, abbreviated as Dai kōdai (大工大), Han kōdai (阪工大), or Osaka kōdai (大阪工大) is a private university in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. OIT has 3 campuses, Omiya campus located in Asahi-ku, Osaka City, Umeda campus located in Kita-ku, Osaka City and Hirakata campus located in Hirakata City.
History OIT was originally founded in 1922 as Kansai Engineering Technical School by business man Kyosaburo Honjo, together with architect Yasushi Kataoka, who graduated from Tokyo Imperial University (present University of Tokyo) and also served as the school's first principal. The Mission is "For the World, for the People and for the Community", to develop specialists with science-based practical skills who play an important role in society.
In 1940, the school foundation established Kansai Advanced Technical School, a three-year college for men (for ages 17–20). Kansai Advanced Technical School was renamed to Setsunan Advanced Technical School in 1942, further renamed Setsunan Engineering Technical School in 1944.
In April 1949, Setsunan Engineering Technical School was upgraded to Setsunan Institute of Technology, a four-year university under Japan's new educational systems. In October 1949, it was renamed to Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT).
At first, OIT had one faculty: the so-called Faculty of Engineering, which consisted of three departments (Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering). Later on, OIT added several departments (Mechanical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Applied Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Engineering), three faculties (Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Faculty of Intellectual Property, Faculty of Robotics and Design), and a graduate school which includes doctoral-level courses. 1949: Faculty of Engineering 1965: Graduate School (Department of Engineering Research; master's courses only) 1967: Ph.D. courses offered 1996: Faculty of Information Science and Technology 2003: Faculty of Intellectual Property 2017: Faculty of Robotics and Design
As of April 2017, OIT has four faculties. The Faculty of Intellectual Property was the first-ever and is still the only one of its kind in Japan. Moreover, the Faculty of Robotics and Design provides design thinking education to stress an innovative and creative approach towards design.
OIT has three campuses: Omiya campus: Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Intellectual Property Umeda campus: Faculty of Robotics and Design Hirakata campus: Faculty of Information Science and Technology
The Umeda campus was opened in 2017 near Osaka station and is housed in the 21-storey OIT Umeda Tower, located in the central business district (CBD).
Education From Academic Year 2017, OIT offers 16 undergraduate degrees and 6 master's degrees in the field of engineering, robotics and design, information science and technology, and intellectual property. It also offers 5 doctoral degrees in the fields of engineering, robotics and design, information science and technology. OIT offers a number of project-based learning opportunities, including:
Solar car project Challenge of the OIT MONOLAB robot project Human-powered aircraft project Development of wireless electric vehicle charging system (Kawakami-mura eco project) Science à la carte école project Smartphone application design project Computer design project The IP (intellectual property) PR project
Faculties (undergraduate schools) Intellectual property (in Omiya) – the only one and first-ever Faculty in Japan Department of Intellectual Property Engineering (in Omiya) Department of Architecture Department of Civil Engineering and Urban Design Department of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering Department of Electronics and Information System Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Applied Chemistry Department of Environmental Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering Robotics and design (in Umeda) *"Design thinking" education as innovative & creative approach Department of Robotics Department of Design and Architecture Department of System Design *IoT, AI Information Science and Technology (in Hirakata) Department of Computer Science Department of Data Science Department of Information Systems Department of Media Science Department of Information Networks
Graduate schools Intellectual property (professional degree course) Major in intellectual property Engineering (master's and Ph.D. courses) Major in architecture, civil engineering and urban design Major in electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering Major in applied chemistry, environmental, and biomedical engineering Robotics and design (master's and Ph.D. dourses) Major in robotics and design Information science and technology (master's and Ph.D. courses) Major in information science and technology
Research centers Omiya campus: Center for Monodzukuri management Nanomaterials microdevices research center
Umeda campus: Human robotics R&D center Robotics & design denter
Hirakata campus: Yawata Engineering Laboratories Structure research center Hydraulic research center High voltage research center Digital archive center Virtual reality laboratory Visualization software developing center
Rankings Times Higher Education World University Rankings(THE) Focusing on the field of Engineering & Information Technology, OIT was ranked 801–1000th in the World University Rankings 2021 and ranked in TOP10 Private Universities in Japan. Especially in terms of the Score of “Citations”, OIT was placed next to Osaka University in Japan Universities and higher ranking than Tokyo University of Science and Shibaura Institute of Technology in the Private Universities. Moreover, OIT was ranked 401+ in the Asia University Rankings 2021 as well.
