Capitalizing on a Distinctive Foundation of Education and Research to Produce a Diversity of Graduates
Over its 140-year history, the Tokyo University of Science has solidified its position as Japan's premier private university of science and engineering. Thanks to a host of different factors, including cutting-edge research faculty, a distinctive educational program, and a network of collaboration with other universities, research institutions and private companies, we enjoy an incredibly robust educational foundation.
Since its founding, the Tokyo University of Science’s educational policy has been to “develop truly capable graduates to send out into society.” Modern society and the scientific world are changing rapidly, and we no longer live in an era where you can expect the expertise gained from a university education in a single field to be sufficient for your entire life. Hence, the Tokyo University of Science has introduced an educational curriculum and system whereby each student can redesign his or her career plan to match the times and transition into new fields without hesitation. More capable students are cultivated through a substantially upgraded basic education, as well as through specialized studies made more robust by the incorporation of academic topics from adjacent fields. In addition, in order to accommodate industry demand for reskilling, the admissions system has been revised to make it easier for those already in the workforce to go back to school. I believe that this sort of educational model and system will help to produce a diversity of graduates capable of contributing to the advancement of science and technology, of creating the sort of value society will demand in the near future, of adapting to change and uncertainty in the face of an unknown future, and of much more.
The campuses of the Tokyo University of Science are equipped with a wide array of resources to help those keen on studying science and technology to easily find the research focus that best aligns with the career plan they have created from themselves. We consider this matching to be a prerequisite for attracting motivated students who want to tackle new research challenges that will contribute to the solutions and innovations needed to address the problems faced by society. Of course, however, tackling the challenges of original research and new fields of study is accompanied by risks. That is why, in order to foster creative thinking and persistence among students, we cultivate a culture in which “honest failure is praised.” If an attempt is grounded on data obtained in preparation, and if it is for a worthwhile goal, we offer high praise even when a student’s attempt ends in failure, because it was an “honest failure.” After all, we believe that honest failures eventually lead to great successes.
The universities of the future must be open to the world and willing to listen to society’s assessment of them, correcting the way they operate whenever necessary. For this reason, as well, I believe it is the mission of the Tokyo University of Science to develop a diverse campus environment that can be seen as society writ small. The Tokyo University of Science is a place of new opportunities and possibilities for people representing a multitude of different qualities, backgrounds, and ways of thinking. I look forward to learning together with all those for whom this view resonates.