Osaka University of Economics and Law

Osaka University of Economics and Law (OUEL) is a private institution in the city of Yao, part of Osaka prefecture in Japan. It hosts 3,100 students across its three faculties: economics, law and international studies. There are 88 teaching staff on the faculty.

A new main campus for OUEL students was opened close to Yao city centre in 2012. The 12-storey campus includes three floors with lecture and seminar space, plus a career centre and a student plaza. The top two floors are occupied by the institution’s library.

Another campus called Hanaoka is located at the foot of the mountains to the east of Osaka, surrounded by greenery. Facilities there include a sports ground, archery field and a cultural hall.

The institution was founded in 1971. OUEL’s three educational aims are internationalising, improving its use of information technology and maintaining small class sizes.

Students at OUEL have the opportunity to study abroad at one of 68 universities. This includes the University of Pittsburgh in the United States and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Several research institutes operate at OUEL. The Regional Research Institute studies Kawachi, the former name for Yao and neighbouring city Higashiōsaka, and an Asian Research Institute investigates society and culture in Asian countries. In 2003, OUEL opened the Centre for Asia Pacific Partnership in Tokyo, building on the work of the Asian Research Institute.

Yao is about 20 minutes by metro from the centre of Osaka and has a population of 270,000. It is home to Taiseishōgun-ji, a Buddhist temple founded in the 6th century. A type of folk music used to tell stories called Kawachi Ondo originated in Yao.