Okinawa International University

Okinawa International University
沖縄国際大学
Main gate of Okinawa International University
Other names
Okikoku, OKIU
Former name
Ryūkyū International Junior College
Motto
真の自由と、自治の確立
Motto in English
Striving for Autonomy and True Freedom
TypePrivate
Established1959 (1959)
FounderKoza Gakuen Foundation (財団法人コザ学園)
AccreditationJapan University Norma Association (大学基準協会)
Academic affiliation
University Consortium Okinawa (大学コンソーシアム沖縄)
PresidentHajime Asato
Vice-presidentMasashige Higa
Academic staff
202
Total staff
278
Students5257
Undergraduates5206
Postgraduates51
Address
Ginowan 2-6-1
,
Ginowan
,
Okinawa Prefecture
,
901-2701
,
Japan

26°15′43″N 127°45′13″E / 26.26194°N 127.75361°E / 26.26194; 127.75361
CampusUrban, 116,970.23 square metres (1,259,057.1 sq ft)
Websitewww.okiu.ac.jp

Okinawa International University (沖縄国際大学, Okinawa kokusai daigaku),[1] often abbreviated as Okikokudai (沖国大), Okikoku (沖国) or in English OKIU, is a private university in Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.[1] It was founded in 1959 as a junior college and became a Japanese university in 1972 after the Okinawa Reversion.[1]

As of 1 May 2025, the university counts 5257 students, 202 professors and 76 employees. It has four colleges including ten departments, three graduate schools including five departments and four research institutes.[1]

History

In 1959, while Okinawa is still under U.S. administration, the Koza Gakuen foundation creates the Ryūkyū International Junior College (琉球国際短期大学, Ryūkyū kokusai tanki daigaku).[2][3]

In 1960, the Koza Gakuen Foundation takes the name of "Ryūkyū International Junior College Foundation".[4] In 1962, the same foundation establishes the "International University", approved by the Government of the Ryukyu Islands, that includes the previously created junior college under the name of International University Junior College (国際大学短期大学部, Kokusai daigaku tanki daigakubu).[5]

In 1967, the foundation is renamed  "International School" (国際学園, Kokusai gakuen).[4]

In 1971, within the framework of the Okinawa reversion, the junior college, still a part of the International University, is recognised as a junior college under the Japanese law.[6][7]

With the reversion, the universities in Okinawa have to comply with the rules established for the Japanese universities, which leads to numerous reorganisations. Public subsidies (1 billion yens) are granted to support those reforms, supplemented by special loans from the Japanese Private Schools Promotion Foundation (440 millions yens). Using those resources, the International University incorporates a part of the Okinawa University (沖縄大学, Okinawa daigaku) to become the current Okinawa International University.[1] At the opening, 493 students, 18 professors and 21 employees are transferred from the Okinawa University while 1315 students, 30 professors and 34 employees come from the International University, with the new addition of 1176 students, 20 professors and 2 employees. As of 1 May 2025, the university counts 5257 students, 202 professors and 76 employees. It has four colleges including ten departments, three graduate schools including five departments and four research institutes.[1]

