TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The University of Tokyo said Friday that it will open its first new undergraduate department in about 70 years in September 2027, with all classes taught in English to empower students to take on complex global challenges.

The new combined five-year bachelor's and master's degree program will reserve half of its 100-student capacity for international enrollees, aiming to strengthen the global competitiveness of Japan's most prestigious university.

The department, "UTokyo College of Design," will adopt fall enrollment, the mainstream in Europe and the United States, offering topics that students can explore in line with their interests, such as climate change and biodiversity, regardless of field of study.

Teruo Fujii, the public university's president, said at a press conference, "We will create a new place of learning where students can realize their respective visions by fully utilizing the potential of the University of Tokyo."

All freshman students will reside in a university dormitory to promote cross-cultural exchange through daily interaction. The program comprises four years of bachelor's and one year of master's study.

The college is set to be headed by a foreign professor at the university, with teaching staff to include other instructors at the institution and top-class researchers from both Japan and abroad, it said.

The admission method is scheduled to be announced as early as July. The university, which will mark the 150th anniversary of its founding in 2027, is expected to forgo written examinations and instead assess applicants based on their documents and interviews.