Timeline - About Okayama Shoka University

Okayama Shoka University is a university offering full four-year courses established by Kibi Gakuen in April 1965 in the Tsushima-kyomachi district of Okayama. Originally the university consisted solely of the Faculty of Commerce offering commerce courses. The Faculty of Law and Economics opened in 1991 consisting of the Department of Law and Economics. The graduate school offering Master’s programs was founded in 1995. The University was restructured in 2005 into three faculties: Commerce, Law and Economics. The Faculty of Commerce was changed in 2009 to the Faculty of Business Administration, offering business administration and commerce courses. In 2015 the University celebrated its 50th anniversary, which was followed by the opening of a 50th Anniversary Memorial Room in the Ijiri Hall in 2017.

Okayama Shoka University has a long history. It started out as Kibi Shogyo Gakko school, a commerce college set up by Kibi Gakuen at Minamigata, Okayama City in March 1911. Kibi Gakuen went on to found Kibi Senior High School in April 1948 (renamed Okayama Shoka University Senior High School in April 1994) and Kibi Shoka Junior College in March 1955 (renamed Okayama Shoka Junior College in January 1957; closed in March 1966). The current incarnation of Okayama Shoka University was chartered in April 1965, and today boasts over half a century of history and tradition in the social-scientific research and education.

January 25, 1965: Approval granted for Okayama Shoka University

April 1, 1965: Tuition commences the Faculty of Business and Commerce and the Department of Business and Commerce

April 1, 1971: The Faculty of Business and Commerce added the Department of Industry Administration

March 10, 1972: The Library opened

April 1, 1972: The Business administration institute open

April 1, 1991: The Department of Law and Department of Economics commenced as the Faculty of Law and Economics

April 1, 1995: The Graduate School of Commerce launched the Master’s Degree Program in Commerce

April 1, 1997: The Department of International Tourism opened in the Faculty of Commerce

April 1, 1998: The Graduate School of Law launched the Master’s Degree Program in Legal Studies
The Graduate School of Economics launched the Master’s Degree Program in Economics

April 1, 1999: The Institute of Economics renamed the Institute for Social Research

April 1, 2003: Information and Education Center and Accounting Education Center opened

April 1, 2005: The Department of Accounting (the Faculty of Business and Commerce), the Department of Law (the Faculty of Law) and the Department of Economics (the Faculty of Economics) established; Regional Development Center opens

April 1, 2007: Center for Industrial and Government Relations starts

November 25, 2007: Confucius Institute at Okayama Shoka University starts

April 1, 2009: The Faculty of Commerce renamed the Faculty of Business Administration; the Faculty of Business Administration restructured to create the Department of Business Administration and the Department of Business and Commerce

May 23, 2015: 50th anniversary ceremony and celebratory events held

March 16, 2017: 50th Anniversary Room opened on 2nd floor of Ijiri Hall