"the" before a university name of a non-English speaking country

[herbivorie]

Should I add "the" to the name of a Japanese university?
Some universities in Japan have "the" in their official English name and others don't.

For example, Kobe University doens't have "the". http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/

When I write about them, like "I read a press release of (the) Kobe University, should I always add "the"?

Also, how about hospital names?
I'd appreciate replies from both British and American people (and other native speakers.)

 

[emsr2d2]

In English, the general rule is that if the name of the city comes first, don't use the article. If the word "university" comes first, use the article.

Oxford University.
Cambridge University.
Brighton University.
The University of Norwich.
The University of Manchester.
The University of East Anglia (at Norwich).

 

[riquecohen]

Emsr2d2's reply is also applicable to American universities.

New York University
Iowa State University
Michigan State University
The University of Michigan
The University of Chicago

 

[MikeNewYork]

A notable exception is The Ohio State University.

 

[Barb_D]

A notable exception is The Ohio State University.

Which makes this Wolverine fan throw up in her mouth a little each time she hears it.

 

[MikeNewYork]

LOL!

 

[herbivorie]

Thank you everyone.

Does the same rule go for hospital names?

 

[Rover_KE]

I'd say so in most cases.

There will be exceptions, of course.

 

[TheParser]

A notable exception is The Ohio State University.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Is it possible that the "the" is now being dropped by some publications?

I have just read this sentence in Bloomberg Businessweek:

"In early 2012, 54 members of the Fit Club, a gym in Columbus, Ohio, went to a lab at Ohio State University."

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Herbivorie:

I am sure that you already know this, but just in case ...

One would not use "the" if one is using an initialism (a word consisting of the first letter of each word):

For example, I (was) graduated in 1959 from the University of Southern California. Since then, many other students have (been) graduated from USC.






James

 

[Matthew Wai]

A notable exception is The Ohio State University.

I found about 9,550,000 examples of 'The George Washington University' by Google search. Is it another exception?

Not a teacher.

 

[Rover_KE]

It looks like it might be.

 

[Tdol]

I found about 9,550,000 examples of 'The George Washington University' by Google search. Is it another exception?

Not a teacher.

#
How many examples did you find of The Yale/Harvard University?

 

[SoothingDave]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Is it possible that the "the" is now being dropped by some publications?

I have just read this sentence in Bloomberg Businessweek:

"In early 2012, 54 members of the Fit Club, a gym in Columbus, Ohio, went to a lab at Ohio State University."

Graduates/students of the Ohio State University insist upon the article. I don't know that journalists follow this convention.

 

[MikeNewYork]

As far as I know THEY have not dropped it. What others write may be different.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I found about 9,550,000 examples of 'The George Washington University' by Google search. Is it another exception?

Not a teacher.

There are probably many. Don't look for a hard and fast rule here. You will not find one.