Gifu University

Gifu University is the national university in the historical city of Gifu, Japan which remains strongly rooted in its local community.  Situated in the centre of Japan, Gifu is characterised by imposing mountains and crystal clear rivers. Historically, it has been a region where the northern and eastern cultures of Japan merged and where a wide range of cultures and technologies have been created and transmitted.  The Yanagido campus offers six faculties which include: education, regional studies, medicine, engineering, biological sciences and agriculture.  Gifu University has active partnerships with other universities across the world promoting regular and structured exchange of students, as well as researchers. They are currently partnered with 45 universities across 16 countries.  Gifu University has a summer school, founded in 1988, which offers a four-week course for students around the world. The programme consists of Japanese language and culture classes, including a number of field trips and homestays.  In 2004 a new medical school and hospital was opened which features new medical treatments using fibre-optic networks. Another distinctive feature of the new facility is the Advanced Critical Care Centre which consists of specialists from all clinical departments. Gifu University boasts several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, dormitories, as well as administrative services. Notable alumni include Toichi Takenaka, President and CEO of Astellas Pharma, Fumio Sugimori, president and CEO of Toshiba Electron Tubes and Devices, and Kenji Manabe, former minister of the environment (1998–1999).