Hokkaido: University Study in a Global World

Hokkaido Bunkyo University was founded in 1999, but its origins date back eight decades to the establishment of the Hokkaido Women’s Nutrition School in 1942.

Today the university, whose educational philosophy is based on the spirit of active learning, boasts three faculties and seven different departments.

The Faculty of International Studies takes in students from both Japan and overseas, and its purpose, in the words of University President Toshihiro Watanabe, is to cultivate local as well as international knowledge.

“Only by fostering those with an international mindset,” he says, “can we drive globalization and harmony.”

If the presence of the Faculty of International Studies is a means of enticing overseas students to undertake their degrees in Japan, then the Faculty of Medical Health Science is primarily aimed at developing leaders who can respond to Hokkaido’s rapidly aging community.

Mr. Watanabe again: “We provide educational programs so that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a preventative society.”

The newly established Department of Regional Development, meanwhile, which is part of the Faculty of Health Science and Education, aims to leverage regional characteristics and local resources to build and maintain a sustainable society.

Looking to the future, the university is currently strengthening its approach to digital transformation so that it can make best use of artificial intelligence in its educational program. As part of its 100-year vision, the institution hopes to increase its student body to 3,000, an ambitious proposal that will involve capitalizing on existing partnerships with other domestic and foreign universities as well as the wider local community.

“Our purpose,” Mr. Watanabe concludes, “is to help create human personnel with deep practical knowledge and an ability to contribute to society. In the eyes of the global community, I want Hokkaido Bunkyo University to be seen as an institution that raises the standard of professionals, nurturing people with practical, hands-on skills.”

To hear more from President Toshihiro Watanabe of Hokkaido Bunkyo University, check out this interview with him