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About Nagasaki University

Philosophy

Philosophy

Nagasaki University contributes to the improvement of a well-balanced society by transmitting its inheritance of the traditional culture rooted in Nagasaki, cultivating a fertile creative sense in students, and developing innovative science for world peace.

Fundamental Goals of the University

 Nagasaki University traces its roots back to a series of medical lectures, the first ever given in Japan, delivered by the Dutch Naval doctor J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort in 1857. After experiencing devastation by the atomic bombing, it reopened as a university of five faculties and one research institute in 1949, in a merger of several educational institutions of different academic disciplines.
 The university has the following philosophy: “Nagasaki University community share the pride and innovative spirit of Dejima(*) as a place of study. We maintain an attitude to learn even from serious consequences of inhumane decisions made about religion and the use of science. We will provide education and conduct research based on a clear intention and willingness to realize a world where people can coexist peacefully. We will contribute to the peaceful development of the local community and international society by passing on accumulated knowledge beyond the boundaries of time and people’s perceptions of value, fostering a rich spirit of cherishing humanity, and creating new science that will pave the way to the future”. At the beginning of 2022, the university encompasses 10 faculties, seven graduate schools, two research institutes, and the Nagasaki University Hospital.
 During the third medium-term goal period (2016- 2022), Nagasaki University has enhanced its capacity as a university which contributes to global health mainly in the field of infectious diseases, one of the well-known research areas of the university. Its initiatives during the period include the implementation of the Global Health Elite Programme for Building a Healthier World (2018- 2024). It is a joint effort between Nagasaki University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and was selected for the Doctoral Program for World-leading Innovative and Smart Education by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Another such example is the completion of the BSL-4 Lab (in 2021).
 For the fourth medium-term goal period (2022- 2028), the university is determined to broaden its horizons from global health to planetary health. In the 21st century, climate change, food crises, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, poverty, inequality, and pandemics caused by human activities became increasingly difficult issues. These contemporary regional and environmental issues are becoming more multilayered and diverse on a global scale, and their impact on human well-being and health is also becoming increasingly evident. Nagasaki University aims to become a world-class center of planetary health education and research which contributes to the realization of planetary health by bringing together and creating knowledge through transdisciplinary manner.

*Dejima is a man-made small island in the port of Nagasaki which served as a Dutch trading post between the early 17th to the mid-19th century, and was the only official place of trade between Japan and Western countries during the country’s more than 200-year period under the policy of seclusion.