Tohoku University
1-1-2-chome, Katahira, Aoba-ku
Sendai 980-0077
JAPAN
PHONE: 81-22-217-5900
FAX: 81-22-217-4846
www.tohoku.ac.jp

THE BOTTOM LINE

Tohoku prides itself on being a pioneer. Founded in 1907, the university was the first to open a Western-style research institute. This emphasis on R&D helped it launch Japan's electronics industry. And well before most Japanese schools, Tohoku welcomed women students. Today, says university president Abe Hiroyuki, its women grads are among the nation's most respected educators.

In keeping with its maverick tradition, Tohoku is now shaking up admissions procedures to attract students who can think for themselves. Rather than assess candidates' merits on entrance exams, the engineering and dentistry schools insist that they write an essay and face an interview with professors. This is time-consuming, Abe concedes, but their research shows that those recruited this way rank in the top one-third.

Educating students who are "internationally competent" is a priority. That is not just a matter of fluency in English but also being challenge-oriented and open-minded. Nor does the drive to attract creative minds stop with the students. Abe hopes to woo similarly gifted faculty members as well: "Universities have to match global standards too."

Dentistry graduate Akiba Yosuke, 26, fondly recalls the Sendai-based university's philosophy. "It is very respectful of students," he says. "You feel the university is trying to make it easier for you to study hard." Besides Tohoku's well-known practice of operating around the clock, Akiba also welcomes teachers' readiness to make themselves available to students. But what really made the difference was a professor active in cutting-edge research. Akiba, who has moved on to graduate school, explains: "He was my academic inspiration."

- By Murakami Mutsuko