University Extension in the Meiji Era:

A Comparative Case Study of WASEDA University and the University of Tokyo

Abstract

This paper clarifies how University Extension was developed in the early days of Japanese university education. I analyzed the program of University Extension in the University of Tokyo and Waseda University during the Meiji era. I examined the history and characteristics of the universities’ management style. The aim of this thesis is to present a new historical recognition of the early period of University Extension in Japan. Three main results were as follows: (1) at the University of Tokyo, University Extension had a lifespan of 10 years from the Meiji era; (2) both universities built their own schemes, adopting elements of University Extension in Britain and the United States; and (3) the University Extension programs in both universities attempted to introduce academic and university ways to society by providing education and results of research conducted by the students. It was an internal need for the university.