(Message from the President) Keio University’s Response to the Situation after the Tohoku – Pacific Ocean Earthquake

The Tohoku – Pacific Ocean Earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck on the afternoon of March 11 have caused a disaster on an unprecedented scale, and the more we learn about actual conditions in the affected areas the heavier our hearts grow. On behalf of Keio University, I express my deep mourning for all those who lost their lives. I also extend my heartfelt sympathies to all the victims who have suffered harm or been affected by this disaster.

The present situation is extremely severe. Firstly, we must rapidly provide relief to the victims and reconstruct the affected areas. The rebuilding of the Japanese economy, which has received another large blow, is also an urgent issue, but it will take a long time for a complete recovery. We have no choice, however, but to accomplish the provision of relief to victims, the reconstruction of affected areas, and the recovery and development of Japan’s society.

For this we should recall three things that Yukichi Fukuzawa spoke about: “jitsugaku”, meaning empirical science; “public knowledge”, meaning the ability to rationally evaluate the relative importance of things; and “morality”, meaning to care about others in difficult circumstances, such as disasters. When providing relief to the victims of the Tohoku – Pacific Ocean Earthquake and reconstructing the affected areas, these things are of utmost importance. Keio University, with these three things as a basis, hopes to contribute to the provision of relief to victims, the reconstruction of the affected areas, and the subsequent recovery and further development of the whole Japanese economy and society.

At Keio University, all current students and alumni have improved their intellectual ability based on jitsugaku, or “science”, refined their ability to make correct decisions through public knowledge, and further nurtured their moral virtue of caring about others in difficulty. By combining these strengths and working together with the whole of Japanese society, we want to vigorously revive Japan which is presently confronted by this extremely difficult time. In addition, through continuing to steadily educate young people with these strengths, including this year’s new students; through advancing research that forms the foundation of jitsugaku; and through further raising the quality of its social activities, for example by further increasing the standard of its medicine, Keio hopes to contribute to the recovery and further development of Japan’s society and economy. This contribution is a social mission of Keio University.

It pains us that today, even at this very moment, there are many people leading uncertain lives in evacuation shelters and centers. We cannot help but feel ineffable respect and gratitude for the commitment of all the firefighters, Self-Defense Forces personnel, police officers, administrative officers, medical workers and volunteers who are carrying out rescue and relief activities without regard for their personal safety, as well as for the aid and assistance that has been extended by the international community, including the American military.

In the immediate future, Keio University will swiftly act to do whatever it can to support victims and to reconstruct the affected areas. Already, together with the Keio Alumni Association and the All Keio Student Government, we have begun collecting a relief fund from across the Keio community, and as a part of our medical support we have sent Keio Medical Relief Teams to affected areas. For current students or those about to enter the university who have suffered harm or been affected by the earthquake, we are preparing reductions of academic fees, extensions of the deadlines for admissions procedures and fee payments, and additional support in the form of scholarships. The graduation ceremonies and ceremonies for conferring diplomas and degrees scheduled for the end of March have been canceled and will be replaced by ceremonies broadcast over the Internet, while we have decided to postpone the entrance ceremonies in April. These decisions are out of consideration of such factors as the present uncertainties over electricity and transportation services, responses to aftershocks, and efforts to restrict energy consumption, and are based on the judgment that events for which many people gather at the same time should be avoided at the moment. We respectfully ask for everyone’s understanding in this matter.

However, although we are still unable to predict the situations of such things as electricity and transportation services, the university’s fundamental task of education, research and medicine will proceed as normally and as steadily as possible. We believe that this is the most important thing that Keio University should now do as a contribution to Japanese society in these severe circumstances. By bringing together the strengths of students, alumni, faculty and staff members, we hope that we will make a contribution to overcoming the crisis that confronts Japan. I therefore request again the solidarity of the whole Keio community and the combining of our strengths.

March 22, 2011
Prof. Atsushi Seike, President of Keio University