Keio University, Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy to seek merger

Keio University and Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, both based in Tokyo, said Monday they have agreed to begin discussions on merging in April 2008.

They plan to work out a merger contract document in March 2007 and, if the plan materializes, Keio University will set up a pharmaceutical faculty and graduate school pharmaceutical division, officials of the universities said.

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said there have been only two past cases of four-year-curriculum universities in Japan.

"We expect a merger to propel the levels of our research and work advantageously in the competition that private universities are facing," Keio University President Yuichiro Anzai said in a press conference.

Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy President Yoshiyuki Hashimoto said their merger would provide a better education environment for pharmaceutical students than studying in a school that has only one faculty.

Keio University currently has nine undergraduate faculties and 11 graduate departments with about 32,300 students.

Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy has only one pharmaceutical school for undergraduates and one for graduates with some 970 students.

The two universities have traditionally had links as Kyoritsu was established by a Keio graduate.
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