3 The University Order and the Development of Universities
In the early years of educational modernization a variety of
specialized institutions were carrying out educational activities in different
disciplines. They included private institutions in the fields of foreign languages
and political and economic sciences, as well as local public and private institutions
in the field of medicine. In 1903 the Government promulgated a College Order
to institutionalize a college system. As there were a great variety of colleges
existing and the Order defined colleges merely in terms of "institutions where
high level arts and sciences are taught." a number of private colleges named
themselves "Universities." In this early period of educational development colleges
legally fell under a different category than universities. (Legally, "universities" were
limited to government universities called "imperial universities.") It was not
allowed to found private universities under the Imperial University Order. Instead,
the Ministry of Education authorized that those colleges with a preparatory department
whose duration was about one and a half years be designated as "university" under
the College Order. As a result, Keio-gijuku, Waseda, Tokyo Hogakuin (later, Chuo),
Doshisha and other leading private colleges changed their names and used the
title "University."
In 1918 the Government promulgated a University Order in response
to there commendation of the Provisional Council for Education which had been
organized in 1917 as an advisory committee to the Prime Minister. This Order
aimed at authorizing the establishment of local public and private universities
as well as single-faculty universities, and thus to help establish a new extensive
system of national, local public and private universities. The Order was intended
to transform the existing university system under the Imperial University Order
into a completely new one. Under this Order a number of universities were founded
national universities including Tokyo University of Commerce, Niigata University
of Medicine, Okayama University of Medicine. and Tokyo Institute of Technology
local public universities including Osaka University of Medicine. Aichi University
of Medicine and Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; and private universities
including Keio Gijuku University, Waseda University, Meiji University. Chuo University,
Nihon University, Kokugakuin University and Doshisha University. This university
system under the University Order continued to be effective until the education
reform after World War
Chapter1 1 3
Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education
