Message from President

Creating good human resources with a distinctive feature in Oita University

　It has just been seven and half years since all the national universities were incorporated.During these years, Oita University has worked towards further integration of the former Oita University and Oita Medical University, which were integrated 6 months before incorporation. To achieve this goal, we rearranged the organization structure and administration system and we also enhanced our educational, medical and social coalition function. In 2005, the Government Evaluation Committee pointed out that we had been able to carry out. With great pleasure, we have received a much higher evaluation with increase year. Thanks for efforts of the entire staff, however, we could accomplish all improvements that we had planned for almost perfectly the next year.
　The 21st century is often called a Knowledge-based Society, which means new knowledge, information, and technology gain in importance in our community as the basis for the activities at every domain of society such as politics, economy and culture. The essential requirements for this society are the highly specialized knowledge with the basic academic abilities as well as flexible intellect. Particularly, amidst the rapid progression of internationalization, we are required to have flexibility and the positive attitude trying to understand the different perspective.
　At a university, which serves the society as a higher education organization, education reform should always be an important issue to be tackled. Oita University, like many others, has been making the utmost efforts to improve its quality of education. We improved the quality of education by promoting the ability of the teaching staff, rearranging the student advisory system, and developing the students’ career educational programs. In particular, we pursued improvements in curriculum with more emphasis on general education. Therefore, we formulated “the issue and strategy for educational reform,” and “school of general education.” At the same time, we have clarified the problems and tried to achieve a more enduring solution.
　Although doing research is free intellectual activity of individuals, if the individual produces ample results, it will play a major role toward the resolution of importance issues including problems that beset our society. Oita University has made much progress in its research field. The projects in its three core domains – “Welfare Science,” “Human Environment Science” and “Life Science” were reviewed and systematized. Since our staff has been involved in various big joint research projects, Oita University steps up research and fosters young researchers.
　While promoting the collaboration between university and society, we encouraged creating many core new project, which let to gain grants for research and　important project. It would be vital to foster interaction with our own community. We enhance the partnerships with our local government and regional companies. Oita University has resolved issues confronting the community by utilizing accumulated knowledge. We have also tried to support our area-based industry and provide for research in our community-based study. As for international activity, we could actively accept foreign students.
　Oita University Hospital has played a leading role in the local society for a long time. At the same time, we have taken on an increasingly important role to nurture future medical manpower. Since environment surrounding the medical care has been changing so rapidly, we require to responding to highly developed, specialized, computerized medical consultation. Furthermore, we have to meet diversifying individual patient needs and intend to secure a stable source of medical profession who will be bearers of hollowing local medical service. Moreover, we improve the quality of education in a medical school and work to foster human resources contributing our community medicine.
　Oita University is highly expected to fulfill the changing demand in society with new wave of social action. At the highest level possible, not only we cope with a diversity of challenges, but also we intend to develop our university and human resources. Thank you very much.

President