8 2. 40 Years of Progress Since the University’s Founding 2.1 A Decade of Growth: From the Founding to the 10th Anniversary 2.1.1 Initial Student Admissions and Entrance Examinations 2.1.1.1 Primarily Third-Year Transfer Admissions from Colleges of Technology The University began admitting students in FY1978. The annual enrollment quota for the entire University consisted of 240 third-year transfer students from Colleges of Technology and 60 first-year students from industrial high schools and general high schools. For students from Colleges of Technology, whose opportunities for university admission had previously been extremely limited, the establishment of Toyohashi University of Technology and Nagaoka University of Technology created excellent new opportunities for further study. As a result, many outstanding students from across Japan entered these two universities, and similarly, excellent students from industrial high schools were likewise admitted. Two years later, in FY1980, as the first student cohorts advanced, the University also began admitting students to the master’s program. By the 10th anniversary of the University, the admissions system centered on third-year transfer students from Colleges of Technology had become firmly established. Along with this, a system had been developed in which diverse students with different educational backgrounds entered the University and pursued education and research through the master’s level. Although the University had a relatively small student body, it consequently provided a well-developed environment in which students with a wide range of perspectives from all over Japan could gather, interact, and study together. This basic system continues to this day. Table 1 shows the undergraduate and master’s curricula and the respective admission quotas at the time of the University’s founding. Table 1. Undergraduate and Master’s Curricula at the Time of the University’s Founding Undergraduate Program Master’s Program Admission quota 1st year: 10 students in each program (5 from technical high schools, 5 from general high schools) 3rd year: 40 students in each program Admission quota 50 students in each program (Admissions began in FY1980 as the first student cohort advanced) Energy Engineering Energy Engineering Production Systems Engineering Production Systems Engineering Electrical and Electronic Engineering Electrical and Electronic Engineering Information and Computer Science Information and Computer Science Material Science Material Science Regional Planning Regional Planning 2.1.1.2 Recommendation-Based Admissions and Academic Examinations Of the quotas for the six undergraduate programs established at the time of the University’s founding, all first-year entrants from industrial high schools were admitted by recommendation, while half of the thirdyear entrants from Colleges of Technology—20 students in each program—were admitted by recommendation. Thus, an admissions system was adopted under which nearly half of the students entered through recommendation, making it an extremely distinctive admissions method for that time. In order for a new university to attract outstanding students on an equal footing with long-established universities that
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