SCImago Institutions Rankings(SIR) OIT was ranked 58th in the Japan University Rankings 2019 focusing on the field of “Innovation” and 75th in Japan University Rankings 2018 focusing on the field of “Research”.
"Truly Strong Universities" for Employment (Toyo Keizai Japan University Rankings) OIT was ranked 2nd in the Japan University Rankings 2020 and it was the higher ranking than Tokyo University of Science and Shibaura Institute of Technology in the Private Universities. Especially focusing on the field of Information Technology & Digital media, OIT at Faculty of Information Science and Technology was ranked No.1 in 2019 from Institute of technology in Japan.
Innovations Research 2026: A research group by OIT researcher at Department of Electronic and Information Systems Engineering and Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) developed a new method for accurately identifying cancer cells using AI analysis of white-light scattering spectra in cytological diagnosis. The study also revealed a new principle enabling high-precision classification of cancer cells and normal cells, potentially contributing to more accurate and efficient cancer diagnosis.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1038/s41598-026-64056-z
2025: A research group led by OIT Professor at Faculty of Robotics and Design developed a robot system that operates by rearranging multiple pieces of equipment to investigate and restore river channel blockages that occur in mountainous areas due to earthquakes or heavy rain. Previously, it relied on manual intervention to avoid the risk of secondary damage, but now remote control is possible, making a significant contribution to disaster prevention and mitigation.https://www.oit.ac.jp/news/news/pressrelease10715.html
2024: OIT researchers at Department of Applied Chemistry and INRAE(Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) developed soap-like air bubbles (gas marbles) stabilized with cinnamon particles. The gas marbles are edible capsules that make sounds when you bite into them, and they can also be used to decorate cakes and other items.
2023: According to “Scientist Database based on Standardized Citation Indicators” updated by Stanford University and Elsevier as a comprehensive list that identifies “TOP 2% of the world's most influential researchers” (*Category: Career-long), OIT's 4 professors from Department of Applied Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering were selected.
2022: OIT researchers at Department of Applied Chemistry and UMET that is the joint research unit of Lille University of Science and Technology and French National Centre for Scientific Research(CNRS) developed an innovative ‘Micro reaction vessel’ that can initiate a reaction by irradiating light using droplets (Liquid Marbles). This research was supported by JSPS(Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), and the research paper was published in ‘ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces’. 2022: OIT researchers at the Department of Applied Chemistry, in collaboration with the ORIST(Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology) and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University(NYCU), developed a new conductive organic material by designing a nickel complex incorporating a thienothiophene structure. The material achieved ‘the World's highest electrical conductivity’ for “n-type organic semiconductor” coating film while remaining stable in air, overcoming a major limitation of conventional n-type organic conductive materials. https://www-en.oit.ac.jp/news/news/pressrelease8804.html The researchers also confirmed its thermoelectric conversion properties, demonstrating its potential for application in flexible thermoelectric devices.The research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).
2021: An international collaborative research group of OIT at Department of Applied Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University developed an innovative method for preparing ‘Chiral Silica’ consisting of a molecular-scale helical structure by an extremely simple process. This research was promoted by the moonshot-type research and development project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization(NEDO), and was published in the Open Access Journal ‘JACS Au’ of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
2020: A research group of University of Tokyo at Department of Applied Physics, RIKEN(Institute of Physical and Chemical Research) and OIT at Faculty of Information Science and Technology succeeded in developing an innovative “Transportable Optical lattice clock(OLC) with Ultra-precise measurements(10 to the power of minus 18)“ for the first time in the world through a verification testing on validity of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity at Tokyo Skytree. Compared to conventional space experiments, using the transportable OLC on satellite and rocket, the equivalent experiments are available with a height difference of 10,000 times less.
2019: OIT researchers at Department of Applied Chemistry discovered that poly-3-hexylthiophene(P3HT), a conductive polymer widely used as a material for solar cells and transistors, has a new ability to convert light into heat. Since P3HT dissolves in organic solvents, it can be used as a paint, and can be applied to substrates of various shapes. Also it can be expected to be applied to local heating in a vacuum space or a fine space, such as hyperthermia, which uses heat in an outer space(space station or space shuttle) or kills cancer cells by heat. This innovative research was highly evaluated and published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in the field of polymer. (Macromolecules 2019, 52, 2,708-717)