ABOUT US
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
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
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 -
News conference regarding university renaming
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
| 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 -
| 2022 | May | 80th anniversary |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | May | 80th anniversary celebration |
| July | Exchange Agreement concluded with Sungkonghoe University (Korea) (KGU Faculty of Foreign Studies) |