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With the university motto in our hearts, we strive to become a university
that continues to evolve
On February 24, 1972, Okinawa International University obtained the approval of the then current government of the Ryukyu Islands and was officially established on the following day, February 25, 1972. On April 23rd of the same year, we proclaimed the opening of our doors to the local community.
Subsequently, with the reversion of Okinawa to Japan on May 15, 1972, Okinawa International University became a university as stipulated in the School Education Law, according to the provisions of Article 94, Paragraph 1 of the Okinawa Reversion Special Measures Law (enacted as Law No. 129 on December 31, 1971) and Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the Ordinance Concerning the Application of the Okinawa Reversion Special Measures Law to Ministry of Education Related Matters (enacted as Ordinance No. 106 on April 28, 1972).
Okinawa University and International University were founded as private universities while Okinawa was still under U.S. administrative control, but since there were numerous problems connected with the standards for setting up those two universities, the boards of directors from the two institutions had been moving forward with negotiations for a merger even before Okinawa’s reversion.
As a result, the two boards of directors drew up a plan for the merger of the two universities. A resolution was put forward based on this plan, and the newly established Okinawa International University was approved on February 24, 1972 by the Committee on Private Universities of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands.
It should be noted that the foundation fund for Okinawa International University was subsidized through a 1 billion-yen grant from the Japanese government’s Ministry of Education and a special long-term loan of 440 million yen from the Japan Private School Promotion Foundation. Initial construction (covering a land area of 110,403m2 with buildings and facilities covering an area of 18,464.37m2 and including the construction of an athletic facility) was completed by March 1, 1974.
At the time of its opening, the university took its historic first step with 493 students, 18 teachers, and 21 staff members from the former Okinawa University; 1,315 students, 30 teachers, and 34 staff members from the former International University; and 1,176 newly enrolled students, 20 newly hired teachers, and 2 newly hired staff members. We have expanded, so that as of May 1, 2012, we have 5,851 students (including graduate students), 132 full-time teachers, and 81 staff members. In addition, our university now comprises 4 colleges divided into 10 departments, 3 graduate school programs with 5 departments, and 4 research institutes. We continue to make rapid progress as a university nurturing highly skilled talent for the local community.
Chronological List of Presidents
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| Genshu Asato 1st - 3rd terms |
Hiroe Takamiya 4th term |
Takematsu Kakazu 5th term |
Yoshiharu Heshiki 6th - 7th terms |
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| Isao Namihira 8th term |
Tomoaki Toguchi 9th term |
Moritake Tomikawa 10th term |
Tamotsu Oshiro 11th term (current) |
University Time Line
| 1972 | 2.24 | Approval is obtained from the Ryukyu Islands government to establish Okinawa International University |
|---|---|---|
| 2.25 | Okinawa International University is established as an incorporated educational institution | |
| 4. 1 |
Genshu Asato begins serving as the 1st chairperson/president Okinawa International University and Okinawa International Junior College open |
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| 4.23 | The 1st entrance ceremony and opening ceremony are held | |
| 5.15 | OKIU becomes a university as stipulated in the School Education Law, according to the provisions of the Okinawa Reversion Special Measures Law | |
| 1973 | 3.18 | The 1st graduation ceremony is held |
| 7. 7 | The school emblem is established | |
| 9.22 | Completion ceremonies for university Building 3 and Building 5 are held | |
| 1974 | 9.28 | Completion ceremonies for the administration building, library, and gymnasium are held |
| 1976 | 4. 1 | Genshu Asato begins serving his 2nd term as chairperson/president |
| 1977 | 3.19 | A ceremony for the establishment of the school ag is held |
| 1978 | 4. 1 | The OKIU Institute of Ryukyuan Culture is founded |
| 1979 | 1.12 | The school song is established |
| 1980 | 4. 1 | Genshu Asato begins serving his 3rd term as chairperson/president |
| 10.26 | A completion ceremony for Building 7 is held | |
| 1982 | 12.25 | A 10th anniversary ceremony is held |
| 1983 | 3.31 | The night divisions of the Department of Japanese Literature and Department of English Literature in the Junior College are discontinued |
| 1984 | 4. 1 | Hiroe Takamiya begins serving as the 4th chairperson/president |
| Genshu Asato (former president) is the rst to be granted the title of professor emeritus | ||
| 1985 | 3. 2 | A completion ceremony for the Extracurricular Activities Building is held |
| 3.30 | A Ten-year History of Okinawa International University is published | |
| 1986 | 9.18 | A completion ceremony for Building 9 is held |
| 12.23 |
A student quota increase is approved
