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University of Tokyo Plans Deep Tech, Computing Faculties; Seeks to Promote Next
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University of Tokyo Plans Deep Tech, Computing Faculties; Seeks to Promote Next Generation of Innovation, Entrepreneurs
The University of Tokyo is planning to establish two new undergraduate faculties aimed at developing entrepreneurs in the field of cutting-edge technology known as “deep tech,” including artificial intelligence and space development.
The university intends to invite faculty members from industries in Japan and abroad, thereby helping to foster startups that can lead the world.
The plan will move forward if the university is selected as one of Japan’s Universities for International Research Excellence, a government program that recognizes institutions pursuing world-class research capabilities. The second round of evaluations is currently underway for eight universities, including the University of Tokyo.
Selected schools will receive several tens of billions of yen in annual subsidies to fund the initiative.
According to the plan, two new faculties are expected to open in fiscal year 2026. They are tentatively named the Faculty of Deep Tech, which will cover a wide range of advanced fields such as AI, space, semiconductors, robotics, and quantum science, and the Faculty of Computing, which will specialize in computer science.
Students entering their third year in fiscal 2031 will be able to choose these faculties as their academic path.
The combined enrollment capacity will be about 400 students, and lectures will be conducted in English. The university’s overall student quota will remain unchanged; instead, the intake of the new faculties will be offset by reducing admissions in existing ones such as engineering.
The framework will also allow students to move flexibly between faculties and laboratories even after choosing their initial path.
The aim of the project is to promote the revitalization of research fields and adapt to rapidly developing advanced technologies. Currently, rigid enrollment quotas make it difficult to accommodate surging interest in areas such as AI. This inflexibility has been criticized as hindering the development of talent aligned with the changing landscape of science and technology.
The university also plans to introduce a new graduate-level program offering an MBA focused on advanced technology, with full implementation targeted for 2033.
Separately from this initiative, the University of Tokyo has already announced the establishment of a new five-year undergraduate-graduate integrated program called the College of Design, combining four years of undergraduate study and one year of master’s coursework. It is scheduled to launch in September 2027.
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