Kyushu Institute of Technology
Encyclopedia
is one of the 87 national universities in Japan
. Located in Fukuoka Prefecture
on the island of Kyūshū
, it is dedicated to education and research in the fields of science and technology. It is often abbreviated to KIT and sometimes to Kyutech.
The founder was Matsumoto Kenjiro, second son of Yasukawa Keiichiro, and the links with the Yaskawa Electric Corporation
(founded in 1915) remain strong to this day. The centenary of the opening of the Tobata campus is being celebrated in 2009, with Founder's Day on May 28, 2009.
The most famous alumnus is "Mr. Tornado", the severe storms researcher Tetsuya "Ted" Fujita. He graduated in 1943 and was an associate professor until 1953 when he was invited to the University of Chicago
.
. The first campus opened its doors in Tobata
in 1909, and the centenary of the university is therefore being celebrated in 2009.
KIT became a Japanese national university on May 31, 1949 and has, since April 1, 2004, been incorporated as a national university corporation under a new law that applies to all national universities.
Despite the incorporation, which has led to increased financial independence and autonomy, KIT is still quite strictly controlled in many respects by the Japanese Ministry of Education
(Monbukagakushō, or Monkashō).
The Hoo-Ryuu 鳳龍 (Oriental Phoenix
-cum-Dragon
) emblem of KIT is featured and explained in English here.
In 1995, the Satellite Venture Business Laboratory was opened at Tobata campus.
The first school building of Meiji Senmon Gakko was made wholly of wood and designed by Tatsuno Kingo
. It is shown on the university's home page. There is also a 1/50th scale model of the building on display in the university archives on Tobata campus.
who studied at Yale University
declared that the aim of the school was to produce "gentlemen well versed in technological skills" (gijutsu ni tannō naru shikunshi). Nowadays the university aims to produce both ladies and gentlemen with these skills, and enjoys a high reputation with employers.
Founder's day is May 28. It coincides deliberately with the Battle of Tsushima
of May 27-May 28, 1905 - the decisive naval battle in the Russo-Japanese War
. Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
once visited KIT, and his visit is commemorated in the school's archives, as is that of Okuma Shigenobu
.
. All three are in Fukuoka Prefecture
, Kyūshū
.
(UK) and Old Dominion University
(USA).
Japanese national university
As of 2008, there were 87 , 89 public universities and 580 private universities in Japan. National universities, tend to be held in higher regard in higher education in Japan than private or public universities....
. Located in Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
on the island of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, it is dedicated to education and research in the fields of science and technology. It is often abbreviated to KIT and sometimes to Kyutech.
The founder was Matsumoto Kenjiro, second son of Yasukawa Keiichiro, and the links with the Yaskawa Electric Corporation
Yaskawa Electric Corporation
The is a Japanese manufacturer of servos, machine controllers, AC Motor drives, switches and robots.Their Motoman robots are heavy duty industrial robots used for example in car manufacturing....
(founded in 1915) remain strong to this day. The centenary of the opening of the Tobata campus is being celebrated in 2009, with Founder's Day on May 28, 2009.
The most famous alumnus is "Mr. Tornado", the severe storms researcher Tetsuya "Ted" Fujita. He graduated in 1943 and was an associate professor until 1953 when he was invited to the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
History
The university was granted government permission to be founded in 1907 as a private training school for engineers called Meiji Senmon Gakkō (Meiji Vocational School), toward the end of the Meiji periodMeiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. The first campus opened its doors in Tobata
Tobata-ku, Kitakyushu
is a ward of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the smallest ward of Kitakyūshū city at 16.66 km². The population was 64,330 as of the national census in 2000.-History and Geography:...
in 1909, and the centenary of the university is therefore being celebrated in 2009.
KIT became a Japanese national university on May 31, 1949 and has, since April 1, 2004, been incorporated as a national university corporation under a new law that applies to all national universities.
Despite the incorporation, which has led to increased financial independence and autonomy, KIT is still quite strictly controlled in many respects by the Japanese Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....
(Monbukagakushō, or Monkashō).
