Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (OUAVM) was founded in 1941 as Obihiro Higher Technical School of Veterinary Medicine. It later became Obihiro College of Veterinary Medicine and then Obihiro Agricultural College before attaining its current status as Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. With our campus located at the heart of the vast Tokachi Plain, we offer educational and research programs based on practical learning in agriculture, animal husbandry, and veterinary medicine.
The mission of OUAVM is to develop a unique style of education by combining practical science with creative intellectual research to contribute to local and international communities through training of skilled individuals who can support food production and people's everyday lives. OUAVM graduates and trainees are ready to support developing countries by playing global roles in the fields of veterinary medicine, agriculture, and livestock production, by ensuring food safety and the improvement of food productivity.

OUAVM consists of two Undergraduate Schools and one Graduate School:

School of Cooperative Veterinary Medicine (6-year course), School of Agriculture (4-year course), and Graduate School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Agriculture.
This Graduate School, established in 1967, currently offers two year’s master’s program in Animal Science and Agriculture, three year’s doctoral program in Animal Science and Agriculture, and four year’s program in Veterinary Science.

Producing people for international cooperation:

By giving students opportunities to see firsthand actual agricultural and livestock production sites in developing countries, OUAVM helps them to decide on careers as international specialists in veterinary medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
In cooperation with JICA, OUAVM accepts researchers and engineers from developing countries and provides them with training courses to improve their knowledge and skills in veterinary medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry. As of October 2019, OUAVM has accepted 768 trainees from 91 countries.
In order to share results of our creative and interdisciplinary practical science research and to help create sustainable progress of global communities, OUAVM participates in JICA projects such as the "Technical Cooperation Project" and "Grassroots Technical Cooperation", and dispatches our faculty to developing countries as JICA experts. As of October 2019, 347 faculty members have worked as JICA experts.

Research Center for Global Agromedicine

The Research Center for Global Agromedicine (GAMRC) was established in April 2015 to solve global issues surrounding food (food safety, livestock diseases, and food shortages) by strengthening international joint research between Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and the world's leading universities in the fields of agriculture and veterinary medicine. The GAMRC also aims to collaborate with universities in developing countries to promote the study of these fields. The term "global agromedicine" was coined to describe the vision of the research center, which is to protect people, livestock, crops, and wildlife by promoting research that will find solutions to pressing food-related problems around the world.

Field Center of Animal Science and Agriculture

The dairy farm of the Field Center of Animal Science and Agriculture is ISO 22000 certified. It is a place for hands-on education and research related to agriculture, animal husbandry, clinical veterinary medicine, and food safety. The Field Center also provides a variety of information and opportunities for practical learning to the regional community. About 200 dairy and beef cattle (Wagyu) are raised at the Field Center, and the milk from the herd is processed into fresh milk and ice cream at an internationally certified (FSSC 22000) campus dairy.

Graduate School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Agriculture aims to acquire the knowledge and practical abilities which can be orientated to any scene with an interdisciplinary perspective to the wide fields of ‘Farm to Table’.

Issues concerning food safety are intertwined in such a way that they cause various problems across specializations. To solve problems concerning agriculture, it is necessary to construct an education and research system fusing veterinary science, animal science, and agriculture. Our doctoral program is an integrated system from the undergraduate to doctoral level that covers the fields of veterinary science, animal science, and agriculture.
The Veterinary Life Science Program was established to facilitate research that combines veterinary science, animal science, and agriculture. For students who have completed an undergraduate program other than veterinary science, the program provides knowledge and training in animal science and agriculture plus basic knowledge of veterinary science. There is no doubt that experts who can approach agriculture from a veterinary science perspective can contribute to food safety and the health of animals and humans.

Master’s program of Animal Science and Agriculture prepares students to be highly trained professionals, educators, or researchers who can address a wide array of food safety and global issues related to animal science and agriculture. The program combines research in the fields of animal science and agriculture with veterinary medicine. It stresses the latest knowledge and skills in these specialized and interdisciplinary fields with courses in veterinary life science, animal production science, environmental ecology, food science, agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, and plant production science.

