Educational Corporation Keio University (Minato City, Tokyo; Keio President [President and Executive Director] Akira Haseyama; hereinafter Keio University), in response to an approach from Educational Corporation Tokyo Dental College (Chiyoda City, Tokyo; President and Dean Yoshinobu Ide; hereinafter Tokyo Dental College), has begun discussions on the integration of the Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Dental College and merger of the Educational Corporations.
1. Background
Tokyo Dental College has, over the 130 years since its establishment, emphasized learning in the liberal arts with the objective of nurturing upstanding dental practitioners equipped both with the knowledge and skillsets of dentists and a wide-ranging education. Tokyo Dental College aims to further enhance personnel development and has been engaged in investigation into the possibility of a merger with Keio University which is a comprehensive university with 10 faculties, with a close historical relationship. As a result of these investigations, on November 6, 2020, following approval by its governing body, Tokyo Dental College approached Keio University with regard to the integration of the Faculty of Dentistry into Keio University and the merger of the Educational Corporations.
In response to this approach, Keio University, at the Board of Councilors meeting held on November 26, 2020, agreed to initiate discussions on the integration of the Faculty of Dentistry into Keio University as well as the merger of the two Educational Corporations.
With this, Keio University will, firstly, take its research and educational capacities as a comprehensive university to the next level in addition to the enhancement and development of dental, biomedical, and engineering partnerships, augmented by applications of the advanced technologies in its possession to the field of dentistry. Secondly, Keio University will become the first comprehensive university in Japan to embrace a total of four healthcare and medical faculties—namely the School of Medicine, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, and the new Faculty of Dentistry—and with this, it will have the capacity to significantly contribute to the realization of a society of healthy longevity through promotion of education and research of an increasingly interdisciplinary nature. Thirdly, this will also represent an increase in the specialist domains available for study at the university for students at Keio University’s affiliated schools, which will expand available career options.
Keio University will continue to contribute to society as a comprehensive university by producing increasingly diverse personnel through 11 undergraduate faculties, with the addition of the Faculty of Dentistry.
2. Forthcoming protocols
From now, Keio University and Tokyo Dental College will conduct negotiations, emphasizing their shared history and current circumstances, in relation to the integration of the Faculty of Dentistry as well as the merger of the Educational Corporations, aiming to conclude in April 2023. These discussions will give ample consideration to ensure that no mutual disadvantages will arise from the proposed integration and merger, and specifically that students will prove the greatest beneficiaries thereof.
3. Shared connections between Keio University and Tokyo Dental College
Kisai Takayama, Tokyo Dental College's founder, enrolled at Keio University in 1870, and later opened the Takayama Dental School (now Tokyo Dental College) in 1890 on Isarago Hill (Isaragozaka), Shiba Ward (now Mita 4-chome, Minato City), a location in relative proximity to the current location of Keio University's Mita Campus. Morinosuke Chiwaki, who was also responsible for establishing this college, enrolled at the Takayama Dental School in 1893 and obtained a qualification as a dental practitioner following his graduation from Keio University in 1889. He went on to establish the Tokyo Dental School, successor to the Takayama Dental School, in 1900.
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