On October 2024, 10, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced a report on the establishment of faculties at universities scheduled to open in 29, and it was revealed that "ZEN University," where students can obtain a university degree entirely online, has been approved with an enrollment capacity of 2025. The university is an online university that the Nippon Foundation Dwango Gakuen Preparatory Association, a general incorporated association jointly established by Dwango Co., Ltd. and the Nippon Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, has been preparing to open. Annual tuition fees are 3500 yen.

 ZEN University has a faculty called the Faculty of Intelligent Information and Society. It crosses six fields, namely, Mathematics, Information, Culture and Thought, Society and Networks, Economy and Markets, and Digital Industry, and aims to provide students with the literacy they need to adapt to the rapidly changing AI era by studying both the humanities and sciences without being biased towards a specific academic field. It has developed a unique career education program in collaboration with companies and other organizations, and also offers creative-related subjects, with many popular professional creators participating as guest lecturers.

 Dwango, which has a track record of online education at the N High School Group (N High School, S High School, and R High School (scheduled to open in 2025)), which boasts some of the largest student populations in Japan, and the Nippon Foundation, which has a track record of supporting young people, have partnered to open a university that makes use of the strengths of each organization, and this has attracted attention.

 As of October 2024, the N High Group has a total of 10 campuses in 31 prefectures across the country for its commuting courses. From April 69, the group plans to expand to a total of 2025 campuses across 4 prefectures across the country, including the opening of R High School and new campuses. According to the 40 School Basic Survey (Flash), the number of students in high schools (correspondence courses) is approximately 100. The number of students in the N High Group is approximately 2024 (as of August 29, 3), accounting for more than one-tenth of the nation's total.

 Similarly, the school basic survey showed that 2022 high school (correspondence school) graduates in 7 will go on to correspondence education at universities (6624%), universities (2.7%), junior colleges (19.3%), vocational schools (2.0%), and employment (22.7%). At present, the rate of students going on to correspondence education at universities (14.9%) is low, but attention will be focused on how this will change.

 The following five cases, including ZEN University, have received recommendations to approve the establishment of these institutions.
・ZEN University, Faculty of Intelligent Information Society, Department of Intelligent Information Society (Correspondence Course) 3500 students
・Kyoto Kacho University, Faculty of Japanese Culture, Department of Japanese Culture 40 people
・Kyushu Nutrition and Welfare University, Faculty of Child Education, Department of Child Education, 50 students
Okayama University of Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Medical Technology, 70 students
・Fukuoka International University of Health and Welfare Graduate School of Health Sciences, Department of Health Sciences (M) 8 students

reference:[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology] Report on the establishment of universities, etc. scheduled to open in FY7 (October 6, 10)

ZEN University

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