The University of Tokyo (Todai) has announced plans to establish its first new faculty in almost 70 years. The university aims to significantly boost foreign student enrollment with this new addition. The faculty, named the College of Design, will open in September 2027, aligning with the start of the academic year at many Western universities.
In its announcement on April 4, Todai revealed that Miles Pennington, a British professor of emerging design and informatics, will lead the new faculty. Pennington will be the first non-Japanese to head a faculty at Todai. This marks a significant shift in the university’s approach to international education.
The College of Design will offer a unique five-year program that combines a master’s degree. Unlike traditional entrance exams, the selection process will be based on written documents and interviews. Successful applicants will be notified in March, giving Japanese students time to improve their foreign language skills before joining.
Students in the new faculty will have the opportunity to live in a dormitory in Tokyo during their first year. Each class will admit up to 100 students, half of whom will come from overseas. The university plans to announce a detailed outline of the new faculty in July.
Todai’s decision to open a new faculty follows a long gap since the last addition, which was the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1958. This new initiative comes with a focus on global cooperation, with staff being selected both from Japan and abroad.
The university’s president, Teruo Fujii, explained that students in their fourth year will gain real-world experience through internships, study abroad programs, volunteer work, or entrepreneurial activities. The goal is for students to step beyond traditional academic boundaries and become active problem-solvers.
Currently, only about 3% of Todai’s student body is non-Japanese. However, the university aims to increase foreign student enrollment to at least 30% in undergraduate faculties and 40% in graduate schools by 2049. It also plans to fill at least 30% of research positions with foreign nationals.
“We want to create an international learning environment in Tokyo to produce game changers for the next generation,” Fujii said.
By launching the College of Design, the University of Tokyo hopes to transform its academic community into a more globally connected institution.
