Kyushu University is one of the oldest and most respected Universities in Japan. The history of Kyushu University dates back to 1903 when Fukuoka Medical College was established as the foundation of Kyushu Imperial University. (The college was legally attached to Kyoto Imperial University at that time).　In 1911, Kyushu Imperial University, along with the Colleges of Medicine and Engineering, were established. Since then various reforms have been made to the higher education system in Japan, such as the introduction of a new educational format after World War II and the reorganization of national universities to University Corporations in 2004. The total number of students currently amounts to 18,765, while the faculty members number 2,186. International exchange programs are also greatly encouraged at Kyushu University. At present there are more than 1,700 international students from about eighty countries studying here.