Chronology

  • 1959 : Creation of the Ryūkyū International Junior College (琉球国際短期大学, Ryūkyū kokusai tanki daigaku) by the Koza Gakuen Foundation[2]
  • 1962 : Creation of the International University, approved by the Government of the Ryukyu Islands[5]
  • 1972
    • 24 February : Approbation of the Okinawa International University by the Private Universities Committee of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands[1]
    • 25 February : Merger of the International University with part of the Okinawa University to create the Okinawa International University[1]
    • 1 April : Opening of the Okinawa International University Junior College, as part of Okinawa International University[1]
    • 23 April : First start-of-the-school-year ceremony, coupled with the university opening ceremony[1]
    • 15 May : With the reversion, the university is approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education (for the Department of Law of the College of Law, the Departments of Japanese Literature, of English Literature and of Social Sciences of the College of Literature and the Departments of Economic Sciences and of Trade of the College of Management and Economy)[1]
  • 1973 : Inauguration of buildings No. 3 and No. 5[1]
  • 1974 : Inauguration of the main building, of the library and of the gymnasium[1]
  • 1978 : Creation of the Institute of Ryukyuan Culture [1]
  • 1980 : Inauguration of building No. 7[1]
  • 1985 : Inauguration of the extra-curricular activities building[1]
  • 1986 : Inauguration of building No. 9[1]
  • 1988 : Inauguration of the social centre[1]
  • 1991 : Creation of the Institute of General Industrial Research[1]
  • 1992 : Inauguration of new building No. 5[1]
  • 1995
    • Shut down of the second College of Letters and of the College of Education[1]
    • Inauguration du International Relations Centre and of the Information Centre[1]
  • 1997
    • Creation of the Graduate School of Regional Culture, Department of Ryukyuan Culture[1]
    • Creation of the Okinawa Institute of Law and Politics[1]
  • 1998
    • Creation of the Graduate School of Regional Business and Economics, Department of Regional Industry[1]
    • Inauguration of the Foreign Langages Centre and of the new library (building No. 12)[1]
  • 1999
    • Creation of the Graduate School of Regional Culture, Department of British and American Studies[1]
    • Shut down of the Okinawa International University Junior College[1]
  • 2000 Inauguration of the House of Seminars[1]
  • 2001
    • Reorganisation of the departments of Japanese Literature, of English Literature, and of Sociology of the Faculty of Literature into the Departments of Japanese Language and Culture, of British and American Languages and Cultures, and of Social Sciences and Regional Culture of the College of Global and Regional Culture[1]
    • Creation of the Department of Human Welfare of the College of Global and Regional Culture[1]
  • 2002
    • The "First College of Law" is renamed "College of Law"[1]
    • Reorganisation of the Department of Law of the College of Law into the Department of Legal Studies[1]
    • Addition of a Department of Regional Administration to the College of Law[1]
  • 2003
    • Creation of the Graduate School of Law, Department of Law[1]
    • Creation of the Graduate School of Regional Culture, Department of Human Welfare[1]
    • Inauguration of the new gymnasium, of the Extension Centre and of the counselling service[1]
  • 2004
    • Creation of the Departments of Economics and of Regional Economics and Environmental Policy of the College of Economics and Environmental Policy and of the Departments of Business Administration and of Industry and Information Science of the College of Industry and Information Science[1]
    • 13 August : A helicopter from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma crashes on Building No. 1[1]
  • 2006: Inauguration of the new main building[1]
  • 2008
    • Shut down of the Second College of Law[1]
    • Adoption of a system with vice-presidency[1]
  • 2009
    • Shut down of the Second College of Management and Economics [1]
    • Inauguration of building No. 13[1]
  • 2011 : Shut down of the First College of Management and Economics[1]
  • 2016 : Inauguration of new building No. 3[1]
  • 2021 : Inauguration of the students' meetings building[1]

Colleges and Graduate School

Colleges

  • College of Law[8]
    • Department of Legal Studies
    • Department of Regional Administration
  • College of Economics[8]
    • Departement of Economics
    • Department of Regional Economics and Environmental Policy
  • College of Industry and Information Science[8]
    • Department of Business Administration
    • Department of Industry and Information Science
  • College of Global and Regional Culture[8]
    • Department of Japanese Culture
    • Department of British and American Cultures
    • Department of Social Sciences
    • Department of Human Welfare
      • Social Welfare major
      • Counseling major

Graduate Schools

  • Graduate School of Regional Culture[9]
    • Department of Ryūkyūan Culture
    • Department of British and American Languages and Cultures
    • Department of Human Welfare
  • Graduate School of Regional Business and Economics[9]
    • Department of Regional Business and Economics
  • Graduate School of Law[9]
    • Department of Law

Junior Colleges

  • Okinawa International University Junior College (shut down in 1999)[1]

Associated Institutes

  • International Relations Centre[1]
  • Information Centre[1]
  • Foreign Languages Centre[1]
  • Institute of Ryukyuan Culture[1]
  • Institute of General Industrial Research[1]
  • Okinawa Institute of Law and Politics[1]

Presidence

  1. 1972-1976 Genshū Asato[1]
  2. 1976-1980 Genshū Asato
  3. 1980-1984 Genshū Asato
  4. 1984-1988 Hiroe Takamiya
  5. 1988-1992 Takematsu Kakazu
  6. 1992-1996 Yoshiharu Heshiki
  7. 1996-2000 Yoshiharu Heshiki
  8. 2000-2004 Isao Namihira
  9. 2004-2008 Tomoaki Toguchi
  10. 2008-2012 Moritake Tomikawa
  11. 2012-2016 Tamotsu Ōshiro
  12. 2016-2020 Eiken Maetsu
  13. 2020-2024 Eiken Maetsu
  14. 2024-2028 Hajime Asato

