Yokohama National University (YNU)

Yokohama is Asia’s Gateway to the World. Ever since the port of Yokohama was opened in the 19th century, Yokohama has been a unique crossroad where West meets East. It is not too much to say that the modernization and internationalization of Japan started from Yokohama. Today, as Japan’s second largest city, Yokohama is recognized as one of the most exciting cities for its cultural, socio-economic, and infrastructural dynamism.

The practical learning pursued at YNU's 5 colleges and 5 graduate schools is based on the deep-rooted history and tradition of Yokohama as a thriving city of trade, commerce, and industry. Fully exploiting the flexibility and adaptability of a mid-sized university of around 10,000 students, YNU carries on the advanced and practical scholarship to cultivate globally-competitive talents within a single leafy campus in the metropolitan area.

YNU is highly internationalized with about 1,000 international students from about 80 countries and regions around the world. For those who want to study in English, YNU offers 11 programs on the undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of urban sciences, economics, business administration, law, and infrastructural management. In addition, all course at the Graduate School of Engineering Science are taught in English. The applicants are required to be proficient in English but do not need any Japanese skills. Students can receive scholarships and financial support from the Japanese government (MEXT), Japan Student Service Organization (JASSO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the World Bank, and foreign governments. Also, there is a unique program called “Global Doctoral Program for Academic Career Support (GDACS)”, a doctoral program for faculty members of universities in emerging nations. Applicants do not need to pay application fees and successful applicants are exempt from admission and tuition fees.

To contribute to the welfare and social development of people in Japan and around the world, some 600 researchers at YNU conduct research in various fields and create and apply knowledge as an international hub for practical academics.

In addition to individual research, to promote collaborative research between researchers at YNU and at other institutions inside and outside Japan, 8 units have been formed at the Institute of Advanced Sciences and 25 research projects have been recognized by the Research Initiative and Promotion Organization as YNU Research Centers. Through this framework, focus is being placed on research in fields with high societal demand, academic fields, fields that are highly ranked socially or academically, and pioneering fields.

Furthermore, YNU has signed academic exchange agreements with over 140 universities around the world and about 300 researchers are accepted to YNU from universities outside of Japan every year.

YNU will continuously strive to be a vibrant educational hub with a diverse student body, and will continue to disseminate world-class educational and research achievements to create a better future.