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Established as a result of a merger between the Akita Normal School, the Akita Mining College and the Akita Youth Normal School, the Akita University (AU) was inaugurated in 1949. It began with a faculty of liberal arts and a mining college however, since 2014, it has been operating with four faculties.

These are the faculty of international resource sciences, the faculty of education and human studies, the faculty of medicine and the faculty of engineering science. Four graduate schools were also set up: the graduate school of international resource sciences, the graduate school of education, the graduate school of medicine and the graduate school of engineering science. AU is therefore a combination of innovative research and education.

There are three sites spread across Akita City: Tegata campus, Hodono campus and Hondo campus.

It is highly selective in its admission policy and relies on entrance examinations and past academic records. Between 10-20 per cent of those who apply are accepted to study.

Not only does AU focus on education and research, but it also works to provide for the community in the northern part of the Tohoku region. Part of its aim is to nurture and support talented youth and to pioneer research that will help the area. The implementation of education, research, social contribution, globalisation and management is under way with the AU Yoshimura Plan.

On-campus facilities include: a library, a mining museum, a kindergarten, elementary school, junior school and a university hospital, which became an advanced treatment hospital in 1994.