Laboratories:

[Veterinary Life Science]
Courses in the Laboratory of Veterinary Life Science present students with a wide range of specialized knowledge and skills in veterinary life science, including the fundamentals of pathology, infectious disease control, etiological control, and clinical veterinary science, for various types of animals: companion, industrial, lab, and wild animals.

[Animal Production Science]
Courses in the Laboratory of Animal Production Science teach students the most advanced fundamental and applied knowledge and skills in animal production science. This training enables them to explore the field of animal husbandry from a broad perspective taking into consideration animal welfare and ecological conservation, as well as conventional livestock production. After completing the courses, they can apply their understanding of animal physiology and behavior for genetic improvement and enhanced productivity of livestock.

[Ecology and Environmental Science]
The Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science provides an overarching view of utilizing and protecting agricultural and animal husbandry environments and the natural environment that encompasses them. They also gain the latest knowledge on the roles and functions of animals, plants, insects, and microorganisms that make up these environments. In addition, students learn about their mutual interactions and relationships with agriculture and animal husbandry, from an ecological conservation perspective.

[Food Science]
Students in the Laboratory of Food Science acquire a broad understanding and up-to-date knowledge and skills regarding the production and processing of foods made from agricultural and livestock ingredients. They learn about the functionality and safety of such foods from the molecular to the industrial level.

[Agricultural Economics]
Leveraging resources in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region, known as Japan’s breadbasket, is a critical component in achieving a sound material cycle. The Laboratory of Agricultural Economics gives students advanced knowledge and skills for successful careers in economics and business administration related to food production, distribution, and consumption.

[Engineering for Agriculture]
Hokkaido’s Tokachi region is known as the breadbasket of Japan. Its abundant resources are integral components in realizing a sound material cycle that ensures local resource management. The Laboratory of Engineering for Agriculture provides students with an advanced education and research skills to take leading roles making environmental improvements for food production using mechanical, biological, and civil engineering approaches.

[Plant Production Science]
The Laboratory of Plant Production Science provides students with advanced knowledge and skills in fields related to the qualitative and quantitative improvement of plant production based on expertise in plant physiology, ecology, and genetics as well as soil science. The goal is to teach how to achieve a sound material cycle and ensure local resource management.

Master’s degree program of Animal and Food Hygiene:

The program is open to all students who major in animal science and agriculture, regardless of the courses they are enrolled in. It provides professional-level training in food safety, and its goal is to train individuals who can maintain international safety and hygiene standards required by businesses involved in the global distribution of food.
The program’s specialized curriculum includes courses on management systems for the safety and hygiene of agricultural and livestock products. Students who successfully complete this program will receive a degree in their area of specialization and be ready to work as animal and food hygiene professionals with exceptional skills in their chosen field.

In the first year, JDS fellows will take the electives in fall-winter semester, and will take the core courses of master’s program and other compulsory courses of each Laboratory in spring-summer semester. The reason is that many graduate school students in Japan start their curriculum in spring (April) but JDS fellows will start in fall (October). Then, they should acquire the knowledge, skills, and other abilities to work on their own research.
In the second year, they will take some electives which they are interested in, and work on thesis research. Then, they should submit their thesis by the deadline (about July 10th for September graduation), and finally, they confront the thesis review and the final examination.

In addition, all graduate students of OUAVM must complete Researcher Ethics education program. The program is given by the e-learning of APRIN. It does not consist of the curriculum of OUAVM, but if a graduate school student would not complete it in the first year, he/she could not promote to 2nd grade.

Curriculum Table:
Credit requirement for Graduation:

30 credits (‘Master of Agriculture’ and ‘Master of Veterinary Life Science’)
32 credits (‘Master of Animal and Food Hygiene‘)

After JDS fellows will be assigned and before they will applicate to OUAVM, they must consider whom they study under. Then, they must contact and be consult with prospective supervisor they wish in order to make a research plan by the time of enrollment. You can see the teachers who can be the supervisor of JDS fellows in the following tables:

Tables of supervisors:

Table1: Lab. of Veterinary Life Science

Table2: Lab. of Animal Production

Table3: Lab. of Ecology and Environmental Science

Table4: Lab. of Food Science

Table5: Lab. of Agricultural Economics

Table6: Lab. of Engineering for Agriculture

Table7: Lab. of Plant Production Science

The teachers in the following table are the instructors of ‘Liberal Arts Courses’. In order to acquire graduate-level competence and skills, the master's programs provide general courses by instructors in the Department of Human Science. They cannot be a supervisor of JDS fellows, but can instruct them.

