Ishikawa Prefectural University

Ishikawa Prefectural University is a small public university in Nonoichi, Japan that began life as an agricultural college in 1971 before gaining university status in 2005. There are around 600 students in attendance, with just over 100 teachers and lecturers.

The university has one faculty, bioresources and environmental science, which is divided into three departments: bioproduction science, environmental science and food science. All of these are dedicated to researching ways to supplant the use of fossil fuels with bioresources such as plant and animal produce. The university offers both master’s and doctoral degree courses.

The university has an experimental farm on campus, with rice fields, vegetable fields, orchards and greenhouses. It is three hectares in size and, as well as using the farm for research, the university offers courses for junior students to learn the basics of farming.

Also located on campus is a business incubator, which offers research and development for firms wishing to collaborate with the university, and a research institute dedicated to bioresources and biotechnology. On a sunny day, students have a good view of the local mountains.

The Liberal Arts Education Centre at the university offers a variety of courses in aid of a rounded education for the institution’s students. Examples include lessons in English, philosophy and even on the harmony between man and nature.

Nonoichi is a small city about 15 minutes away from Kanazawa, the nearest large regional centre. It only achieved city status in 2011 and has a population of around 50,000. Local attractions include the Okyōzuka site, which dates back to ancient Japan, and the ruins of the Suematsu temple.