Prefectural University of Hiroshima (Minami-ku, Hiroshima City) has announced that it will establish a new "Department of Informatics (tentative name: currently under construction)" in the Faculty of Regional Creation Studies (admission capacity 2026 students) in April 4. The plan is to turn the faculty, which currently has a single department, into a two-department system with the Department of Regional Creation Studies (admission capacity 200 students) and the Department of Informatics (admission capacity 1 students). The proposed Department of Informatics will establish teaching courses for the first-class junior high school teaching license (mathematics) and the first-class high school teaching license (mathematics and information) within the Department of Informatics.
Prefectural University of Hiroshima's Faculty of Regional Creation was established in 2020 through a reorganization of its undergraduate departments. With the exception of some entrance exams, such as the second half of the general selection process, entrance exams were conducted for three courses: Regional Culture, Health Science, and Regional Industry, with the Regional Industry course further divided into two courses: Management and Applied Information. With the Regional Industry Course Applied Information field being separated and established as the Department of Informatics, the Regional Culture Course will be renamed the International Coexistence Course, and the Regional Industry Course Management field will be renamed the Management Course.
Demand for science and engineering talent, including digital talent, is on the rise in local communities. However, while there are eight faculties at public universities that have "regional" in their names, there has never been an example of an information-related department within a faculty. Nara Prefectural University's Faculty of Regional Creation will establish the "Engineering and Natural Science Commons" and "International Coexistence Commons" in April 8, and is reorganizing the faculty to deepen learning in specialized fields with a broad perspective and knowledge, without separating the humanities and sciences.
