[3] The main criticisms were the impending decline in the number of prospective students and the potential overlap in majors with other universities in the prefecture, while the main arguments for the transition to a 4-year university were the cultivation of businesses and young people within the prefecture and stemming the outflow of industry, talent, and tax money.

[5] The junior college officially began preparation to transition to a 4-year university in 2011 under the then-recently elected Nagano Prefectural Governor Shuichi Abe.

The official name of the university and details about the entrance requirements and student intake were finalized and announced in March 2016.

Each year they host two major events: Open Campus Days in July and August; and The University of Nagano School Festival in October.

Built of native Nagano Prefecture lumber and other building materials, it boasts a natural geothermal air conditioning system, glass-walled classrooms and offices, a spacious cafeteria which is also open to the public on weekdays, and a library which is also open to the public on weekdays and Saturdays.

[12] Zozan Dormitory is named after the 19th Century Japanese rangaku (literally "Dutch learning", and by extension "Western learning") scholar, engineer, and politician Sakuma Shōzan who was born in Shinshū (信州) (or Shinano Province) (present day Nagano Prefecture) during the Edo period.

[13]The Center for Social Innovation Initiatives (CSI), which aims to connect academia, industry, government, and the community, is also located in Gocho.

The CSI focuses on developing solutions, products, and services for contemporary social problems, such as the declining birth rate, aging population, and environmental pressures, from a business perspective.

[18] On 5 February 2019, the university signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with the Nagano Prefectural government and Nihon Unisys on social innovation to solve regional issues.

Speakers have included[22][23] Shinji Asanuma (Hitotsubashi University); Fernando Aldaba (Ateneo de Manila University); Emanuel Mori (former President of the Federated States of Micronesia); and Andrew Parker (regional Asian senior adviser at the United Nations Development Programme).

The "English Program for Global Mobility" (EPGM) is an intensive two-year course of study for all undergraduate students.

Special GLT events in 2018 and 2019 have included Korean, Tagalog, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Slovak, Czech, and Danish-speaking guests.

In 2020, the GLT switched to an online format on Zoom with special guests from the UK, Trinidad, US, Jamaica, and the Netherlands.