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| 1988 | 4. 1 | Kakazu Takematsu begins serving as the 5th chairperson/president |
| 5.28 | A completion ceremony for the Student Union Building is held | |
| 1989 | 6.27 | An Academic Exchange Agreement is concluded with Tunghai University (Taiwan) |
| 1990 | 11. 7 | An Academic Exchange Agreement is concluded with the Overseas Correspondent College of Xiamen University (China, 5-year) |
| 1991 | 4. 1 | The OKIU Institute of General Industrial Research is founded |
| 4.25 | An Intenational Exchange Agreement is concluded with Hannam University (South Korea) | |
| 1992 | 2.29 | A 20th anniversary ceremony is held |
| 3. 5 | An International Exchange Agreement is concluded with Yonok College (Thailand) | |
| 4. 1 | Yoshiharu Heshiki begins serving as the 6th chairperson/president | |
| 10. 1 | A completion ceremony for the new Building 5 is held | |
| 1993 | 1.14 | The Faculty of Law concludes a Credit Exchange Agreement with Sapporo Gakuin University |
| 4.13 | A 3-year International Exchange Agreement is concluded with Baylor University (United States) | |
| 1994 | 6.28 | The Okinawa-South Korean International Seminar is held |
| 1995 | 3.16 | The night division of the Faculty of Literature is discontinued |
| 3.31 | The Faculty of Liberal Arts is discontinued | |
| 4. 1 | A new educational course of study is introduced | |
| 7. 1 | The International Relations Center and Multimedia Service Center are established | |
| 7.15 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Okinawan universities in the Association of Private Universities of Japan | |
| 10.20 | An International Exchange Agreement is concluded with the University of Ulster (United Kingdom) | |
| 12.22 | A student quota increase is approved | |
| 1996 | 4. 1 | Yoshiharu Heshiki begins serving as the 7th chairperson/president |
| OKIU Junior College new student recruitment ends; student quotas increase in the Faculty of Commerce and Economics (day and night division of the Department of Economics and the Department of Commerce) and the Faculty of Literature (Department of Japanese Literature and Department of English Literature) | ||
| 12.19 | Establishment of the Department of Ryukyuan Culture, Graduate School of Regional Culture and student quota increase for the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Literature are approved | |
| 1997 | 1.13 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Open University of Japan |
| 2.28 | The 1st entrance exam for graduate school is implemented | |
| 3.12 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with the Faculty of Law and Meijo University | |
| 4. 1 | The Graduate School of Regional Culture, Department of Ryukyuan Culture is established; | |
| OKIU is approved as a charter sponsor by the Japanese University Accreditation Association | ||
| 4. 4 | The opening ceremony and 1st entrance ceremony for the Graduate School are held | |
| 5.24 | The OKIU Institute of Ryukyuan Culture concludes an International Exchange Agreement with the Honam Cultural Research Center of Chonnam National University (South Korea) | |
| 6. 4 | An agreement is concluded with Higashi Village for the building of the OKIU Seminar House | |
| 6.12 | An International Exchange Agreement is concluded with the University of Macau (China) | |
| 7. 4 | A 20th anniversary ceremony for the Institute of Ryukyuan Culture is held | |
| 11. 1 | OKIU’s Faculty of Literature concludes a Credit Exchange Agreement with Sapporo Gakuin University’s Faculty of Humanities | |
| 11.19 | The Okinawa Institute of Law and Politics is founded | |
| 12.19 |
Establishment of the Department of Regional Industry, Graduate School of Regional Business and Economics is approved
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| 1998 | 1.17 | The National Entrance Examination is introduced |
| 4. 1 | The Department of Regional Industry, Graduate School of Regional Business and Economics is established | |
| 6.24 | The Foreign Language Center is established | |
| 9.24 | A completion ceremony for Building 12, the new University Library, is held | |
| 10.19 | OKIU’s Faculty of Commerce and Economics concludes a Credit Exchange Agreement with Sapporo Gakuin University’s Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Economics | |
| 12.22 | The establishment of the Department of British and American Studies, Graduate School of Regional Culture is approved | |
| 1999 | 3.15 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Kyoto Gakuen University |
| 3.28 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Obirin University | |
| 4. 1 | The Department of British and American Studies, Graduate School of Regional Culture is established | |
| 12.22 | The discontinuation of OKIU Junior College is approved | |
| 2000 | 2. 4 | A ceremony for the transfer of the building plot for the Seminar House is held |
| 4. 1 | Isao Namihira begins serving as the 8th chairperson/president | |
| 8.14 | The Admissions O ce Entrance Examination is introduced | |
| 9.22 | A completion ceremony for OKIU Seminar House is held | |
| 12.21 |
The establishment of the Department of Human Welfare, College of Global and Regional Culture is approved
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| 2001 | 4. 1 | The Department of Human Welfare, College of Global and Regional Culture is established; |
