15 new universities likely to open in FY 2003.

TOKYO, May 16 Kyodo

The education ministry on Thursday asked an advisory panel to study applications to establish 15 new universities in fiscal 2003, ministry officials said.

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry is expected to approve some universities in July and others in December, depending on the review process of the Council for University Chartering and School Juridical Person.

Among the 15, there is only one application for a new public university, a prefectural health and welfare university in Kanagawa Prefecture, the officials said.

Fourteen others are applications for new private universities, including a health and science university in Yamanashi Prefecture and Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology in Shiga Prefecture.

The ministry also called on the panel to study 62 applications for establishing new faculties at existing universities and others.

Due to the declining birth rate, the number of applications for new universities and faculties has fallen after hitting a peak of 110 in fiscal 2000.

Still, there are many applications to establish new faculties in the fields of nursing care and social welfare in the current fiscal year, the officials said.

Shujitsu Women's University in Okayama Prefecture and Kyushu University of Health and Welfare in Miyazaki Prefecture filed applications to establish pharmaceutical departments, the first such move since 1983, according to the officials.