Photo/Illutration Yasuda Auditorium of the University of Tokyo in 2021 (Masato Tsuchiya)

The University of Tokyo plans to launch a five-year combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program in the fall of 2027 to nurture talent capable of addressing issues throughout the world.

The program will have roughly 100 students per year, with around half coming from outside Japan. 

All classes will be taught in English to achieve world-class educational standards.

The program, called the “College of Design,” aims to cultivate individuals who can think from the perspective of citizens and design solutions for various global issues such as decarbonization, as well as local challenges.

It will enable students to earn a master’s degree in five years in the same way as programs offered at prestigious universities in the United States and Europe.

During four undergraduate years and one graduate year, students can study fields in both the humanities and sciences taught by faculty from around the world.

They will also have opportunities to study abroad or work as an intern overseas.

The university is considering a system in which students can map out their study themes and classes based on their own awareness of problems they are eager to address.

Initially, the school was considering having the program comprise three undergraduate years and two graduate years, but after realizing that it would require revisions to the School Education Law, it adjusted the plan to a four-year bachelor’s degree and one-year master’s course.

Students will enroll in the fall semester, which is the common academic calendar in the United States and Europe.

The university aims to attract students not only from domestic high schools, but also from international schools and overseas high schools.

The school set up a committee last fall to study the contents of the new program.

The committee members are also discussing an entrance examination system that would differ from the current one. 

They are considering the selection process to ensure diversity while taking into account the financial situations of prospective students.

University officials plan to announce details within fiscal 2024, which ends in March of next year.

MORE FOREIGN STUDENTS BY 2049

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, a British education magazine, the University of Tokyo was ranked 29th in the world for universities, up from 39th the previous year.

However, Teruo Fujii, the president of the University of Tokyo, said there is still much that needs to be improved, such as the university’s low scores in the number of academic citations.

The university aims to increase the ratio of foreign undergraduate students by 2049 to more than 30 percent from the current 3.3 percent and have more than 40 percent of the graduates come from abroad compared to the current 31.3 percent.

The aim is to also increase the percentage of foreign researchers to more than 30 percent from the current 13.5 percent.

“We need to earnestly advance the internationalization of our undergraduate education to enhance our global presence and competitiveness,” Fujii said.

The University of Tokyo president hopes to extend the new educational style to be introduced in the new program to existing undergraduate departments as well.

He plans to allow students in the existing departments to also participate in the classes of the new program.

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