The Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, the oldest institution for pharmaceutical education in Japan, was established in 1880 as the Tokyo Pharmaceutists School. From the start, its purpose was to provide specialized education for pharmacists.

Over the course of 135 years, the university - which is composed of two main departments: the School of Pharmacy and the School of Life Sciences - has produced countless graduates who have helped advance pharmaceutical science, the pharmaceutical industry and education in Japan and around the world.

The School of Pharmacy aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to work in the medical profession. It offers practical training through a six-year curriculum that integrates courses in both basic and clinical pharmacy.

"In the near future, we hope that our six-year curriculum to become a pharmacist will be adopted throughout Asia, as some countries have already changed to this system," said the current president of TUPLS, Masanori Sasatsu.

Since 1994, the university's School of Life Sciences has been Japan's first educational institution fully dedicated to training and research in the life sciences. Its courses emphasize such fields as biology, chemistry and physics, with applications in molecular biology, medical science and other areas.

In China, TUPLS has been a partner of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences for more than 30 years. Recently, under the presidency of Sasatsu, partnerships have been developed with Tokyo Medical University, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University and the Changchun University of Chinese Medicine.

"We will continue the internationalization of the university," Sasatsu said. "Our goal is to become the best university for pharmacists in Japan."

www.toyaku.ac.jp

World Eye Reports provided the story.

(China Daily 06/18/2015 page24)