Konan University


Konan University is a university on the slopes of Mount Rokkō in Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Japan. It was founded by business tycoons of major companies for their children. A private university with approximately 10,000 students, it offers a wide variety of programs to Japanese students, as well as an international exchange program through the Konan International Exchange Center.
Of Konan University's graduates, 2,536 are active as presidents, which, given the size of the university, is one of the highest rates of becoming CEOs among universities in the country.

History

Konan University was founded in 1951. The university traces its origin to 1919 when Konan Gakuen School was founded in Okamoto, Kobe, Japan. One of the founders is, 45th Minister of Education in the days of Meiji Constitution, former senior managing director of Tokio Marine Insurance, and founder of Konan Hospital. The formation of the school is based on the ideals of character building, physical fitness, and respect for the individual. Konan University offers undergraduate and graduate programs. All programs are accredited by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Campus

Konan University has three campuses in Hyogo prefecture, Japan: Okamoto Campus, Nishinomiya Campus, and the Port Island Campus. Okamoto Campus is on the eastern edge of Kobe City in Okamoto, a renowned residential area between Osaka and Kobe.

Undergraduate education

Seven faculties and one school provide undergraduate education.
Graduate education is provided by five schools.
  • Graduate School of Humanities
  • Graduate School of Natural Science
  • Graduate School of Social Science
  • Graduate School of Law
  • Graduate School of Accounting

    Notable alumni

  • Shin Ashida（Founder and CEO, JCR Pharma）
  • Eikichi Ito（Chairman, Itochu Corporation, Later graduated from Cambridge University in UK）
  • Norio Ichikawa（CEO, Zojirushi Corporation）
  • Toshimasa Iue
  • Kazuyasu Ueshima
  • Tatsushi Ueshima
  • Gota Ueshima
  • Eisuke Ueyama
  • Hidekuni Kuroda（CEO, KOKUYO CO., LTD., Later graduated from Lewis & Clark College）
  • Ryuhei Sadoshima（CEO, Safie, Inc.）
  • Motozo Shiono
  • Toshiaki Yoshino（CEO, ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.）
  • Ichiji Ishii（Member in House of Councillors）
  • Hajime Ishii
  • Toru Okutani
  • Yutaka Oda（Mayor, Nagaoka City）
  • Hiroyuki Kada
  • Yasushi Morishita（Member in House of Councillors）
  • Hiro Matsushita - Businessman, former driver in Champ Car series, Chairman of Swift Engineering & Swift Xi
  • Tomoki Yokoyama - Professional shogi player
  • Mai Mihara - Figure skater
  • Shun Okamoto - Professional baseball player for Hiroshima Toyo Carp

    Academic rankings

Overall rankings

Konan offers a program for international students through the Konan International Exchange Center or KIEC. This program runs from September through May for students from North America and Europe, and from January to December for students from Australia and New Zealand. The program, which is usually made up of between 30 and 45 students, includes rigorous language study, Japanese studies classes on topics of Japanese culture, business, and society, and a homestay in which the student lives with a Japanese family. In previous years the homestay was a mandatory part of the program, however, due to increasing numbers of international students in the academic year 2008–2009, a dormitory option was made available for non-Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs students.
Konan offers exchange opportunities with the following universities:
In addition, students from the Illinois Consortium are welcome. This includes the University of Hawaii, the University of Arizona, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Notable faculty