| The Faculty of Literature (Department of Japanese Literature, Department of English Literature, and Department of Sociology) changes to the College of Global and Regional Culture (Department of Japanese Language and Culture, Department of British and American Language and Culture, and Department of Society and Regional Culture) | ||
| 8. 1 | The establishment of Department of Regional Administration, College of Law is approved | |
| 10.12 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Kumamoto Gakuen University | |
| 2002 | 2.24 | OKIU’s 30th anniversary memorial symposium, “Higher Education in the 21st Century” is held |
| 2.25 | A 30th anniversary ceremony and banquet are held | |
| 2.26 | OKIU’s Institute of Ryukyuan Culture concludes an Academic Exchange Agreement with Fujian Normal University’s Institute of Sino-Ryukyuan Relations (China) | |
| 2002 | 4. 1 | The College of Law (Department of Regional Administration) is established |
| The College of Law day division changes to the College of Law, and the Department of Law changes to the Graduate School of Law | ||
| 12.19 | Establishment of the Graduate School of Law’s Department of Law, the Graduate School of Regional Culture’s Department of Human Welfare, and a student quota increase for the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature are approved | |
| 2003 | 2.25 | A Thirty-year History of Okinawa International University is published |
| 3.12 | A ceremony and banquet for completion of the auditorium/gymnasium building are held | |
| 4. 1 | The Graduate School of Regional Culture’s Department of Human Welfare and the Graduate School of Law’s Department of Law are established; | |
| The Extension Center is established | ||
| 5.11 | A 30th anniversary sports competition is held | |
| 9.30 | A revision of school regulations for changing OKIU’s student quota is accepted | |
| 10.18 | The international symposium, “Okinawa in the Age of Globalization” is held | |
| 12.16 | An Academic Exchange Agreement is concluded with Cairo University (Egypt) | |
| 12.24 | The Counseling O ce is opened | |
| 2004 | 4. 1 | Tomoaki Toguchi begins serving as the 9th chairperson/president; |
| The Department of Economics and Department of Regional Economics and Environmental Policy in the College of Economics, and the Department of Business Administration and Department of Industry and Information Science in the College of Industrial Information are established | ||
| 4. 5 | The area of Social Welfare and Clinical Psychology in the Department of Human Welfare, Graduate School of Regional Culture is designated by the Foundation of the Japanese Certi cation Board for Clinical Psychologists as a Type 2 Designated Graduate School relating to the Training of Clinical Psychologists (Designation Period: April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2009) | |
| 8.13 | A U.S. Marine CH-53D transport helicopter crashes into the OKIU Administration Building No. 1 and burns | |
| 9.25 | The Initiative Support Program for Contemporary Educational Needs (Contemporary GP) is adopted | |
| 2005 | 1.28 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Sapporo Gakuin University |
| 3.22 | Accreditation is received from the Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA) An International Exchange | |
| 7. 6 | An International Exchange Agreement is concluded with the University of Rennes 2 (France) | |
| 7.22 | The Support Program for Distinctive University Education (Distinctive GP) is adopted | |
| 12.13 | A Credit Exchange Agreement is concluded with Matsuyama University | |
| 2006 | 2. 9 | An Academic Exchange Agreement is concluded with Macquarie University (Australia) |
| 11.11 |
A completion ceremony for renovations to the Administration Building is held
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| 2007 | 3.28 | An agreement is concluded with Fujian Normal University (China) to send OKIU students for Chinese language training |
| 2008 | 3.31 | The Faculty of Law night division is discontinued |
| 4. 1 | Moritake Tomikawa begins serving as the 10th chairperson/president | |
| Seisho Arakaki begins serving as the 1st vice president | ||
| 4.15 | The area of Social Welfare and Clinical Psychology in the Department of Human Welfare, Graduate School of Regional Culture was designated by the Foundation of the Japanese Certi cation Board for Clinical Psychologists as a Type 1 Designated Graduate School relating to the Training of Clinical Psychologists (Designation Period: April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2015) | |
| 4.25 | An agreement is concluded with Henderson State University (United States) for international exchange | |
| 2009 | 3.16 | A ceremonial signing for approved study abroad with the Study Abroad Foundation (SAF) is held |
| 3.27 | A ceremony for completion of construction on Building No.13 is held | |
| 9.30 | Night classes for the Faculty of Commerce and Economics are discontinued | |
| 2010 | 1.28 | A 20th anniversary ceremony for the Exchange Agreement with Tunghai University (Taiwan) is held |
| 12.28 | Certi cation/registration for Eco Action 21 is conducted | |
| 2011 | 10.13 | A 20th anniversary ceremony for the Exchange Agreement with Hannam University (South Korea) is held |
| 2012 | 2.25 | A ceremony to celebrate OKIU’s 40th anniversary is held |
| 4. 1 | Tamotsu Oshiro begins serving as the 11th chairperson/president |
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