Yokohama City University

It was in 1949 when Yokohama City University was founded as a new-system university, equipped with the Commercial Faculty and the Economic Research Institute. Three years later (in 1952), YCU incorporated Yokohama Medical School and established the School of Medicine. By establishing an additional faculty – the Literature and Science Faculty – YCU formulated a three-faculty system that year. Literature and Science Faculty was established to serve as a bridge between the two faculties: The Commercial Faculty and the School of Medicine; which seem to be difficult to link together. In addition, YCU has been involved in leading-edge research activities from a global perspective. Kihara Institute for Biological Research, established in 1984, is the center of Plant Genome Science along with the Master and Doctorate programs (Tsurumi campus, 2002) in collaboration with RIKEN.

When YCU was converted into an independent administrative entity, the Business, International Liberal Arts, and Sciences faculties merged to form the "International College of Arts and Sciences." YCU made a new start as a two-faculty system including this new faculty and the "School of Medicine." The school has steadily implemented reform towards internationalization by promoting practical liberal arts education as a concept of the university. YCU has introduced curriculum to enhance language skills of students and achieved leading-edge research projects with overseas research institutions. YCU has been working to create a university that attracts a lot of excellent students while keeping the original spirit at the time of foundation, such as the advanced learn-by-doing teaching method and contribution to the community and society.