SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), founded in October 1988, was the 96th national university in Japan. SOKENDAI offers only doctoral programs and is very unique in concept in the world as a university affiliated with research institutes and museums administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (called Inter-University Research Institutes, or IURIs). Most professors and students work on their research and study as members of IURIs. The IURIs (also called parent institutes) support the best researchers and the finest facilities in the nation. SOKENDAI aims to apply such privileged academic environments not only to research (creation of new science and technology) but also education (fostering researchers). Ph. D. programs at SOKENDAI provide an ideal education and research environment, offering direct access to large-scale or special experiment/observation facilities, as well as academic materials and data at world-class research institutes in Japan (IURIs). SOKENDAI students can be in daily communication with cutting-edge researchers in Japan and abroad as one of the leading international research centers.