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History

Our department’s predecessor, the Hyogo Prefectural Kobe High School of Commerce, was established in 1929 based on a strong demand from both industry and the citizens of Hyogo. After World War II, educational reforms were put in place, and in 1948 the school was reinvented as Kobe University of Commerce, the first public university established under the new postwar university system. Kobe University of Commerce, with its 75-year history and traditions, was a one-department college consisting of the School of Commerce and Economics only, but this consisted of 4 separate faculties: Management, Economics, Administration Science and International Commerce, based on our dual pillars of management and economics. On top of this, from an early date we established a graduate school, and as a result we can fully accommodate the academic needs of those of you who wish to continue your studies even after graduating. In 1990 we moved to our new campus at Kobe Academic Park, and in 1994 we added the degree course in Business Management Information Science to the Graduate School of Management.


In 2004, Hyogo’s three prefectural universities combined to form the University of Hyogo. At this time, with the academic structure from our time as Kobe University of Commerce as a basis, the previous four faculties were dissolved, and transformed into the School of Economics and the School of Business Administration, in order to actualize our research and educational goals for the 21st century.


In April 2019, in order to be able to both effectively address society’s needs and continue to pursue excellence in research and education, the School of Economics and School of Business Administration were again reorganized into the School of Economics and Management and the School of Social Information Science.

April 1929 Establishment of Hyogo Prefectural Kobe High School of Commerce
April 1944 Name change to Hyogo Prefectural Kobe College of Economics
April 1948 The school becomes Kobe University of Commerce, the first public university established under the new postwar university system
(School of Commerce and Economics: Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Management)
June 1950 Establishment of the affiliated Economic Research Institute
March 1951 Disestablishment of Hyogo Prefectural Kobe College of Economics
April 1963 Addition of the Faculty of Administration
April 1965 Establishment of the Graduate School of Management (Master’s degree program)
April 1967 Addition of the Graduate School of Economics (Master’s degree program)
April 1971 Addition of Doctorate program (Graduate School of Management and Graduate School of Economics)
April 1979 Beginning of academic exchange with Evergreen State College
April 1980 Addition of the Faculty of International Commerce
Establishment of the affiliated Information Processing Education Center
August 1985 Beginning of academic exchange with Jinan University
September 1988 Beginning of student exchange with Evergreen State College
April 1990 Movement of the campus to the Kobe Academic Park
April 1994 Addition of the Graduate School of Management degree course in Business Management Information Science
April 2000 Addition of the Graduate School of Economics degree course in Economics (Master’s degree program) and
Graduate School of Management degree course in Business Management (Master’s degree program)
May 2000 Conclusion of student exchange agreement with Jinan University
March 2001 Conclusion of student exchange agreement with Curtin University
April 2004 Unification of Hyogo’s three prefectural universities into the University of Hyogo
April 2007 Establishment of the Graduate School of Accounting degree course in Accounting
April 2010 Establishment of the Graduate School of Management degree course in Business Management
April 2019 Establishment of the School of Social Information Science and School of Economics and Management