What Shiga University does

Shiga University is a Japanese National University Corporation (国立大学法人) headquartered in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, with a secondary campus in Otsu. The institution operates three undergraduate faculties — Data Science, Economics, and Education — along with corresponding graduate schools and affiliated K-12 institutions (kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and special support school). It traces its origins to 1875 and was formally established as a national university in 1949. Shiga holds a distinctive position as the first national university in Japan to establish a complete data science education pipeline (undergraduate department, graduate school, and research center), anchored by the Data Science AI Innovation Research Center (DSAIC) established in April 2022.

The university's core technology and capability stack centers on data science and AI, delivered through a MEXT-certified education system spanning literacy to advanced application, project-based learning, and an Advanced Causal Inference research team. Underlying platforms include the SUCCESS campus administration system and SULMS learning management system, with public-facing distribution via the gacco MOOC platform and the Otsu Satellite Plaza information hub. Research capability is reinforced by dedicated joint research centers with industry partners, including JSSRC (with Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance for vehicle accident data), DEML Center (with Teikoku Databank for corporate data management), and NSIC Center (with Nitto Denko for materials and digital innovation), collectively contributing to over 500 cumulative industry-academia partnerships.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of MEXT government operating grants, tuition (267,900 yen per standard semester, with reduced rates for evening economics courses and special support education), entrance examination fees, research grants and contracted research from public agencies and corporate partners, and ancillary income from public lectures, certificate programs, and lifelong education offerings. As a public legal entity under MEXT oversight, Shiga operates without external equity funding and serves prospective and current students, local and corporate partners (insurance, finance, manufacturing, retail, technology), government and public-sector clients, and community lifelong learners across Shiga Prefecture and, through online channels, the wider Japanese domestic market.

Name

Shiga University

Legal name

国立大学法人滋賀大学

Website

https://shiga-u.ac.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shiga University is a Japanese National University Corporation operating faculties in Data Science, Economics, and Education, serving undergraduate and graduate students, corporate research partners, and lifelong learners through campus-based and online education, joint industry research centers, and government-aligned data science and AI programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Data science programs
• Economics education
• Teacher training
• Research university

Headquarters

HQ city

Hikone

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from tuition fees paid by undergraduate and graduate students. Standard semester tuition is 267,900 yen per semester for most programs, with reduced rates for evening economics courses.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from government agencies and corporate partnerships for collaborative research projects in data science, AI, and various industry applications.
3. Public Lectures and Lifelong Education: Revenue from open public lectures, professional certification programs, and lifelong education offerings for working adults.
4. Entrance Examination Fees: Fees collected from prospective students for entrance examination applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shiga University is a national university corporation in Japan that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across three faculties (Data Science, Economics, and Education). It also conducts collaborative research and consulting through the Data Science and AI Innovation Research Center and joint research centers with corporate partners, while providing lifelong learning, public lectures, and certificate programs to the community.

Product overview

Shiga University is a national university with three faculties (Data Science, Economics, and Education) and corresponding graduate schools. The university operates a comprehensive educational ecosystem that includes the Data Science AI Innovation Research Center (DSAIC), multiple joint research centers with private industry (JSSRC, DEML Center, NSIC Center), and affiliated schools (kindergarten through special support school). The institution offers online education through MOOC platforms, public lectures, and certificate programs for lifelong learning. Key internal platforms include the SUCCESS campus management system and SULMS learning management system. The university positions itself around 'Future Creation' (未来創生) educational philosophy combining liberal arts with data science, particularly excelling in data science education where it was the first in Japan to establish a data science department, faculty, and graduate school.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JSSRC (Japan Safety Society Research Center): Joint research center with Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company for big data analysis of automobile accident and driving behavior data
• DEML Center (Data Engineering and Machine Learning Center)
• NSIC Center (Nitto-Shiga Digital Innovation Center)

