President's Message

Midori Shima
President and Chairman of the Board

Founded in 1945 as Nara Prefectural Medical College, Nara Prefectural Medical University has continuously evolved over the past eight decades. Major milestones have included the establishment of the former Nara Prefectural Medical University in 1948, its transition to Japan’s new university system in 1952, the opening of the Junior College of Nursing in 1996, and the integration of nursing education into the School of Medicine in 2004. Today, the university continues to advance as a comprehensive medical institution comprising both the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing.

In 2025, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of our founding. In addition to our existing Shijo Campus, we have developed the expansive Mt. Unebi Campus, covering approximately 116,000 square meters, thereby creating a strong foundation for the further advancement of education, research, and clinical care.

Guided by our founding philosophy—"Contributing to local communities through excellence in medical science and the provision of the highest quality healthcare"—we are committed to educating healthcare professionals who possess both a strong sense of ethics and deep compassion.

In an era characterized by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and information science, we place particular emphasis on fostering professionals equipped with three essential competencies: advanced digital literacy, distinctively human capabilities that cannot be replaced by AI, and a global perspective that enables them to contribute internationally. To achieve this goal, we offer innovative educational programs tailored to contemporary needs, including our unique Good Medical Professional Program, Clinical English education, and AI/DX education. We also promote early engagement in research through our Research Clerkship Program and actively encourage international exchange through partnerships with eight universities around the world, including University of Michigan.

In 2025, we established the Center for Innovation in AI-System Medicine Convergence to accelerate the integration of AI into education, research, and clinical practice. Furthermore, in collaboration with Nara Institute of Science and Technology, we founded the Nara Advanced Medical and Engineering Science Collaboration Organization (MSTeC NARA) to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine and engineering. Through the Medicine-Based Town (MBT) Initiative, which now brings together more than 150 participating companies, we are also building a robust industry-academia collaboration platform to facilitate the translation of research achievements into tangible societal benefits.

As a designated advanced treatment hospital and a cornerstone of healthcare in Nara Prefecture, our university hospital provides highly specialized medical services while fulfilling its responsibilities as a regional center for emergency medicine, disaster response, infectious disease management, and cancer genomic medicine. Every member of our faculty and staff is dedicated to serving society with professionalism and integrity, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality healthcare that earns the trust of our patients and communities.

As we look toward the future, Nara Prefectural Medical University will continue to embrace innovation while honoring its traditions, striving to contribute not only to Nara Prefecture but also to the advancement of medicine and healthcare worldwide.

Midori Shima

President and Chairperson of the Board

Nara Medical University