ABOUT US

History

History

A 82-year-old tradition of excellence in education and research

1918 -


Kumamoto International Association
Founding of the Kumamoto International Association

Ever since the Meiji restoration in 1868, Kumamoto Prefecture has actively pursued international relations. With this historical background, the Kumamoto International Association was founded in 1918, with the aim of educating capable young men who could play an active role overseas. The roots of KGU lie in this association.

1938 -

The first entrance ceremony of the Institute of Oriental Languages
The first entrance ceremony
Opening Ceremony of the Institute of Oriental Languages
Opening Ceremony
Teachers and students built the school with their own hands.

In 1938, one year after the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, the Kumamoto Prefectural School of Chinese Language was founded by the Kumamoto International Association. Four years later in 1942, the Institute of Oriental Languages was inaugurated. The construction of the school buildings at the foot of Mount Tatsuda began in the middle of the Pacific War and on May 30th 1943 the opening ceremony was held. This day is commemorated today as KGU's foundation day.

1945 -

A classroom
A classroom
Oe campus in 1952
Oe campus in 1952
Kumamoto University of Commerce, the first University of Commerce in Kumamoto

After World War II ended, in November 1945, the Institute of Oriental Languages was renamed the Kumamoto Institute of Foreign Languages and later it became Kumamoto Junior College under Morio Takahashi, the first president of Kumamoto University of Commerce. In 1952 the campus was relocated to Oe and in 1954 Kumamoto University of Commerce was established as a four-year university.

1966 -


A view from the Building No. 1 in 1966
The university grew at an unprecedented speed.

Kumamoto University of Commerce increased in size with the establishment of the Institute of Social Welfare in 1966 and the Faculty of Economics, which was established in the following year. Since 1984, the education system and the educational environment have been further improved as the Department of Management was established within the Faculty of Commerce, the Department of International Economics in the Faculty of Economics and the Graduate School was established.

1994 -

A classroom
News conference regarding university renaming
Oe campus in 1952
Campus today
The birth of Kumamoto Gakuen University, the beginning of a new tradition

In 1994, the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Faculty of Social Welfare were established, and Kumamoto University of Commerce and Kumamoto Junior College were merged and renamed Kumamoto Gakuen University (KGU). In the following years, the graduate school was further developed and new departments were established. The first Graduate School of Accountancy in Kyushu was established in 2009. As one of the leading social science universities in western Japan, KGU continues to produce highly knowledgeable and creatively-minded graduates with the skills to meet the demands of 21st century society.

2019 -


Inauguration of Building No. 1 Mirai

Kumamoto Gakuen Junior Sports Club
KGU continues its evolution as a leader in the humanities.

In March 2019, the new Building No. 1 “Mirai", a symbol of recovery and reconstruction from the Kumamoto earthquake, was completed. In 2020, the "Kumamoto Gakuen Junior Sports Club" was opened with the aim of contributing to regional creation through sports. In 2022, it celebrated its 80th anniversary, and in 2023, it held a commemorative ceremony. KGU is on its way to celebrating a century of educational excellence.

Chronology

1942 - 1951

1942 April Institute of Oriental Languages founded
1945 November Renamed Kumamoto Institute of Foreign Languages
1949 April Evening school opened
1950 April Kumamoto Junior College (KJC) established

1952 - 1961

1952 October Campus relocated to Oe, Kumamoto City
December 10th anniversary celebration
1954 April Kumamoto University of Commerce (KUC) established
1956 April KJC Keiai Kindergarten established
1959 April KUC High School established
Institute of Economics and Business established at KUC
1961 April Department of Early Childhood and Nursery Education established at KJC
Institute of Central and South American Affairs established at KUC
June 20th anniversary celebration

1962 - 1971

1964 April Department of Economics established in the Faculty of Commerce
1966 April Department of Liberal Arts established at KJC
May Institute of Social Welfare established at KJC
1967 April Faculty of Economics established at KUC

1972 - 1981

1972 April Institute of Central and South American Affairs was renamed the Institute of Foreign Affairs
November 30th anniversary celebration

1982 - 1991

1982 July Sister-school affiliation with colleges and universities in the State of Montana (USA)
October 40th anniversary celebration
1984 April Department of Management established in the Faculty of Commerce
1985 June Sister-school affiliation with Daejeon University (Korea)
1986 April Program of Graduate Studies established at KJC
1987 December Sister-school affiliation with Shenzhen University (China)
Exchange Agreement concluded between KUC and Kumamoto University and The University of Montana and Montana State University (USA)
1988 April Graduate School of Commerce established at KUC
1990 April Department of International Economics established in the Faculty of Economics
Social Relations Course and Lifelong Sports Course established in the Department of Social Relations at KJC
September Foreign Language Center opened

