Kyoto University was founded in 1897 as Japan’s second imperial university, based on the principle of fostering human resources through creative research, against a backdrop of the rapidly expanding role of science and technology in society. Ever since, Kyoto University has remained one of Japan’s leading research universities, producing a number of Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates, under the basic mission of contributing to harmonious coexistence within the human and ecological community on this planet by respecting free and creative research and generating new intellectual value.

In addition, with nearly 23,000 (undergraduate and graduate) students, the University also bears great responsibility in education. Traditionally, the University has focused on providing practical education within the context of creative research activities, as well as on cultivating a creative spirit in students, by encouraging them to identify issues on their own and strive to address them through self-directed study. Creativity is born from intellectual curiosity and inquisitiveness, and in line with the traditional motto of “education through research,” the University strongly hopes to foster human resources with advanced professional skills and train the next generation of creative researchers.

On the other hand, the world today faces a number of major challenges shared by all humankind, such as global climate change, escalating environmental destruction, large-scale natural disasters, a series of emerging infectious diseases and pandemics, poverty and food shortages, aging populations, as well as widening social divisions and inequalities. We must now reaffirm our commitment to Kyoto University’s mission—we must earnestly and determinedly seek solutions to the multifaceted and complex issues being faced by global society, and consistently share our progress with society.

2022 marked the 125th anniversary of Kyoto University’s founding, and we have received tremendous support and donations from many different people heretofore. We are aware that this support symbolizes the dreams and hopes entrusted in us to evolve as a university that contributes to society by creating new intellectual value and fostering talented personnel, and that our 125 years of strong progress, which has borne much fruit through our academic culture of respecting creativity and diversity, will continue on into the future. We endeavor to do our utmost to meet your expectations in any way that we can.

I would like to take this opportunity to request and thank in advance our alumni, their parents and guardians, as well as various affiliated corporations and organizations, for continued support to Kyoto University.

Nagahiro Minato
President, Kyoto University