Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) will commemorate its 50th anniversary in 2026. The university was founded on October 1st, 1976 as an engineering university that emphasizes graduate-level education and research activities focused on the development of practical technologies. The Graduate School of Engineering’s Master’s Program was established in April 1980, the Doctoral Program in April 1986, and the 5-year Integrated Doctoral Program in April 2015. Thus far, NUT has created and reorganized the degree programs in the School of Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering in response to changes in social conditions and the needs of the times. However, the university removed the preexisting barriers between these programs in April 2022, and newly established engineering fields that correspond to key industries. This has strengthened our education system for developing engineers who can create and lead in new industrial fields, and possess the ability to address the increasingly complex and sophisticated challenges of modern society.
In this way, the principal mission of NUT since its inception has consistently been to create new knowledge and technologies, as well as to cultivate individuals with the ability to innovate. NUT will continue to be a “University of Ideas” based on its fundamental philosophy of education and research that promote originality through the development of practical and creative abilities related to GIGAKU—the science of technology. Using this approach, the university aims to establish itself as a global center of education and research that is at the forefront of GIGAKU, and to become a vital institution for the local community and global society by developing leading engineers who possess the practical and creative abilities to innovate, as well as the will to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. This spirit will carry on unchanged in the future.
As we enter an era where society is undergoing major structural changes, we must have the strength to take the lead in creating new value and building new social infrastructure. As a “Regional Core and Distinctive Research University”, NUT will resolve issues related to DX (Digital Transformation) and GX (Green Transformation) not only in our local area, but also in regions elsewhere in Japan and overseas. To build a society that allows for diverse forms of well-being, we will create and maintain places for large-scale experimentation and testing, and advance initiatives to return all attained results to society. At the same time, NUT will—as part of its 50th Anniversary Commemorative Project—establish places that enable co-creation (Innovation Commons) by facilitating interactions with the local community and promoting intellectual, regional, and international exchanges among students, faculty, staff, alumni, companies, and local governments.
NUT’s achievements over these 50 years have been made possible through the understanding and generous support of our alumni, students, parents and guardians, faculty, staff, the local community, and all others associated with the university. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you, and pledge to do my utmost to ensure that NUT continues to be a university that you can be proud of.
I look forward to your continued support for NUT.
President KAMADO Shigeharu,
Nagaoka University of Technology
October 2023