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Overview

Message

Our predecessor, the Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry College, began in 1900 as a training division of the Agricultural Experiment Station and subsequently transformed into a college that produced nearly 10,000 graduates in its time. To coincide with the 120th anniversary of the founding, the college will begin the new academic year in April 2020 as Shizuoka Professional University of Agriculture, and its long history will serve as the bedrock for an even better new brand of education that addresses the current needs of the agricultural and forestry professions. Our core focus will be practicality and creativity with a curriculum designed not only to instill advanced horticultural skills, but also to teach students the processing, distribution, selling, and business management skills required for sustainable farming and forestry. Our aim is to produce much-needed leaders able to conserve and grow rural communities’ environments and traditions.
Shizuoka Prefecture is home to many industries, and agriculture is one of the strongest. The prefecture is close to major consumption markets and is equipped with infrastructure to keep Japan’s economic lifeblood pumping. What better place to learn all you need to know to set up in the business of agriculture than amid such blessings?

At a time of transition in agriculture and forestry, a new generation of workers is needed.

Unlike most industries, agriculture and forestry produces resources and generates energy rather than consuming them. In underpinning the basic needs of life—food, shelter, and clothing—a career in these industries is a contribution to continued human existence. That is something I would like students aspiring to such a career to be proud of, although working with nature’s fickle weather and ever-changing situations is never easy. With no two days featuring the same weather and situations, those who work in the fields of agriculture and forestry must always be learning and in that lies both the challenge and the reward. Now, with artificial intelligence and IoT technologies leading to a larger, more diverse, agricultural and forestry industry, we anticipate exciting new developments.
Never in my long experience in agriculture, forestry and education have I been as excited as I am now. Our industry is bursting with opportunities, not only in business but to contribute to society as a whole, and I look forward to seeing how our students apply their expertise to shape the future.

Profile
Born in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, in 1953. After graduated from Nagoya University, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, he served in the Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University researching effective use of wood resources, especially wood based materials, forest biomass, and cellulose nano-fibers. Received the JWRS Award from the Japan Wood Research Society in 2000, and became Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science in 2010. He was appointed to a member of the Science Council of Japan and served as Secretary of the Forestry Committee between 2011 and 2017. He became Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in 2011 and Vice-President (International Strategy) of Shizuoka University in 2013; he strove to enhance agricultural education and international exchanges. Doctor of Agriculture

Spirit of study

  • 『耕土耕心』Kodo Koshin

  • “to cultivate the land is to
    cultivate your heart”

    Our predecessor, the Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry College, inspired by its philosophy Kodo Koshin (“to cultivate the land is to cultivate your heart”), produced a steady stream of graduates determined to help the development of agriculture and forestry in Shizuoka.
    As we transition to our new structure as a professional university, we continue to incorporate that spirit into our efforts to provide not only practical knowledge and skills in agriculture and forestry, but also the expertise needed to harness state-of-the-art technologies and promote innovative business practices, to students of all ages, nationalities, and genders. In doing so, we seek to create a workforce capable of supporting and nurturing rural communities.

Vision

4-year curriculum

Shizuoka Professional University of Agriculture (SPUA)

Faculty of Agricultural Production and Management

We teach students to become agricultural or forestry professionals and help them acquire the skills to lead rural communities into the future.

Vision1

Fostering tomorrow’s agricultural or forestry professionals

Our mission is to produce graduates with the practical skills and creativity to bring fresh momentum to businesses in Shizuoka Prefecture’s mainstay horticultural, forestry, and livestock farming sectors, which are responsible for the prefecture’s varied high-quality produce.

Vision2

Developing tomorrow’s rural community leaders

By instilling the expertise involved in conserving the scenic natural environments and inheriting the traditions and cultures of local communities, including those involved in the agricultural and forestry industries, we endeavor to nurture new leaders to ensure those regions continue to thrive.

2-year curriculum

Shizuoka Professional University Junior College of Agriculture (SPJCA)

Junior College

Students become agricultural production leaders and acquire the skills to underpin rural communities’ livelihoods.

Vision1

Training leaders for agricultural and forestry workplaces

Our mission is to produce graduates with the practical skills and creativity to bring fresh momentum to production workplaces in Shizuoka Prefecture’s mainstay horticultural, forestry, and livestock farming sectors which are responsible for the prefecture’s varied high-quality produce.

Vision2

Producers to carry rural communities to a prosperous future

By instilling the expertise involved in conserving the scenic natural environments and inheriting the traditions and cultures of local communities, including those involved in the agricultural and forestry industries, we endeavor to nurture new producers to ensure those regions continue to thrive.