Kyoto University

Kyoto University was established in the city of Kyoto as Kyoto Imperial University in 1897, the name being changed in 1947 to reflect the changing nature of Japan in the postwar years. The focus of the university is currently on providing graduate education. Kyoto has created an international reputation as a pioneer in the field of stem cell research. With funding from national and regional governments, private institutions, and biotechnology and biomedical companies, university researchers engage in cutting-edge stem cell research. Much of that activity is concentrated in the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, although the Center for iPS Research and Application and the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences also produce significant stem cell research.

In 2006, Shinya Yamanaka, a physician and researcher in the Institute ...