My Prediction: SFC in 15 Years | Kaeko Yamashita (Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)

2009.01.27

As I am sure you are already aware, the " Exhibition on Yukichi Fukuzawa: Pioneering the Future " is being held at the Hyokeikan of the Tokyo National Museum (Ueno Park) from January 10 to March 8 of this year. The greatness and splendor of Yukichi Fukuzawa's legacy are widely known, as he is celebrated as "one of Japan's great thinkers, enlighteners, and educators," but through this exhibition, I could not help but be moved, as if I were directly touching his ideas, daily life, and spirit. Encountering the human figure of Yukichi Fukuzawa, filled with "courage and dignity"—with his still-fresh perspectives that transcend a century, the depth of his contemplation, and his humane compassion for those around him—I felt I wanted to visit not just once, but two or three times during its run.

Now, let's consider the main topic: "How will SFC have changed in 15 years?" Thinking about 150 years ago is difficult, and I enjoyed letting my imagination run wild, but thinking about 15 years from now feels realistic and is, in a sense, an exciting time (in 15 years, I too will have long since "graduated" from SFC, much earlier than Dean Tokuda or Dean Agawa).

First, I picture a campus landscape that has acquired a sense of dignity. The trees have grown taller, their trunks two or three times thicker, giving them an even greater presence. The concrete-walled buildings, without losing their newness even after 15 years, will harmonize with a campus populated by a greater variety of people and will continue to watch over the students' activities (with a tolerant gaze).

The Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future) possesses a dignity similar to that of traditional university student dormitories in Europe. The students who received guidance from Dean Agawa have already grown into gentlemen and ladies. Some of these gentlemen and ladies return to the university, some start businesses to uncover societal needs, and others become core figures in corporations and company organizations. They guide their juniors (current students), prepare to hold a grand annual banquet that has become a tradition at the Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future), invite former deans and directors to share various episodes about the campus's founding and the conception and implementation of the Mirai Sendo Juku (Pioneering the Future Juku), and so on... but any more than this falls within the purview of Dean Tokuda and Dean Agawa, so I shall stop here.

Next, I imagine myself, invited as a special lecturer to speak on "the real feeling of aging" for the first time in 12 years after my retirement, experiencing a pleasant surprise at the diversity of students learning and researching at SFC. Visiting SFC for the first time in a long while, I arrive an hour early out of nostalgia, greet the trees on campus, and sit down on a bench. As I listen to young people (who I imagine are) international students from various countries chatting and laughing in rapid speech, I feel a slight thrill as I hear not only Japanese but also a mix of languages such as English, German, French, Korean, Chinese, Malay, Filipino, and Vietnamese. I also see people in wheelchairs and volunteers of all ages, likely heading to the "Yui Plaza" at the Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future). Some enjoy a slow walk, while others pass by at a brisk pace, nodding with bright faces. I can also hear the clear, high-pitched voices of kindergarteners heading to the "Children's Plaza" established on the first floor of the Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future).

As I take in these scenes, I am deeply moved. I recall, as if it were yesterday, that 2009, 15 years ago, was a memorable year marking the first step toward Keio's "next 150 years." I remember how we seriously considered the promotion of international exchange at Keio and the implementation of the national policy "300,000 International Student Plan," and how we worked tirelessly to support female researchers, provide childcare support, and promote gender equality in our quest for the creativity and tolerance that diversity brings.

Then, suddenly, I encounter a group of five or six students shouting "We did it! We did it!" and running by, patting each other on the back with joy, exclaiming, "SFC is finally 20th in the world academic ranking! 20th!" As I watch the jubilant group go, I too do a little dance by myself, thinking, "Really! How wonderful! You did it! Well done!" I then find myself looking back on 15 years ago as a distant past, lost in various thoughts.

Oh yes, I remember that the "Exhibition on Yukichi Fukuzawa: Pioneering the Future" was held in early 2009, where Yukichi Fukuzawa was introduced as a "practitioner of heterodoxy." I also recall that the theme for ORF in 2007 and 2008 was "eXtreme," and that Hiroshi Kato, the first Dean of the Faculty of Policy Management at SFC, used to inspire students by saying, "Yukichi Fukuzawa has recently moved to SFC..." I interpreted it on my own, thinking, 'This must be the fruit of the education and research that has sought to practice the timeless ideas and way of life of Yukichi Fukuzawa in our daily work... and it is the result, the product, of the diversity and tolerance that have fundamentally supported it at SFC...' Just as I was coming to this personal conclusion, the bell for the start of class rang.

"Oh my! I came to SFC today after a long time to talk to the students about the 'experience of aging,'" I said, remembering the purpose of my visit. But then, recalling the three cautionary points for the elderly—"When you get old, don't catch a cold! Don't fall!..."—I decided, "Let's take everything slowly," and started heading toward the building of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care.

In the style of Detective Columbo, 'Oh, and one more thing I just remembered.' The years 2008-2009 were also known as a time of a once-in-a-century economic crisis, and a year of great anxiety about the return of a "job-hunting ice age." What I can say from my 70-plus years of experience is that precisely in such difficult times, we must not neglect education and research as an "investment in the future." In particular, nurturing the human resources who will lead the future is the mission of SFC. ...Time flies like an arrow. I must not waste the young people's time, I thought, and I would probably be running toward the classroom, trying to keep my balance so as not to fall.

(Date of publication: 2009/01/27)