School of Engineering, University of Tokyo

The School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo comprises the Faculty of Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering. The former oversees undergraduate education, while the latter is responsible for postgraduate studies. In practice, they share faculty, facilities, and other research and educational resources, and operate as a single entity.

The School of Engineering traces its origins back to the Imperial College of Engineering, which was founded in 1873 to train engineers by recruiting a large number of British scholars and engineers as its faculty. At the time, Japan had just ended its two-century-long self-imposed seclusion, while Western Europe was in the midst of the Industrial Revolution. Thus, there was an urgent need to import advanced engineering knowledge. In March 1886, the college merged with the Department of Industrial Arts of the School of Science at the University of Tokyo, forming the College of Engineering. The School has been considered the pioneer of modern engineering education and research in Japan.