The history of the Department of Chemical Engineering dates back to the establishment of the first chemical enginnering department in the Faculty of Engineering of Kyoto Imperial University on April 1, 1940. At first, only two chairs were offered, but by 1961 the number of chairs had grown to six. After a period of continuous expansion, in 1991, the number of chairs was increased to eight. Then, in April 1993, the chemistry-related departments at Kyoto University were the first to be organized in the restructuring of the Faculty of Engineering. As a result, the Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering was established, consisting of 8 laboratories (3 chairs). Currently, with more than 2,200 graduates actively engaged in the chemical and other industries, the Department of Chemical Engineering has become one of Japan's leading centers of chemical engineering research and education.