Nagoya University

Nagoya Imperial University was established as the last of the Imperial Universities in 1939 and was later renamed Nagoya University in 1947. Although relatively new as a university, it can trace its roots back to a Temporary Medical School/Public Hospital opened in 1871. Renowned for its contributions in physics and chemistry, the university has been the birthplace of notable scientific advancements such as the Sakata model, the PMNS matrix, the Okazaki fragment, Noyori asymmetric hydrogenation, and the Blue LED.

In March 2018, Nagoya University was chosen as one of the first five Designated National Universities. The Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, which became Japan's largest national higher education corporation, was formed by Nagoya University and Gifu University in April 2020. Both universities are prominent institutions in the Tōkai region.

Nobel prizes

Nearly half of the Japanese Nobel laureates in Natural Sciences in the 21st century have ties to Nagoya University, either as alumni or researchers. Among the seven Nobel laureates associated with the university, four served as professors and three as alumni. The 2021 Nobel laureate in Physics, Syukuro Manabe, was a specially invited professor at Nagoya University from December 2007 to March 2014.

Research institutes

Nagoya University houses many research institutes, such as Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability (IMaSS), and Kobayashi-Masakawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe (KMI). The university's Earthquake and Volcano Research Center is represented on the national Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction.

Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)

ITbM was officially launched in April 2013, and is located in the Higashiyama campus of the university. It consists of a team of 14 principal investigators from within Nagoya University and other countries including Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and US. ITbM has five research fields: 'Parasitic plants', 'Chemistry-enabled plant adaptation', 'Clock diseases', 'Chemistry-enabled bioimaging', and 'Nanocarbon chemistry and biology'. Features of ITbM include having mix lab and offices, well-furnished with many high-quality instruments, and having English-speaking staff in the administration to facilitate the internationalization of the institute. ITbM also conducts the International Symposium on Transformative Bio-molecules (ISTbM) yearly in Nagoya, and presents awards such as the Hirata Award and Tsuneko & Reiji Okazaki Award to promising scientists in the fields of organic chemistry and biology.

Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE)

ISEE was established in October 2015, via the integration of the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, the Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center, and the Center for Chronological Research, and is recognised by MEXT as a "Joint Usage/Research Center". ISEE consists of seven research divisions and three research centers, with interdisciplinary research (termed as 'fusion research') projects undergoing. The institute aims to contribute to solving global environmental issues and the space-related advancement of mankind and society, while also furthering the cooperation between academia and industry. International cooperation and collaborative research are key features of ISEE, including a yearly international symposium, the ISEE Summer Internship which accepts students from domestic and foreign universities, several ongoing international programs and projects, among many more.

Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability (IMaSS)

In 2004, the EcoTopia Science Institute was established through the restructuring and integration of several research centers, and was reorganized to NU's IMaSS in 2015. Its aim is to contribute to achieving an ecological and sustainable society via research on energy conservation, ranging from topics of materials and device technologies to system technologies, and is also recognised by MEXT as a "Joint Usage/Research Center". IMaSS consists of the Center for Integrated Research of Future Electronics (CIRFE), Advanced Measurement Technology Center (AMTC), Division of Materials Research (DM), Division of Systems Research (DS), two funded research divisions by Chubu Electric Power and Toyota Motor Corporation, and 10 industry–academia collaborative chairs. IMaSS also actively promotes international collaboration and joint research, and has research agreements with institutes and universities from many countries across the world including China, Korea, US, France, Thailand, and many more.