Message from the President
OGAWA Hisao
President of Kumamoto University
Kumamoto University formulated the “Kumamoto University Initiative 2030” to become an education and research hub contributing to both the region and the world through “co-creation” with society, guided by the three main ideals of “Always communicating,” “Always transparent,” and “Always improving.”
To accomplish the above, we believe the key lies in promoting “Fusions” and “Globalization.” “Fusions” refer to the fusion of educational fields transcending the boundaries between humanities and sciences, the fusion of cross-disciplinary research, and the fusion of organizational structures and personnel as driving forces. Meanwhile, “Globalization” requires a strategy that considers both education and research from a global perspective, taking into account the current situation of Kumamoto, the Kyushu region, and Japan.
For the first step of our strategy, we launched the “School of Informatics,” a faculty-equivalent organization, in April 2024—our first new school in 75 years. The School of Informatics provides cross-faculty education integrating the humanities and sciences, aiming not only to develop human resources in the data science and semiconductor fields, but also to nurture global citizens capable of driving innovation. Furthermore, we will foster global citizens capable of developing novel solutions in the age of digital transformation (DX), irrespective of their chosen field, through education that equips all students with expertise in mathematical and data science and the necessary skills to engage in international dialogue.
Kumamoto University is home to four National Important Cultural Properties, represented by the Memorial Museum of the Fifth High School, situated on its lush green campus. The campus contains a wide range of museums, such as the Higo Medical Education Museum, which showcases the tradition and history of medical education in Higo, a pioneer in its time, which produced the world-renowned bacteriologist Shibasaburo Kitasato, whose portrait appears on the new 1,000-yen bill starting in 2024. It also houses the Kumayaku (School of Pharmacy) Museum with its medical botanical garden, which preserves and nurtures a variety of medicinal and rare plants. We envision the Campus Museum Concept as encompassing these historical properties.
Kumamoto University, while preserving the history and traditions that have been developed since the establishment of the Fifth High School in 1887, is committed to accelerating these reforms in response to changes in our country, our society, and the international community.