The Hoo-Ryuu 鳳龍 (Oriental Phoenix
Fenghuang
Fenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...
-cum-Dragon
Chinese dragon
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
) emblem of KIT is featured and explained in English here.
In 1995, the Satellite Venture Business Laboratory was opened at Tobata campus.
Tatsuno Kingo
was a Japanese architect born in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu.He studied in Japan at the Imperial College of Engineering where he was one of the first to graduate in 1879 under British architect Josiah Conder. He visited England and worked in the office of William Burges in 1881-2. He taught...
. It is shown on the university's home page. There is also a 1/50th scale model of the building on display in the university archives on Tobata campus.
Founding principles
The first president of KIT, Yamakawa KenjirōYamakawa Kenjiro
was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who went on to become a noted physicist, university president, and author of several histories of the Boshin War...
who studied at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
declared that the aim of the school was to produce "gentlemen well versed in technological skills" (gijutsu ni tannō naru shikunshi). Nowadays the university aims to produce both ladies and gentlemen with these skills, and enjoys a high reputation with employers.
Founder's day is May 28. It coincides deliberately with the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
of May 27-May 28, 1905 - the decisive naval battle in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
once visited KIT, and his visit is commemorated in the school's archives, as is that of Okuma Shigenobu
Okuma Shigenobu
Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...
.
KIT's three campuses
KIT has three campuses. Two of these are in Kitakyushu and one is in IizukaIizuka, Fukuoka
is a city located at the confluence of the Honami and Onga rivers in central Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.Iizuka was an important post-station on the Nagasaki Kaidō during the Edo Era. As Japan industrialised, Iizuka became the center of the most productive coal fields in Japan located throughout the...
. All three are in Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
.
Tobata campus (Kitakyushu)
Faculty of Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering. This is the oldest campus, opened in 1909. It originally had three departments: Mining, Metallurgy, and Mechanical Engineering.Iizuka campus
Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Computer Science and Systems Engineering. This is the second campus, established in 1986. The first students were admitted in 1987.Wakamatsu campus (Kitakyushu)
Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering. This is the newest campus, established in April 2001.International partnerships
KIT has partnership agreements with several overseas universities, including the University of SurreyUniversity of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
(UK) and Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
(USA).
Scholars
- Fujita Tetsuya - severe storms research, "Mr. Tornado"
- Murashima Sadayuki
- Kuroki Yasunobu - Marxist economist, did not graduate
Artists
- Katsura Yonekichi - rakugo
- Space Sato - radio personality, local talent, did not graduate
See also
- Kagoshima UniversityKagoshima University, or is a Japanese national university located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.There are three campuses:* Shimoarata: Faculty of Fisheries* Sakuragaoka: Faculty of Medicine...
- Kyushu Institute of DesignKyushu Institute of DesignKyushu Institute of Design in Fukuoka, Japan is one of Japan's prestigious national universities and was founded in April, 1968...
- Kyushu UniversityKyushu UniversityKyushu University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 8th in 2010 and 2009 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai...
- Nagasaki UniversityNagasaki Universityis a national university of Japan. Its nickname is Chōdai . The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
- Nagoya Institute of TechnologyNagoya Institute of TechnologyThe , or less commonly Nitech, is a public highest-level educational institution of science and technology located in Nagoya, Japan.Nagoya Institute of Technology was founded on 1905 as Nagoya Higher Technical School, renamed Nagoya College of Technology in 1944 then merged under the new...
- Tokyo Institute of TechnologyTokyo Institute of TechnologyThe Tokyo Institute of Technology is a public research university located in Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. Tokyo Tech is the largest institution for higher education in Japan dedicated to science and technology. Tokyo Tech enrolled 4,850 undergaraduates and 5006 graduate students for 2009-2010...
- University of KitakyushuUniversity of KitakyushuThe is a public university in Kitakyushu, Japan. The main campus is located next to Keibajomae station on the Kitakyushu monorail. The second campus is in the academic zone of Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu called Gakujutsu Kenkyu Toshi...
- Institute of TechnologyInstitute of technologyInstitute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...