Kobe University

About Kobe University

Kobe University (神戸大学 - Kōbe Daigaku, colloquially known as "Shindai") is one of Japan's foremost national flagship research universities, founded in 1902 as the Kobe Higher Commercial School on the scenic Rokkodai Hill in Nada-ku, Kobe, within the historical port metropolis of Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture. Alongside the University of Tokyo and Hitotsubashi University, Kobe University has historically been regarded as one of Japan's three elite institutions for commerce and business education—a tradition embodied today in its internationally distinguished Faculties of Economics and Business Administration. The university operates across three principal campuses: 1. Rokkodai Campus (六甲台キャンパス): The iconic 32-hectare flagship hilltop campus in Nada-ku, Kobe. Houses the Faculties of Letters, Law, Economics, Business Administration, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, and the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS). The historic main building (Honkan) is a nationally registered cultural property offering breathtaking panoramic views of Kobe city and Osaka Bay. 2. Kusunokicho Campus (楠町キャンパス): Medical campus in Chuo-ku housing the Faculty of Medicine and the prestigious Kobe University Hospital—a premier clinical training and advanced medical research center serving as a regional hub for emergency and specialized medicine. 3. Fukae Campus (深江キャンパス): Coastal maritime campus in Higashinada-ku facing Osaka Bay, dedicated to the Faculty of Maritime Sciences — Japan's foremost university-level maritime engineering, ocean science, and logistics institution. For international students, Kobe University offers an outstanding portfolio of fully English-taught graduate programs: the GSICS Master's and Doctoral Program in International Cooperation Studies (covering international development, international law, economics, and education), the KIMAP (Kobe International Master's Program in Business Administration), the Graduate School of Economics English Track, the Graduate School of Engineering / System Informatics English Research Track, and the Maritime Sciences Graduate School. All graduate fees align with Japan's MEXT national framework (¥535,800/year), making Kobe University among the most cost-effective world-class research universities accessible to international scholars.