The Open University of Japan (放送大学, Hōsō Daigaku, formerly The University of the Air) is a distance learning university which has students all over Japan; it accepted its first students in 1985. Although founded by the national government initiative with a single-issue law and heavily subsidised by the government, it was established by The University of the Air Foundation (放送大学学園, Hōsō Daigaku Gakuen) as a "special academic incorporation" (特別な学校法人, tokubetsu na gakkō hōjin), the University classified as a private university in Japan. It had founded on the basis system of The Open University in the United Kingdom. The administration is based in Chiba City although it has offices and learning centers in each of Japan's 47 prefectures. The University offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees. With nearly 90,000 students enrolled (in 2007), 45,000 students graduated from the University. It is one the largest academic institutions in the nation, and qualifies as one of the world's mega universities. Since it was founded, over 780,000 students have taken courses from the institution. The English name of the university was changed on 1 October 2007.