Tokyo City University Adopts Internationally Compatible Online Admissions System 'TAO (The Admissions Office)'

Tokyo City University Adopts Internationally Compatible Online Admissions System 'TAO (The Admissions Office)'

Tokyo City University plans to begin operating TAO starting with the graduate school Schedule B admissions conducted in August 2026. It will be introduced for admissions in the Graduate School of Integrative Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Environmental and Information Studies, and the Graduate School of Information and Data Science, promoting the digitalization of applications and operational efficiency.

■ Background of Introduction

Tokyo City University conducts educational and research activities across a wide range of fields, including science and engineering, environment, and information, with the aim of developing highly specialized human resources who contribute to the development of science and technology and society. The graduate school aims to cultivate individuals equipped with advanced research capabilities and practical skills in specialized fields, ready to play active roles in the international community.

In recent years, while there has been a demand to establish a more convenient application environment for applicants from both inside and outside Japan, traditional paper-based application procedures have faced challenges such as an increased burden of document verification and administrative work.

This time, the adoption was decided based on the high evaluation of TAO's patented 'Custom Form Creation Function' (Patent No. 6899572), which flexibly accommodates diverse graduate school admission methods, and the operational efficiency achieved through the digitalization of applications.

In addition, to strengthen information dissemination to domestic and international students wishing to advance to graduate school, the graduate school public relations support service 'Graduate School INSIGHT' will also be utilized. By widely communicating the appeal of research fields and research environments, the university will improve convenience for applicants, streamline admissions operations, and advance the strengthening of international student recruitment for its graduate schools.

■ What is TAO (The Admissions Office)?

TAO is an internationally compatible online admissions system used by users in 203 countries and regions around the world.

With multilingual support (Patent No. 6899572), applicants inside and outside Japan can apply from the same online environment, enabling universities to conduct international student recruitment efficiently. Furthermore, through an intuitive UI/UX design, application, selection, announcement of results, and enrollment procedures can be managed on a one-stop basis, providing a highly convenient environment even for digital native applicants.

Key Features

Flexible application guideline settings via the patented 'Custom Form Creation Function'

Significant reduction in development and modification costs in admissions operations

'Completely online application' catering to domestic and international applicants

Reduction of application burden on international students and operational efficiency through multilingual support

■ About Graduate School INSIGHT

Graduate School INSIGHT is an information platform that communicates research content, laboratory information, and the appeal of graduate schools to students considering advancing to graduate school.
By widely introducing graduate school research fields and research environments domestically and internationally, it helps applicants find research themes and academic advisors suitable for them, promoting expanded opportunities for graduate school advancement.

URL: https://uniinsight.jp/jp/

■ Schools Using TAO Services (In alphabetical order, as of April 2026)

TAO is already widely adopted by leading universities in Japan.

J. F. Oberlin University / Kanazawa University / Kwansei Gakuin University / Kyushu University / Kyoto University of Foreign Studies / Kyoto University of Advanced Science / Keio University / Kokushikan University / Shibaura Institute of Technology / Soka University / The Graduate University for Advanced Studies / Digital Hollywood University / The University of Tokyo (Center for Global Education) / Institute of Science Tokyo / Tohoku University / Hosei University / Hokkaido University / Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences / Ritsumeikan University / Ryukoku University / Waseda University, and others (Alphabetical order, partial excerpt)

■ About Information Security Systems

To handle critical data including personal information safely, TAO Inc. has established an information security management system based on international standards.

Furthermore, to take appropriate protective measures for personal information, it has acquired certifications based on the following international standards:

ISO/IEC 27701 (Privacy Information Management)

ISO/IEC 27017 (Cloud Security)

ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management System)

While continuously improving operations based on these standards, we will strive to provide safer and more reliable services to all users, including universities and applicants.

■ Future Developments

Universities worldwide are moving towards fully online admissions processes. TAO will continue to expand its functionalities as a platform capable of collectively managing everything from application submission to the submission of selection documents, announcement of results, and enrollment procedures.

The 'Evaluation and Selection Function' scheduled for release in the summer of 2026 will enable the evaluation and scoring of statements of purpose and research proposals, realizing a centralized pass/fail judgment process. With this, selection by faculty...