Nara Medical University: A New Frontier

2015 marks the 70th anniversary for Nara Medical University. So perhaps it’s perfect timing for Nara Medical University to embark on a new journey, to challenge a new frontier. Over the next few years Nara Medical University will begin work on a new campus and a renewal of the facilities at the present campus. While educational and research facilities will be moved to the new campus, clinical and outpatient facilities will be housed in new facilities on the current campus. All of this will be achieved with the input of the surrounding community.
As both a university and a hospital our school plays many roles for many different people. It is a place of learning for students, a place to research and work for our graduates and a place to gather and meet. It is a place of work for our many employees at both the university and the hospital, and of course it is a central provider of advanced medical care in Nara prefecture. With this in mind, I believe that the expansion to our new campus is an opportunity to actualize a community-based approach to health care from the ground up.
This is a “new frontier” not just for Nara Medical University but also for the people of Nara. It is because of this that, I see these new facilities as an opportunity to reinvigorate Nara Medical University by preserving what needs to be preserved from our 70 years of proud history and changing what needs to be changed. However, for this endeavour to be successful will require the collaboration of the wider community of Nara Medical University, which is why I am calling on all the members of our community to meet the goals set out below and cross this new frontier together.

Corporate Perspective

Nara Medical University strives towards flexible and logical corporate governance based on a clear and well-defined image of corporate responsibility.

Throughout history, in order to innovate new ideas and extend the frontiers of knowledge it has been necessary to put aside preconceived notions and meet challenges head-on. Nara Medical University aspires to cultivate innovation by encouraging the logical examination of issues on a daily basis.
Specifically, Nara Medical University aims to overcome the challenges faced by technical universities such as ourselves by dealing with issues that arise in a logical manner, broadening our connections with other universities and public bodies and deepening our connection with the community through a more integrated approach to the development of our new campus, which fully takes advantage of the university’s facilities.

University’s Perspective

No.1 for Clinical English and overall top ten for medical schools in Japan.

In order to educate top-level medical professionals and raise the level of new entrants to the university, Nara Medical University has already instigated several initiatives such as our Research Doctoral Program.
Now, to continue our commitment to excellence in medical education we have set ourselves two concrete goals: firstly, Nara Medical University aims to be ranked in the top 10 medical schools in Japan. Secondly, Nara Medical University is dedicated to developing the best clinical English program in the country. In order to achieve these goals we are currently undertaking dramatic curriculum reform.

As both chairman of the board and president I am sincerely committed to these reforms. However, to truly challenge this new frontier will be a genuine commu-nity effort.

Hiroshi Hosoi
President and Chairman of the Board