External relations

University credits equivalence system

Okinawa International University has agreements for equivalence of credits with several universities in Okinawa Prefecture and in Japan.[10]

Universities in Okinawa Prefecture

Other Japanese universities

International Exchange Programmes

Okinawa International University has agreements for exchange programmes with universities in ten different countries.[11]

Collaborations

In Okinawa Prefecture

  • 1997 : Agreement with the village of Higashi concerning the construction of Okinawa International University House of Seminars[1]
  • 2014 : Foundation of the University Consortium Okinawa (大学コンソーシアム沖縄), including Okinawa Prefecture's universities, junior colleges and colleges of technology (高等専門学校) (eleven schools)[1]
  • 2017 : Agreement of collaboration with Ginowan City Board of Education[1]
  • 2017 : Agreement of collaboration with the Okinawa Accountants Association[1]
  • 2019 : Agreement of cooperation with Japan Transocean Air and Ryūkyū Air Commuter[1]
  • 2020 : Agreement of collaboration with the city of Ginowan[1]

International Collaborations

  • 1994 : International Academic Seminar Okinawa – South Korea[1]
  • 1997 : Agreement of international collaboration between the Institute of Ryukyuan Culture and the Honam Studies Research Center of Chonnam National University (South Korea)[1]
  • 2002 : Agreement of academic collaboration between the Institute of Ryukyuan Culture and the Institute for China-Ryukyu Relations of the Fujian Normal University (China)[1]
  • 2003 : International symposium "Okinawa in the context of globalisation"[1]

Affiliations, certifications

  • 1997 : Approved as a permanent member of the Japan University Norma Association (大学基準協会)[1]
  • 2005 : Certified as complying to the university evaluation norma by the Japan University Norma Association[1]
  • 2009 : Agreement with the Study Abroad Foundation concerning international student exchanges[1]
  • 2010 : Obtention of the "Eco-action 21" certification[1]

Former partnerships

Personalities associated to the university

Professors and former professors

Alumni

Politics

Academia

Arts

Show business

Sports

Media

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv 大学概要トップ [University Outline]. 沖縄国際大学 [Okinawa International University]. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  2. ^ a b Okinawa kokusai daigaku jū nen shi] 沖縄国際大学十年史 [Ten years of Okinawa International University]. Okinawa International University. 1985.
  3. ^ Okinawa no sengo kyōiku shi shiryōhen 沖縄の戦後教育史 資料編 [History of Education in Post-War Okinawa, Documents Volume]. Okinawa Prefecture Board of Education. 1978.
  4. ^ a b Yamashiro Zenzō [山城善三] (1971). 沖縄事始め物語 [Story of the Start of Okinawa]. Asahi Kōken.
  5. ^ a b Tanki daigaku ichiran shōwa yon jū ni nendo 短期大学一覧 昭和42年度 [List of Junior Colleges 1967]. Junior College Documents [短期大学資料] [Tanki daigaku shiryō]. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, University and Academic Affairs Bureau, Technical Education Division. 1967.
  6. ^ Comprehensive University Problems Research Institute [総合大学問題研究所], ed. (1977). Nihon daigaku daikan senkyūhyakunanjūnana nen han 日本大学大鑑 [Japanese Universities Encyclopedia]. Nihongakujutsutsūshinsha.
  7. ^ Daigaku shiryō 大学資料 [Documents about Universities]. Vol. 43/44. Educative Association. 1972.
  8. ^ a b c d 学部・学科トップ [Colleges and departments]. 沖縄国際大学 [Okinawa International University]]. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  9. ^ a b c 沖縄国際大学大学院トップ [Okinawa International University Graduate Schools]. 沖縄国際大学 [Okinawa International University]. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  10. ^ 留学制度について [International students exchange]. 沖縄国際大学 [Okinawa International University]. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  11. ^ 国外協定校一覧／国際交流実績 [International Exchange Programme]. 沖縄国際大学 [Okinawa International University]. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.