Founded in 1971 by Daisaku Ikeda, Soka University is a private comprehensive university based on Buddhist principles, with faculties in economics, law, humanities, education, international liberal arts, nursing, science and engineering, and life science.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Ergonomics and UX, Fluid Dynamics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Strong emphasis on peace, human rights, and global citizenship. International exchange programs.
Research:
AI and data science, Robotics and human-assistive technology, Environmental science and sustainable systems, Biotechnology and life sciences.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
500
Current students***:
8000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Private university with a unique philosophical background, offers engineering and bioscience programs with a focus on societal contribution.
Cons
Private institution with tuition fees, philosophical underpinning may not suit all.
Best For
Private comprehensive university with engineering and bioscience programs, emphasizing peace and global citizenship.
Tokyo University of Technology follows much the same lines as this institution, with ergonomics and UX, bioinformatics and microbiology and genetics as common ground, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers sound engineering and food science as well.
Sophia University works in much the same fields, chiefly bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and optics, and it is also a private institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Kanazawa Institute of Technology follows much the same lines as this university, with bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and optics as common ground, and it is also a private institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and optics can consider Keio University, and it also offers mba programmes and covers astroscience and nanotechnologies as well.
Both schools build their programmes around bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and optics, and Okayama University of Science is the one to compare first within the country, since it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers food science and geotechnics as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Looking internationally, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg in Germany is where optics, signal processing and fluid dynamics get a comparable treatment; it is public, whereas this institution is private, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa brings a Poland setting to the same core fields, microbiology and genetics, optics and signal processing, and it covers nanotechnologies as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 7,000 students against roughly 8,000 here.
Abroad, Technische Universität Chemnitz (Germany) covers ergonomics and UX, microbiology and genetics and optics in a comparable way, and it is slightly larger, at about 10,000 students against roughly 8,000 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
In France, Université de Technologie de Compiègne teaches much the same core subjects, ergonomics and UX, bioinformatics and microbiology and genetics, and it is public, whereas this university is private, and does not run the bachelor's programmes found here.
For bioinformatics, signal processing and fluid dynamics outside the home country, EPFL in Switzerland is a natural reference; it covers metrology and aerospace as well, and is larger, enrolling about 12,000 students against roughly 8,000 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Environmental Engineering, Human-Centered Design, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Robotics, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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