Saga University

saga-u.ac.jp Saga University is a national Japanese university in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu — founded in 1949 (roots back to 1875), merged with Saga Medical School in 2003, operating as a national university corporation since 2004. Scale: ~6,600 students, ~3,300 staff, 6 faculties (including medicine with a ~600-bed hospital) across Honjo, Nabeshima, and Arita campuses. Annual revenue ¥44B ($300M), ~57% of it generated by the university hospital; state capital ¥47.3B, with a +¥1.6B surplus in FY2024. Signature strength: the Institute of Ocean Energy (IOES) — a world leader in OTEC (ocean thermal energy), pursuing the world's first 1-MW commercial plant ~2026-27 with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. Rector since Oct 2025: Koichi Node (cardiologist); 2026 launches include Japan's first national-university cosmetic science program (30 students, 7x oversubscribed) and a joint teacher-training degree with Kumamoto University. Weak points: rankings have slid for a decade (QS Asia 801-850, THE 1501+)