Message from the Chairman
The Meiji Pharmaceutical University was founded in 1902 and has a rich history and tradition. Throughout its 110 years, it has nurtured many well-rounded and highly capable pharmacists with important roles as leaders in the modern medical settings. Shigenobu Onda, the founder of the university, believed that this institution would serve to cultivate pharmacists who will advance the field of pharmacy, support healthcare and improve people's lives through the supply and prescription of medicines. At present, the size of the elderly population is growing in Japan, and as a result, pharmacists play an even greater role in today's diverse healthcare. Consequently, pharmacists need to attain even higher levels of knowledge and skills. In accordance with these strong social demands, our university established Department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (a 6-year program)(enrolment limit: 300) and Department of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (a 4-year program)(enrolment limit: 60) in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in April 2006.The educational goals of the Department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (a 6-year program) is to nurture high-quality pharmacists to serve as leaders in medicine and to meet the needs of society for the safe use of pharmaceutical products, in accordance with advancements in medical technology and progress in the separation of dispensary from medical practice. It is imperative that we nurture pharmacists with a broad knowledge of basic and applied pharmacy as well as strong medical ethics, in addition to a solid foundation in the sciences.
In addition to the 5 months of practical training necessary to qualify for candidacy for the national exam, our university offers a unique training curriculum comprising 7 courses, which allow students to receive 4-6 months of practical training in line with their desired career paths. In the process, we have enhanced the education of clinical pharmacy.
The educational goal of the Department of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (a 4-year program) is to nurture medicinal researchers and specialist professionals with firm basic academic skills and research capability in the fields of life science and pharmaceutical sciences. Furthermore, the program seeks to develop individuals who are capable of identifying and solving problems, by connecting education that meets the demands for human resources upon the 4-year program with a 2-year master's program at graduate school.
At this university, students undergo rigorous curricula in a wonderful learning environment under the guidance of high quality faculty. Moreover, since the university has world-class research facilities, the educational goals set forth by the university can easily be met.
In order to further strengthen higher education, the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences will provide a five-year Post-Graduate program (two-year Master’s and three-year Doctoral programs), offered after the completion of the four-year undergraduate program in the Department of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences. This is in aid of the continuing our commitment to train highly qualified professionals and experts in the field of drug discovery and development. The Master’s program has started in 2010.
The objective of the Master’s program course is to offer in-depth academic knowledge with a global perspective. In addition we train students to acquire excellent abilities and advanced skills in a major field research, along with a wide range of scientific knowledge which will be essential of those skills.
We are planning to offer the Doctoral program in 2012. The program aims to educate skilled professionals who will be internationally accepted as distinguished researchers, educators, or experts in relevant fields, with prominent academic backgrounds and leadership skills.
Additionally, the Department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will offer a four-year Doctoral program , following the completion of the six-year undergraduate program, in 2012. The focus of the program is to foster preeminent world-class experts in pharmacy and health care professions including: researchers; educators; pharmacists specialized in specific drug therapy areas and professionals in clinical research areas; and they must have the excellent academic backgrounds and leadership skills.
Moreover, the university is actively addressing the issues of globalization, social contribution, and life-long learning. The university has an interuniversity agreement with forteen overseas institutions for student and faculty member exchanges.
Our university is the first pharmaceutical university to establish the Asia/Africa Center for Drug Discovery(AACDD), and is currently developing, through academic exchange with other Asian countries, the foundation for the drug discovery platform program.
The life-long learning course for pharmacists welcomes not only our own graduates, but also all pharmacists who wish to advance their skills in line with the diversification of their functions.
Our life-long learning course consists of 3 main fields, specifically a basic skills in pharmacy field addressing dispensing techniques, communication, and self-medication, a herbal medicine field ranging from basic research on herbs to their clinical applications, and a primary care field that focuses on the patient and includes cooperation with the community and other medical professions. This course aims to further cultivate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of talented clinical pharmacists.
Our university has actively engaged in global environmental issues, and we have achieved accreditation to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard in November, 2007. In 2010 we retained our accreditation.
Finally, a message to all young people who aspire to study here.
In the last 7 years, graduates of our university have maintained a 90% success rate in the National Exam for Pharmacists. Moreover, with a consistently high job placement rate, our university is high in the ranks of the top pharmaceutical schools in Japan. I firmly believe these achievements are due to our long running tradition of respecting each student's individuality in the education process. I can honestly say that our university offers rewarding and satisfying educational experiences for all students.
We warmly welcome the enrolment of students with strong aspirations to succeed in the field of medicine as a pharmacist, a researcher in the development of new drugs or in the life science.
Chairman Akinori Kubo
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