Welcoming Representatives from Universities Around the World

2016/10/01

Image: 1965, Photo by Jun Miki (both top and bottom)

In 1965, the year following the Tokyo Olympics, the 4th General Conference of the International Association of Universities was held at the University of Tokyo for seven days starting August 31. The International Association of Universities (IAU) was established under UNESCO in 1950 with the founding purpose of "strengthening the links between universities worldwide, enhancing the role of universities in society, and contributing to international peace." The General Conference is held once every five years and is often referred to as the "Festival of Universities." Following previous conferences in Nice (France), Istanbul (Turkey), and Mexico City, the 4th General Conference was the first to be held in Asia. It was attended by 395 representatives and 85 observers from 289 universities across 63 countries, including the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Among the participants were many prominent presidents and researchers with deep ties to Keio University, such as President Nathan Pusey of Harvard University and Professor Herbert Butterfield of Cambridge University. There were 103 participants from 51 universities in Japan. From Keio University, the newly appointed President Kunio Nagasawa, Professor Saku Sato of the Faculty of Letters, and Professor Kenzo Kiga of the Faculty of Economics attended. The opening ceremony of the General Conference was held grandly, attended by the Crown Prince and Princess, Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, and Minister of Education Umekichi Nakamura.

On September 4, 98 of the overseas university presidents and representatives participating in the General Conference visited Mita Campus. At 11:00 a.m., the group arrived in front of the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration) in three large buses. Welcomed by the President, directors, and deans, they crossed the quiet campus during the summer break while listening to the "Oka no Ue" chimes and entered the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall). At the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), President Nagasawa delivered a welcoming address and introduced the founder, Yukichi Fukuzawa. He spoke with pride about how Keio University holds a leading position among Japanese private schools, sending many talented graduates into the economic and industrial sectors, and mentioned that the university dispatches many scholars to foreign countries and conducts student exchanges with various universities. Subsequently, the group visited the Noguchi Room and the Library Memorial Room in the Second Research Building (a building designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi that stood before the construction of the South Building and housed the International Center and The Keio Institute of Cultural and Linguistic Studies). There, they viewed exhibits such as the National Treasure "Jar with Autumn Grass Design" and the world's oldest printed materials, the "Hyakumanto Darani" sutras. Afterward, they moved to the Mitsui Club for a welcome reception.

By 2013, the International Association of Universities had expanded to include 630 institutions across 119 countries, and the 15th General Conference will be held in Bangkok this November.

(Atsuko Ishiguro, Director of the Office of Communications and Public Relations)