Saga University (often shortened to Sagadai or Sadai) was the result of a merger between several Japanese high schools and teaching schools in 1949. It was later merged with the Saga Medical School in 2003 to become the Saga University of today.
Spread over two campuses (Honjo and Nabeshime), Saga University comprises five faculties: culture and education, economics, medicine, science and engineering and agriculture.
The University Art Museum was constructed in 2013, as one of the first affiliated museums at any national university in Japan. Its background is rooted in advanced art education courses and a new faculty of art and local design was added in 2016, in conjunction with the Arita College of Ceramics.
Saga University is highly selective in its admission policy and relies on entrance examinations and past academic records. Between 20-30 per cent of those who apply are accepted to study.
Until 2011, international exchanges with other universities were undertaken on a grassroots basis but Saga now has a dedicated Centre for the Promotion of International Exchange, with established links with universities in Asia, Europe and the United States. The centre also focuses on fostering international exchange within the Saga region, through working with local governments and NGOs.
Located in the centre of Saga City (population: 240,000), in the northwestern area of Kyushu, south Japan, it is approximately 90 minutes from Tokyo via aeroplane. Saga University students also have easy access to Fukuoka Metropolitan Area, Kyushu’s economical and cultural centre. The nearby former Mietsu Naval Dock is now a World Cultural Heritage site.