Products and services

• Data Science Faculty (データサイエンス学部) Undergraduate program in data science, information studies, and statistics with project-based learning and small-class instruction. It is described as the highest-standard data scientist training program among Japanese universities and is intended for high school graduates pursuing careers in data science.
• Economics Faculty (経済学部) Largest economics department among Japan's national universities, providing interdisciplinary learning that cultivates comprehensive knowledge combined with specialized expertise. Targeted at students seeking economics and business education.
• Education Faculty (教育学部) Education department covering 19 specialized areas, offering advanced curricula focused on practical skills and problem-solving with one of the highest teacher employment rates among national comprehensive universities in Japan. Designed for students pursuing teaching careers.
• Graduate Schools (大学院) Graduate programs including the Data Science Research Institute, Economics Research Institute, and Education Research Institute, offering master's and doctoral degrees for students pursuing advanced academic study and research careers.
• Data Science AI Innovation Research Center (データサイエンス・AIイノベーション研究推進センター) Research center established in April 2022 that promotes cutting-edge data science and AI research and facilitates industry-academia-government collaboration, serving corporate partners and government agencies seeking collaborative research, human resource development, and applied AI solutions.
• Online Courses / MOOC (データサイエンスeラーニング教材) Online data science courses available through the gacco platform, enabling remote learners and the general public to acquire data science fundamentals and applied skills.
• Public Lectures and Certificate Programs (公開講座・生涯教育) Public lectures, certificate programs, and lifelong education offerings including the Business Science Human Resources Development Program and Wellness Tourism Producer Training Program, serving community members and working professionals seeking continuing education.
• Attached Schools (附属学校園) Affiliated educational institutions including kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and special support school under the Education Faculty, serving children and students needing primary, secondary, and special-needs education.
• JSSRC - Japan Safety Society Research Center (あいおいニッセイ同和損保×滋賀大学 日本セーフティソサエティ研究センター) Joint research center with Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance analyzing automobile accident and driving behavior data, focused on the correlation between near-miss incidents and traffic accidents.
• DEML Center - Data Engineering and Machine Learning Center (帝国データバンク×滋賀大学 DEMLセンター) Joint research center with Teikoku Databank addressing corporate data management challenges and developing human resources skilled in data engineering and machine learning applications.
• NSIC Center - Nittodenko-Shiga University Digital Innovation R&D Center (滋賀大学・日東電工デジタルイノベーション研究開発センター)

Quantifiable outcome

• First university in Japan to establish data science faculty and graduate school
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Valtes Holdings Co., Ltd. (バルテス・ホールディングス株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Partnership agreement for strengthened collaboration in data science and AI fields, announced June 2025.
• Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd. (あいおいニッセイ同和損害保険株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022JSSRC (Japan Safety Society Research Center) - A joint research center focused on big data analysis of vehicle accident data and driving behavior. The partnership enables research on the correlation between near-miss incidents and traffic accidents.
• Teikoku Databank, Ltd. (株式会社帝国データバンク)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022DEML Center (Data Engineering and Machine Learning) - Addresses corporate data management challenges and develops human resources skilled in data engineering and machine learning applications.
• Nitto Denko Corporation (日東電工株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022NSIC Center (Nitto Denko-Shiga University Digital Innovation R&D Center) - Combines Nitto Denko's material experimentation and product design expertise with Shiga University's data science and AI capabilities for digital transformation initiatives.
• H2O Retailing Corporation (エイチ・ツー・オー リテイリング株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration space established for accelerated joint research and technology development between faculty and company researchers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hiroshima University: Comprehensive national research university outside the Tokyo metropolitan area with comparable scale and broad faculty/graduate offerings.
• University of Tsukuba: Mid-sized Japanese national research university with College of Information Science and engineering/education breadth of comparable scale. Most direct functional peer for Shiga's data science and education faculty profile.
• Chiba University: National research university with similar faculty breadth (humanities, science, engineering, education). Comparable size and public-research-university designation.
• Kobe University: Comprehensive national research university in Kansai with multiple faculties including economics, science, and interdisciplinary programs. Strong functional peer in scale and offering breadth.
• Yokohama National University: Mid-sized national research university with education, economics/business, and engineering faculties; comparable in scale and structure to Shiga.
• Saitama University: Similar-tier Japanese national university of comparable size and faculty breadth (humanities, science, education, engineering). Relevant peer for size and public research university positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Osaka University: Larger national research university in the same Kansai region with comprehensive graduate and professional schools. Comparable across public research university categorization, though at materially larger scale.
• Kyoto University: Top-tier Japanese national research university located within Shiga's neighboring prefecture. Strong data science and AI research presence and large-scale industry collaboration provides a regional reference point.
• Nagoya University: Comprehensive national research university with strong industry-academia partnerships and graduate programs across natural and social sciences. Comparable as a public research university with multi-campus scope.

Emerging players

• Ritsumeikan University: Private Japanese university that has aggressively built data science programs (College of Information Science and Engineering, AI programs). Closest private-sector peer competing for the same data science talent pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ShigaUniversityOfficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shiga University