0884大学への名無しさん2020/07/04(土) 17:55:07.74ID:EbbqwUvF0 Concerning English name of new university established by public university corporation Osaka June 26th, 2020
We are very surprised that the announced English name "University of Osaka" of the new university (Osaka Public University; Osaka Koritsu Daigaku), which is planned to open again in April in 2021 as a result of integration between Osaka Prefectural University and Osaka City University
As a matter of fact, the English name of our university, “OSAKA UNIVERSITY”, has been used for many years and is widely recognized and established overseas. The English name of Osaka Public University is remarkably similar to this. In the future, it will cause great confusion among students and graduates of the universities, including us and Osaka Prefectural University / Osaka City University. It will also cause a great deal of confusion for the overseas researchers and students spreading to the world. This problem will be a huge obstacle to the future. We don’t hope that we would get into such a situation, but as a result, I am truly sorry that the announcement was made without mutual exchange of opinions.
On June 25th, we sent official massage concerning the above problems to the Governor of Osaka Prefecture, the mayor of Osaka Prefecture, and the President of Osaka, a public university corporation. We would continue to demand for reconsideration not to cause the confusion involving many people.
June 26th, 2020 President of Osaka University, Shojiro Nishio 0885大学への名無しさん2020/07/04(土) 17:58:05.03ID:EbbqwUvF0 The fact that "University of Osaka" is used as the English name of Osaka University June 29th, 2020
Regarding the English name of the new university established by Public University Corporation Osaka, we posted a comment from the president on June 26th on our website. In response to this news report, we once again confirmed the following points to what kind of inconvenient confusion would cause serious problems for both universities. “University of Osaka” the announced English name of Osaka Public University (Osaka Koritsu Daigaku) has been widely and commonly used as the name of Osaka University overseas, already. Therefore, in the future, the English name "University of Osaka" will continue to be recognized as Osaka University rather than as Osaka Public University. It will cause unnecessary confusion involving many people. We would strongly continue to demand reconsideration for the English name of Osaka Public University.
1. "University of Osaka" has already been recognized as synonymous with Osaka University, and has been widely used overseas, now. University College London (UCL) always describes Osaka University as "University of Osaka". They consistently write "University of xxxx" as more common usage from the British viewpoint. University of Cambridge in UK is also referred their press division to as “Cambridge University Press”, and “University of xxxx” and “xxxx University” are also used as synonymous.
University of Groningen in the Netherlands described the title "Osaka University" in their article (January 19, 2019) regarding cooperation with Osaka University since 2002. In the text, "The University of Osaka” are used referring Osaka University. European universities commonly regard "Osaka University" and "University of Osaka" as the same university. 0886大学への名無しさん2020/07/04(土) 18:01:39.65ID:EbbqwUvF0 On the website of Ohio State University in USA, Osaka University is introduced as "University of Osaka” in the article title. They also use "Osaka University" as well. It is also clear that “University of Osaka” is compatible with "Osaka University".
Overseas researchers visiting Osaka University and Osaka Public University at international conferences would visit the wrong venue. For example, the 3D-PEIM International Conference on Electronic Engineering announces “the Faculty of Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University” or “University of Osaka School/Graduate School of Engineering” the venue. As "Osaka University" and "University of Osaka" are regarded as the same university, the name of Osaka Public University would get how much disadvantage to the visitors both to Osaka University and to Osaka Public University.
2. “University of Osaka” has been used as the English name of Osaka University in academic papers and books. When a place name is used as a university name, “University of xxxx” is more comfortable in Europe and the United States. Editors and co-authors select the “University of Osaka” notation. Foreign researchers who belong to Osaka University sometimes use "University of Osaka" as a selection according to their language convention. In any case, there is no doubt that “Osaka University” and “University of Osaka” have been accepted as the name of our university. Due to these facts, publication of Osaka Public University using the name of "University of Osaka" might be recognized as the achievements of Osaka University in the world (For example, the university statics counts them as achievements of Osaka University). Of course, both we and Osaka Public University do not hope those situations. 0887大学への名無しさん2020/07/04(土) 18:03:54.12ID:EbbqwUvF0 3. There are some cases where "Osaka University" and "University of Osaka" cannot be distinguished even in non-English speaking countries. The inter-university exchange program “Erasmus Plus” in EU introduces Osaka University as “University of Osaka”. In French, "University of Osaka" and "Osaka University" are exactly the same as "l'Universite d'Osaka". In other overseas countries, such as China, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, "Osaka University" and "University of Osaka" cannot be distinguished and are equated.
This time, we conducted an online questionnaire survey (from 147 people as of June 27th) to the Osaka University Alumni Association in China (students studying abroad, and those who wish to study abroad). More than 99% of the answers are that "Osaka University" and "University of Osaka" is "hard to distinguish" or "very hard to distinguish". Here are some comments from the survey. “After graduating from our university, this problem would make trouble in studying abroad in Europe and the United States.” “There is a serious concern that the impact on employment in Japan by confusion”, and “The impact on international academic exchange activities will get trouble”. We are conducting similar surveys for Osaka University Alumni Associations in other countries, students studying abroad, and applicants for study abroad. The results with same voices from Chinese Alumni would be inevitable. 0888大学への名無しさん2020/07/04(土) 18:05:13.71ID:EbbqwUvF0 4. The Internet plays an extremely important role for the general public information about universities. But on the Internet, "Osaka University" and "University of Osaka" are linked and always cross-referenced.
In Wikipedia, which is an important information source on the Internet, when you search for "University of Osaka", you are automatically directed to the "Osaka University" page (from 2008 to the present). For the past five years, the "University of Osaka" site has been referenced 1729 times and all redirected to the "Osaka University" site.
Google's statistics shows that the searches at “University of Osaka” as that of “Osaka University”, (about 100 in many months), and both English notations are always cross-referenceable.
From the above facts, it is clear that Osaka University is widely recognized not only as “Osaka University” but also as “University of Osaka”. Again, I ask Osaka Public University (Osaka Koritsu University) to reconsider their English name.
