On February 24, 1972, Okinawa International University obtained the approval of the then current Government of the Ryukyu Islands, and on the following day, February 25, 1972, was officially established. On April 23 of the same year, it proclaimed the opening of its doors to the local community.

　 Subsequently, with the reversion of Okinawa to Japan on May 15, 1972, Okinawa International University became a university as stipulated in the School Education Law, according to the provisions of Article 94, Paragraph 1 of the Okinawa Reversion Special Measures Law (enacted as Law No. 129, on December 31, 1971) and Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the Ordinance Concerning the Application of the Okinawa Reversion Special Measures Law to Ministry of Education Related Matters (enacted as Ordinance No. 106, on April 28, 1972).

　 Okinawa University and International University had been founded as private universities while Okinawa was still under U.S. administrative control, but since there were numerous problems connected with the standards for setting up those two universities, the boards of directors from the two institutions had been moving forward with negotiations about merging even before Okinawa's reversion.

　 As a result of those talks, the two boards of directors came up with a plan for the merger of the two universities. Based on this plan, a resolution was put forward, and on February 24, 1972, the newly established Okinawa International University was approved by the Committee on Private Universities of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands.

　 Special mention should be made that the foundation fund for Okinawa International University was subsidized through a 1 billion yen grant from the Japanese government's Ministry of Education and a special long-term loan of 440 million yen from the Japan Private School Promotion Foundation. Initial construction (covering a land area of 110,403m2, with buildings and facilities covering an area of 18,464.37m2, and including the construction of an athletic facility) was completed by March 1, 1974.

　 At the time of its opening, the university took its historic first step with 493 students, 18 teachers, and 21 staff members from the former Okinawa University; 1,315 students, 30 teachers, and 34 staff members from the former International University; and 1,176 newly enrolled students, 20 newly hired teachers, and 2 newly hired staff members. We have expanded, so that as of May 1, 2008, we have 5,875 students (including graduate students), 129 full-time teachers, and 81 staff members. In addition, our university now comprises 4 colleges divided into 10 departments, 3 graduate school programs with 5 departments, and 3 research institutes. We continue to make rapid progress as a university nurturing highly skilled talent for the local community.