Table of Instructors of ‘Liberal Arts Courses’:

1st year

Fall-Winter Semester

Fall Term (October 1st – the beginning of December)

Entrance Ceremony and Orientation for New-year-students: October 1st
Course registration: at the beginning of October, University’s portal-site (Chikudai-portal)
Courses begin: October 2nd –
Researcher Ethics Education Program: APRIN e-learning program

Winter Term (the middle of December – the end of February)

Winter vacation: December 26th – January 4th
Spring Vacation: February 24th – April 4th

Spring-Summer Semester

Spring Term (April 5th – the beginning of June)

Course registration: at the beginning of April, University’s portal-site (Chikudai-portal)
Courses begin: April 5th –
Core Courses: ‘Global Agricultural and Hygiene Sciences’, ‘Bioresources and Environmental Sciences’,
‘English Communication for Science’

Summer Term (the middle of June – the middle of August)

Expert Training of ‘HACCP’ and ‘Diversification of Primary Producer’: Take these courses if interested in.
Examination for promotion to 2nd grade: in this term

*Master’s program students should earn the required credits for graduation except for ‘Thesis Research 2 of each Laboratory’ by the end of this term.

Summer Vacation: August 17th – September 30th

2nd year

Fall-Winter Semester

Fall Term

Course registration: at the beginning of October, University’s portal-site (Chikudai-portal)
Courses begin: October 2nd –

Winter Term

Winter Vacation: December 26th – January 4th
Spring Vacation: February 24th – April 4th

Spring-Summer Semester

Spring Term

Course registration: at the beginning of April, University’s portal-site (Chikudai-portal)
Courses begin: April 5th –

Summer Term

Submission of thesis: by about July 10th
Thesis review and the final examination for graduation: by the end of August
Determination of the degree awarding: about the middle of September
Graduation Ceremony and Degree-awarding: September 30th

Student Educational Support Section

The student Educational Support Section offers the students a range of services dedicated to helping them to have fulfilled campus life throughout their time at Obihiro University. The section staff provides advice and guidance not only for academic matters but also for campus life and any international student life-related matters.

Dormitory

We have the International House, lodging for international students to start their life in Japan smoothly. An international student can reside at the International House for up to one year from their entrance to the university.

Store and Cafeteria

Student Cooperative has a store, and there is a cafeteria on the 2nd floor. All items on the wide-ranging cafeteria menu are hearty meals. The store on the 1st floor carries original Obihiro University of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine merchandise, and you will find almost everything you need for your campus life.

University Library

The library supports the instructional, research, and extension programs of the university.

Health Care Administration Center

This health facility services the medical care and counseling of students and employees. It is equipped with a standard laboratory and essential medical instruments.

Our University is Japan's only national university for agriculture system specialty college. The Tokachi region of Hokkaido, where our University is located, is one of the few food-producing regions in Japan.
Studying agriculture and food here is very meaningful. Our daily diet builds our bodies and maintains our health. It is easy to enjoy highly nutritious foods in modern-day Japan. But news reports constantly alert us to the dangers threatening the diet and health we take for granted. Food connects one life to another. To protect our food is to protect our lives. Providing safe food goes hand in hand with protecting livelihoods. Agriculture today is not merely producing foodstuffs, but closely involves such broad fields as local economics, food safety, the environment, and life sciences as well.
Through research and practical work on food, our University advances education and research in recycling-oriented agriculture and biomass utilization. At the Obihiro University of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine, we educate our students to protect the food and the environment of the world, under the theme of "Support and Protect Your Food, Your Life".