The University of Osaka's Graduate School of Humanities was created in April 2022 through the merger of the Graduate School of Letters and the Graduate School of Language and Culture. The Graduate School of Letters has its roots in "Kaitokudo," an academic school for merchants in the Edo period, and was established in 1953 as a graduate school attached to the Faculty of Law and Letters. The Graduate School of Language and Culture was established in 1974 as the Faculty of Language and Culture, which was dissolved and reorganized in 1989 to become an independent graduate school, and was expanded after its merger with The University of Osaka of Foreign Studies in 2007. With the integration of the two graduate schools, the Graduate School of Humanities has become the largest graduate school of the humanities at a national university with nearly 240 faculty members.

　The Graduate School of Humanities spans two campuses, Toyonaka and Minoh, and has five departments: Humanities, Language and Culture, Foreign Studies, Art, and Japanese Studies. In addition, taking advantage of the economies of scale of the integration, we have established an organization called the Disciplinary Network In Humanities, which is responsible for classes and exchange programs that transcend the boundaries of the majors. This dual structure allows us to deepen research in specialized fields while at the same time fostering cross-disciplinary perspectives.

　In recent years, science and technology have made remarkable progress and made our lives more convenient. However, it is also true that such convenience does not necessarily lead to the true affluence that we feel. In this age of inundation of "things" and information, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and conflicts are escalating. The humanities, which have been tackling issues of "people" through the world, the self, and how to live with others, are being questioned by society.

　As long as the activities of knowledge are defined by the framework of "people," the humanities will never become obsolete; it is a discipline that is both old and new. The Graduate School of Humanities is constantly striving to make the unique contribution of the humanities in interdisciplinary fields through collaboration with other departments and fields of specialization, and in addressing the various issues facing contemporary society and the region.