamed Nagoya University, and became a Japanese national university. In 2004 it became a Japanese national university corporation. It has 13 Graduate Schools, namely: Humanities, Education and Human Development, Law, Economics, Informatics, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Bioagricultural Sciences, International Development, Mathematics, Environmental Studies and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Nagoya University is one of the top research institutions in Japan. As of 2014, six Nobel Prize winners have been associated with Nagoya University. (Source: http://en.nagoya-u.ac.jp/about_nu/admin/sch/index.html and wikipedia.org, accessed 29 July 2020).

Gifu University (gifu-u.ac.jp) (Gifu Daigaku) is a national university in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Located between Tokyo and Kyoto, Gifu University has six faculties: education, regional studies, medicine, engineering, biological sciences and agriculture. 
Gifu University engages in active partnerships with 45 universities across 16 countries in the world promoting mobility and exchanges of students and researchers.  It offers a 4-week summer school which covers Japanese and culture classes, field trips and homestays.
A new medical school and hospital was opened in 2004 which features new medical treatments using fibre-optic networks. It also has an Advanced Critical Care Centre that consists of specialists from all clinical departments. (Source:  https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/gifu-university accessed 28 July 2020)