Leading the Way to the Future | Hideyuki Tokuda (Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance)
April 6, 2006
On Wednesday, March 29, the commencement for the 2005 academic year for the Keio University Graduate Schools was held at the Hiyoshi Campus, where a total of 1,574 students were conferred degrees. This ceremony was memorable for three reasons. First, the graduate schools were established at Keio University in 1906 (the 39th year of the Meiji era), and this year marks the 100th anniversary of their founding. Second, with the establishment of the Law School, professional degrees were conferred for the first time. Third, the number of degree recipients exceeded 1,500 for the first time, and the ceremony was held at the Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall instead of the traditional Mita Campus. The establishment of the graduate schools in 1906, just a few years after the passing of Yukichi Fukuzawa, was a groundbreaking event, and one can sense the enthusiasm of that era.
Now, regarding the topic "What will become of Japan!," I would like to make two comments from the perspective of research and education at universities and graduate schools.
First, a crucial challenge is to cultivate individuals who will lead the future of this country. Yukichi Fukuzawa once said, "Independence of the self leads to the independence of the nation," and I truly feel that "without excellent universities and graduate schools, there is no future for a nation." The role of universities and graduate schools is extremely significant, as it greatly influences the future "shape of the nation." The venues for producing advanced knowledge in society have expanded to an extent unimaginable from the universities of the Meiji era. However, the importance of universities and graduate schools as places not only for the creation of knowledge but also for nurturing the people who will lead the next generation of society is not only universal but is becoming increasingly significant. If the functions of universities and graduate schools deteriorate, the future of that country is easy to imagine.
Second, we want to be a vibrant nation with international competitiveness while inheriting the culture of this country. I was recently invited to give a lecture at an IT Forum held at an IT Park in Nansha, China, and I sensed a different kind of vitality from the young students and researchers from Chinese universities, unlike what I see in Japan. It was impressive to see them confidently pose tough questions to high-ranking Chinese government officials. While there are many energetic university students in Japan, they tend to be shy, and some are not very adept at speaking up at international conferences. To put it a bit dramatically, this may be the root cause of the decline in Japan's ability to communicate its message to the international community. I hope to cultivate individuals who can clearly express their own opinions and assertions and lead the international community.
The graduate schools at SFC are currently in the process of revising their curriculum to align with the revision of the undergraduate curriculum starting in the 2007 academic year. We intend to approach the cultivation of individuals who can lead future society with the same enthusiasm and vitality as in 1906.
(Posted: 2006/04/06)