Osaka City University

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Osaka City University
大阪市立大学
Established: Founded 1880
Chartered 1928
Type: Public
President: Satoru Kaneko
Faculty: 782 full-time[1]
Students: 9,262[2]
Undergraduates: 7,204
Postgraduates: 2,058
Doctoral students: 750
Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Campus: Urban
Website: www.osaka-cu.ac.jp
Not to be confused with Osaka University.

Osaka City University (大阪市立大学 Ōsaka shiritsu daigaku?), abbreviated to Ichidai or Shidai (市大?), is one of the municipal universities in Japan. It is located in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City.

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[edit] History

Its root was founded in 1880, as Osaka Commercial Training Institute (大阪商業講習所) with the donations by the local merchants. It developed into Osaka Commercial School in 1885, then was municipalized in 1889. Osaka City was defeated in a battle to draw the Second National Commercial College (the winner was Kobe City), so the city authorities decided to establish a municipal commercial college without any aid from the national budget. It was the beginning of the School's hard history.

In 1901 the school was reorganized into Osaka Municipal Commercial College (市立大阪高等商業学校), later authorized under Specialized School Order in 1904. The college had grand brick buildings around Taisho period - the most prosperous days both of the school and of the city.

The Building No.1 (main building) of Osaka City University, built in 1934
The Building No.1 (main building) of Osaka City University, built in 1934

In 1928 the college developed into Osaka University of Commerce (大阪商科大学), the first municipal university in Japan. The city mayor, Dr. SEKI Hajime (関一, 1873-1935) declared the spirit of the municipal university, that it should not simply copy the national universities and that it should become a place for research with a background of urban activities in Osaka. But, contrary to his words, the University was removed to the most rural part of the city by 1935. The first president of the University was a liberalist, so the campus gradually became what was thought to be "a den of the Reds (Marxists)". During World War II, the Marxists and the socialists in the University were arrested (about 50 to 80 members) soon after the liberal president died. The campus was evacuated and used by the Japanese Navy.

After the war, the campus was wholly occupied by U.S. Army (Camp Sakai), so a number of students became anti-American fighters and "worshipers" of the Soviet Union. The campus was given back to the University, partly in 1952, and thoroughly in 1955. In 1949, during the occupation, the University was merged (with other 2 municipal colleges) into Osaka City University, under Japan's new educational systems.

The "Chapel", one of the ruins of Camp Sakai, built around 1950, removed in 2005
The "Chapel", one of the ruins of Camp Sakai, built around 1950, removed in 2005

At first OCU had five faculties (Business / Economics / Law and Literatures / Science and Engineering / Home Economics).
In 1953, the Faculty of Law and Literatures was divided into two faculties.
In 1955, Osaka City Medical University was merged and became Medical School.
In 1959, the Faculty of Science and Engineering was divided into two faculties.
In 1975, the Faculty of Home Economics was reorganized into the Faculty of Human Life Science.
In 2003, the faculty members of the Institute for Economic Research (established in 1928) were transferred to establish the Graduate School of Creative Cities.
In 2006, the Institute for Economic Research was reorganized into the Urban Research Plaza.

In September 1950, Osaka City was attacked by Typhoon Jane and the city budget was heavily injured. In addition, a taxation reform (advised by Carl Sumner Shoup) deprived the city of large income from eating houses. So OCU gradually became a mere burden to the city.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Graduate Schools

  • Graduate School of Business
  • Graduate School of Economics
  • Graduate School of Law (including Law School)
  • Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences
  • Graduate School of Science
  • Graduate School of Engineering
  • Graduate School of Medicine
  • Graduate School of Nursing (Master's courses only)
  • Graduate School of Human Life Science
  • Graduate School of Creative Cities

[edit] Faculties (Undergraduate Schools)

  • Faculty of Business
  • Faculty of Economics
  • Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Engineering
  • Faculty of Medicine (including Medical School and School of Nursing)
  • Faculty of Human Life Science

[edit] Institutes

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Osaka City University: Number of Staff & Students. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  2. ^ Osaka City University: Number of Staff & Students. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.

[edit] External links