Website: http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/english/

Tohoku University was founded in 1907 and is known for its original guiding principles of putting research first, having an open-door policy, and committing to practice-oriented research and education. Always a trailblazer, the university was the first in Japan to accept women in 1913 and was one of the first to welcome international students.

These days, Tohoku University is home to 18,000 students across 10 faculties, 15 graduate schools, and six research institutes. About 10 percent of the students come from abroad, contributing to one of the most cosmopolitan academic environments in Japan.

Tohoku University’s excellent learning environment, international outlook, and research influence has earned it recognition. For the last four years, the university has held the number one spot in the Times Higher Education annual ranking of Japanese universities, a list that highlights institutional resources, quality of education, and overall student experience. In September 2023, Tohoku University was selected as the only finalist for the Japanese government’s initiative, ‘University for International Research Excellence.’

Notably, the university is known for being a global leader in the development of disaster science and risk mitigation strategies through the International Research Institute of Disaster Science, and in personalized medicine research at the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, home to Japan’s largest population biobank.

In addition, a 40,000m² Science Park is being built on the new extension to Aobayama Campus. When completed, it will serve as a hub for advanced science and technology research and development. The centerpiece of the Science Park is NanoTerasu, a next-generation 3GeV synchrotron radiation facility which began full-scale operations in April 2024.