Keio University

Keio University
Name	Keio University
Established	1858
Founder	Yukichi Fukuzawa
Type	Private
President	Kohei Itoh
City	Minato
State	Tokyo
Country	Japan

Keio University. Founded in 1858 by the influential intellectual Yukichi Fukuzawa, it is Japan's oldest institute of higher learning, originating as a school for Dutch studies in Edo. The university has played a pivotal role in modernizing Japan through its emphasis on Western culture, science, and independent scholarship, producing generations of leaders in politics, business, and academia. It is one of the country's most prestigious universities, often grouped with The University of Tokyo and Kyoto University as a top academic institution.

History

The institution's origins trace back to the Edo period when Yukichi Fukuzawa established a small school for Rangaku in the Tsukiji area of Edo. Following the Meiji Restoration, it was renamed **Keio Gijuku** and moved to its present primary location in Mita, becoming a central force in disseminating Western philosophy and fostering the spirit of Jitsugaku. It was formally chartered as a university under the old University Ordinance in 1920, establishing its Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Medicine. The university weathered the challenges of the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II, subsequently expanding its research scope and global partnerships, including with institutions like Harvard University and University of Oxford.

Campuses

The primary and historic campus is Mita Campus, located in Minato, Tokyo, housing most undergraduate faculties and the Graduate School of Business Administration. The Hiyoshi Campus in Yokohama serves first- and second-year students in the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology and other programs, while the Yagami Campus, also in Yokohama, hosts advanced science and engineering research. The Shinanomachi Campus in Shinjuku is the center for the Keio University School of Medicine and affiliated Keio University Hospital. Other significant locations include the Shiba-Kyoritsu Campus for nursing and medical care studies and the newly developed Hiyoshi Station area facilities.

Organization and administration

The university is governed by a Board of Directors and a President, currently Kohei Itoh, with oversight from the Keio Gijuku Board of Councillors. It comprises ten undergraduate faculties, including the Faculty of Policy Management and Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at its Shonan Fujisawa Campus. Its fourteen graduate schools are organized under the Keio University Graduate School of Law, Keio University Graduate School of Medicine, and others. The institution also manages affiliated entities like the Keio University Press, Keio Economic Observatory, and several specialized research institutes such as the Institute for Advanced Biosciences.

Academics and research

Keio is renowned for its strengths in economics, business administration, law, medicine, and science and engineering, consistently ranking highly in national and global assessments like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Its Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology is a leader in robotics and applied chemistry, while the Keio University Graduate School of Business Administration is considered a premier institution in Japan. Significant research outputs emerge from centers like the Keio Leading-edge Laboratory of Science and Technology and the Institute of Cultural and Linguistic Studies, with collaborative projects often involving MIT and Stanford University.

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni, known as **Keio Gijuku**, have profoundly shaped modern Japan. In politics, they include former Prime Ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Ryutaro Hashimoto. The business world features leaders like Tadashi Yanai of Fast Retailing and Kunio Ito, a prominent corporate governance scholar. Literary figures include author Naoya Shiga and manga artist Fujiko F. Fujio. Notable faculty have included economist Hajime Oniki, legal scholar Tameike Kiyonobu, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Hideki Yukawa, who was a professor at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology.

Culture and student life

Student life is characterized by a strong tradition of autonomy and the **Jukucho** system of student self-government. The rivalry with Waseda University, exemplified in the annual Keio-Waseda baseball games and the Waseda-Keio Regatta, is a major cultural event. Over 400 clubs and circles exist, ranging from the prestigious Wagner Society to active American football and rugby football teams. The Mita Festival and Hiyoshi Festival are major annual campus events, while traditions like the **Enzetsu** (oratory) contest honor the legacy of Yukichi Fukuzawa.

Category:Universities in Tokyo Category:Private universities in Japan