1889 Establishment of Kwansei Gakuin in Kobe

Kwansei Gakuin was established in 1889 by the South Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States, whose leader in Japan at that time the Reverend Walter Russell Lambuth. Initially consisting of only two schools, Kwansei Gakuin now boasts eleven undergraduate and thirteen graduate schools, in addition to an impressive array of research institutes and laboratories, and affiliated kindergarten, elementary, junior, and senior high schools. Throughout these different segments, a single goal is pursued: the training of learners as prospective leaders of society through advanced education that is based upon Christian principles and ideals.

1929 Move to the new campus in Uegahara, Nishinomiya.

1961 Establishment of School of Science

In commemoration of its 70th anniversary, Kwansei Gakuin established the School of Science, comprising of new Physics and Chemistry departments, and attracting an inaugural enrollment of 110. Although modest, the school enjoyed a nationwide reputation for prominent academic accomplishments.

1989 Centennial anniversary of Kwansei Gakuin

1995 Opening of the Kobe-Sanda campus

The year 1995 saw a new addition to Kwansei Gakuin University: the School of Policy Studies was inaugurated in the University's newly opened Kobe-Sanda campus in the rapidly developing residential city of Sanda, just north of Kobe.

1997 Establishment of Advanced Research Center of Science (ARCS)

As part of the Private University Research Promotion Project, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, ARCS was established at the Kobe-Sanda campus, where two five-year-long research projects were carried out, continuing until March 2002. Both culminated in great successes.

2001 Move to the Kobe-Sanda campus

The School of Science moved from the Uegahara campus to the Kobe-Sanda campus, in search of an environment more conducive to teaching and research. Building upon the successes at Uegahara, the Kobe-Sanda campus has facilitated departmental development, both in terms of increased enrolment, and greatly improved educational and research opportunities for learners and faculty alike.

2002 Addition of the Departments of Bioscience and Informatics into the School of Science and Technology, renamed from the School of Science

In the face of new and growing modern social problems, the School of Science was proud to see this expansion in educational and research fields, and growth in faculty. In 2002, the School took a great step towards our vision for the future when these two new departments, accompanied by a new Mathematics division within the existent Physics Department, saw the School renamed the “School of Science & Technology.” The increased scope, determination, and ambition was also represented in the expansion of facilities, when a new building including state-of-the-art equipment was commissioned and completed at the Kobe-Sanda campus. This ensured that the School’s new home would be more than capable of accommodating its proud traditions and considerable aspirations.

2009 Addition of the Departments of Mathematical Sciences and Human System Interaction

This year saw the evolution of the previously sub-departmental Mathematics division into a new Department of Mathematics, representing genuine success and growth, and the establishment of a new Department of Human Systems Interaction, allowing for greater investigation into the interactions between humans and machines/materials. In addition, the Department of Bioscience reorganized courses into Molecular Bioscience and Biomedical Chemistry, facilitating enriched research programs in Medical Science and Pharmacology respectively.

2011 Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the School

2012 Opening of the International Masters Program

2015 Addition of the Departments of Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy, Applied Chemistry for Environment, and Biomedical Chemistry

In a truly exciting development that speaks volumes as to the commitment of this institution to a brighter future for all, 2015 has seen the establishment of three new departments, such that substantial contributions to the fields of “Green Innovation” and “Life Innovation” can be undertaken.