1992 - 2001

A classroom
Oe campus in 1952
1992 April Graduate School of Economics established at KUC
Student Exchange Program with Liverpool John Moores University (UK) established
May 50th anniversary celebration
1993 April Graduate School of Management established at KUC
1994 April KUC and KJC merged and renamed Kumamoto Gakuen University (KGU)
Faculty of Foreign Languages and Faculty of Social Welfare established
1995 April Credit transfer system between KGU, Kumamoto University, and Prefectural University of Kumamoto established
1998 February Completion of KGU International Residence
April Graduate School of Social Welfare established
December Exchange Agreement concluded with Unitec Institute of Technology (New Zealand)
1999 April Exchange Agreement concluded with the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio (USA)
July Exchange Agreement concluded with Beijing Language and Culture University (China)
August Exchange Agreement concluded with Beijing Foreign Studies University (China) and with Renmin University of China
2000 April Doctoral Program of Management established in the Graduate School of Management
Department of Social Environment and Welfare established in the Faculty of Social Welfare
Exchange Agreement concluded with Saint Mary's University (Canada)
November Exchange Agreement concluded with Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Vietnam)
2001 April Graduate School of Area-based Cultural Studies established
November Exchange Agreement concluded with Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and with Carleton University (Canada)

2002 - 2011

2002 April Credit transfer system with Okinawa International University established
May 60th anniversary celebration
Exchange Agreement concluded with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (USA)
October Closing ceremony of KGU Junior College
2003 February Exchange Agreement concluded with La Trobe University (Australia)
April Doctoral Program of Social Welfare established in the Graduate School of Social Welfare
2005 April Doctoral Program of Commerce established in the Graduate School of Commerce
Doctoral Program of Economics established in the Graduate School of Economics
Doctoral Program of Area-based Cultural Studies established in the Graduate School of Area-based Cultural Studies
Master’s Program of Social Welfare and Environment established in the Graduate School of Social Welfare
Department of Hospitality Management established in the Faculty of Commerce
Academic Research Promotion Center opened
November Exchange Agreement concluded with Beijing International Studies University (China)
2006 April Department of Legal Economics established in the Faculty of Economics
Department of Child and Family Welfare established in the Faculty of Social Welfare
2009 April Graduate School of Accountancy established
Master’s and Doctoral Programs of Management established in the Graduate School of Commerce
Department of Life Wellness established in the Faculty of Social Welfare
2010 January Exchange Agreement concluded with Kun Shan University (Taiwan)
2011 April KGU Fuzoku Junior High School established
Exchange Agreement concluded with Ara Institute of Canterbury (New Zealand)

2012 - 2021

2012 February Exchange Agreement concluded with the University of Victoria (Canada) (KGU Faculty of Foreign Studies)
Exchange Agreement concluded with the University of Central Lancashire (UK)
April KGU Keiai Kindergarten relocated to a new building
May 70th anniversary celebration
2013 March Exchange Agreement concluded with Soon Chun Hyang University (Korea) (KGU Faculty of Social Welfare)
2014 March Exchange Agreement concluded with Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (Germany) (KGU Faculty of Social Welfare)
April Exchange Agreement concluded with Xiangsihu College of Guangxi University for Nationalities (China)
July Exchange Agreement concluded with Angkor University (Cambodia) (KGU Faculty of Economics)
October Exchange Agreement concluded with Yangon University of Economics (Myanmar) (KGU Faculty of Economics)
2015 April Exchange Agreement concluded with Chonnam National University (Korea) and with Guangxi University Xingjian College of Science and Liberal Arts (China)
2016 June Exchange Agreement concluded with Ewha Womans University (Korea) and with National Taiwan Normal University (Taiwan) (KGU Faculty of Foreign Studies)
September Exchange Agreement concluded with Dalian Polytechnic University (China)
2018 September Exchange Agreement concluded with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Outreach College (USA)
2019 May Inauguration of Building No. 1 Mirai
July Exchange Agreement concluded with Mahasaraswati University of Denpasar (Indonesia) (KGU Faculty of Economics)
December Exchange Agreement concluded with National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (Taiwan)
2020 January Exchange Agreement concluded with Ateneo De Manila University (Philippines)

2022 -

A classroom
Oe campus in 1952
2022 May 80th anniversary
2023 May 80th anniversary celebration
July Exchange Agreement concluded with Sungkonghoe University (Korea) (KGU Faculty of Foreign Studies)