NEWS
Obituary: Professor Emeritus Masakichi Kinukawa Passes Away at 95
Update: February 6, 2025
Masakichi Kinukawa, who served at ICU from 1955 to 2004 (also as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences, Director of the General Education Program), passed away on Thursday, January 23, 2025 at the age of 95.
The University wishes to express its sincere condolences.
A funeral service will be held on Sunday, February 9, only for his family (Flowers and condolence telegrams declined).
Masakichi Kinukawa earned a Master's degree in physics at the Graduate School Department of Mathematics at Tokyo Metropolitan University, and in 1960 he earned his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in the U.S. He was appointed as ICU instructor in 1955, assistant professor in 1962, and professor in 1972 and served as Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences, Director of the General Education Program, and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts among others. In the course of these years, he has been involved in the establishment of a new division and a new graduate school division. Importantly, he served as Chair of the University Self-Study Committee, which proposed various reforms at ICU.
From 1996, he served as the President for two terms, eight years, and left significant footsteps in the history of our university. He set policies to realize ideals of ICU as a liberal arts university in the 21st century and led our academic reforms, such as curriculum reform of the General Education and faculty development.
Kinukawa's field was mathematical analysis and contributed substantial numbers of important papers on Fourier analysis to academic journals in Japan and abroad.
During the latter half of a century of his education and research activities, he devoted to enlightenment activities in theory and practice on university education. He served as Managing Trustee on the Board of the Japan Association of Private Colleges and Universities, trustee and auditor to Japan University Accreditation Association, Chair of Liberal and General Education Society of Japan, Chair of the Review Board of the COL-Program sponsored by the MEXT, and many more important positions. His engagement has borne fruit in the form of publications such as ICU
That ICU has earned appraisal in liberal arts education is in many ways due to Kinukawa's acvitivies. He also made significant contributions to the higher education in Japan.