Tohoku University

Tohoku University is the third oldest Imperial university in Japan and is considered one of the most prestigious in the country. It was originally founded as a medical school in 1736. It is located in Sendai, the second largest city north of Tokyo. Throughout its history as an Imperial university it has committed to ‘open doors’ policies, and was the very first university in Japan to accept women, and the first to admit foreign students. The university was selected as one of 13 universities in the Global 30 Project to internationalise higher education in the country. As part of the initiative, the university offers international degrees which are taught entirely in English. The Future Global Leadership Program accepts applications for advanced molecular chemistry, applied marine biology and international mechanical and aerospace engineering, all taught in English. There is a separate highly selective application route for the programme. There are more than 1,500 international students at the university as of 2015, representing 90 different countries and regions. In total there are around 10,000 undergraduates, 4,000 master’s students and 2,600 doctoral students enrolled. The university has five main campuses in Sendai City. Students are generally split across these campuses by subject, with one for medicine and dentistry, one for social sciences, one for science and engineering, and one for agriculture. Many top scientists, educators, writers and political figures attended the university. In 2011 the university closed for a period of time due to the earthquake and tsunami which hit the region. Most campuses were unaffected by the earthquake, but some buildings suffered damage. Classes resumed just a few months later.