Message from the President
OGAWA Hisao
President of Kumamoto University
Kumamoto University has formulated the “Kumamoto University Initiative 2030” with the aim of becoming a hub for education and research that is open to both the local community and the world, and that contributes to society through co-creation. The university is committed to three core principles: “a university that continuously disseminates information,” “a university that remains visible from the outside,” and “a university that listens to external voices and continues to evolve.” By collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, Kumamoto University seeks to make meaningful contributions locally, socially, and globally.
As part of this initiative, the university has been selected for the “J-PEAKS” program (Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities) starting in fiscal year 2025. With a 10-year vision of becoming “a research and education university that leads the development of a model city for semiconductor integration and attracts diverse talent from around the world,” Kumamoto University is accelerating semiconductor research, promoting social co-creation studies, and strengthening its research support systems. The completion of the new research building “SOIL (Semiconductor Open Innovation Laboratory)” and the education building “D-Square” further enables collaborative research through open innovation with industry partners and the cultivation of advanced talent in information and semiconductor fields.
Meanwhile, the university’s lush green campus is home to four nationally designated Important Cultural Properties, including the Memorial Museum of the Fifth High School. It also features the Higo Iiku Museum (Medical Education Museum), which introduces figures such as Shibasaburo Kitasato—whose portrait appears on the 1,000-yen bill and who studied at the predecessor of Kumamoto University’s Faculty of Medicine, the Furushiro Medical School—as well as the Kumayaku Museum, which includes a medicinal plant garden. These facilities comprise the foundation of the university’s Campus Museum Initiative, which aims to transform the entire campus into a museum-like environment.
Founded in 1887 (Meiji 20), Kumamoto University inherits the history and traditions of the Fifth High School (Goko), where renowned figures such as Lafcadio Hearn and Natsume Sōseki once taught. While honoring this legacy, the university continues to pursue reform with agility in response to changes in national, societal, and global contexts.
