Abstract
In 1976, Nagaoka and Toyohashi “Gikadai” , two Universities of Technology, were founded, main purposes of which were for accepting graduates from technical colleges and educating them for leading engineers with practical ability. As one of the practical engineering education programs, the two “Gikadai” planned and started the long term (two to five months) internship program, “Jitsumu-kunren” , at industries in Japan and abroad. Since 1990, number of college graduates who have entered not to “Gikadai” but to general universities has been notably increasing. Since the technical college graduates are in the minority among the huge number of students in general universities under the normal engineering education programs different from those at technical college and “Gikadai” , specialties of the technical colleges are being faded. Nagaoka “Gikadai” is hoping to recuperate from such situation and to strengthen the technical colleges and “Gikadai” route for educating leading engineers with practical ability, who can save the sinking industries and develop future global industries in Japan.
