Reorganizing Japan’s Largest School of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering into the Ultimate Team of Experts

Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) was established in April 2022 through the merger of Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University, both of which had long histories of approximately 140 years. As a result of this merger, the newly formed School of Engineering and its affiliated Graduate School of Engineering have become one of the largest engineering institutions in Japan. With 12 departments covering all major engineering fields and over 270 dedicated supervisors, our research activities are advancing at an exceptional pace.

We foster innovative interdisciplinary projects with significant impact by integrating diverse research themes across departments. These initiatives include cutting-edge programs in hydrogen energy, energy storage technologies, and the advancement of renewable energy — key areas for realizing a low-carbon society (carbon neutrality), one of the world’s most pressing challenges.

In addition, we are embarking on a bold new initiative: reorganizing our 12 departments based on research themes and forming new research teams led by top supervisors. This reorganization aims to establish an unparalleled team of experts, ensuring robust and groundbreaking research in every field.

Reinforce the International Competitiveness

Around the world, leading nations are intensifying efforts to strengthen their technological and industrial competitiveness by investing in talent development and attracting top-tier researchers. Unfortunately, Japan has fallen significantly behind in this global race. While enhancing international competitiveness is a challenge shared by all Japanese universities, few institutions have taken decisive and effective action.

Our university aspires to compete alongside the world’s top institutions in rankings such as THE World University Rankings. Achieving this goal requires world-class research output and an environment that attracts outstanding students and researchers from all over the world. To facilitate this, we are actively working to introduce a fall admission system aligned with international standards and plan to establish a new department that operates entirely in English. By increasing opportunities for interaction with international students, we also expect Japanese students to benefit from a more stimulating academic experience.

Furthermore, conducting world-leading research demands substantial funding. Many top-ranked universities worldwide have established their research endowments and effectively managed to sustain cutting-edge research. In addition to the national university endowment fund, we plan to create an independent Engineering Fund. By studying successful overseas models, we aim to grow this fund into a globally competitive financial resource that will drive innovation at our institution.

Fostering Innovation Through Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration and Medical-Veterinary-Engineering Synergy

Collaboration is essential for fostering innovation. Since our university’s inception, we have regularly hosted Medical-Engineering Collaboration Webinars in partnership with the School of Medicine. Starting from the 2024 academic year, the School of Veterinary Science joined this initiative, expanding it into the Medical-Veterinary-Engineering Collaboration Webinars. This cross-disciplinary collaboration will not only facilitate the matching of research needs and seeds across engineering, medicine, and veterinary science but also provide support for startups and venture companies emerging from our research ecosystem.

Additionally, we are actively engaged in industry-government-academia collaboration with various corporations and municipalities. For students eager to turn innovation into real-world applications, our School of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering offer unparalleled opportunities to bring ideas to life.

Developing World-Class Engineers

By providing an optimal learning environment and offering an education at Japan’s most advanced School of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering, we are committed to developing engineers of the highest global standard. Join us at the strongest School of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering, and let’s take on new challenges together!