SFC's Strength Lies in Its Cutting Edge | Jiro Kokuryo, Vice-President
2019.11.05
A meeting called the Executive Board (commonly known as theJomukai) is held about twice a week at Mita Campus. The President, Vice-Presidents (currently 10 members), the Secretary General, the Director of the Administrative Affairs Office, and other members deemed necessary (currently the Chief of the Office of the President) gather around a table just large enough to accommodate them. They deliberate on matters that require the President's approval on behalf of Keio University as an educational corporation (such as commissioned projects, procurement orders, and personnel matters). Among these, very large-scale matters or those required by regulations are then forwarded to the Board of Councillors and the Board of Trustees.
Matters brought up from SFC are also sometimes discussed. It's fine when they are mechanically approved, but when someone raises a question, things get tough. All eyes turn to me at once, and I can feel the pressure of their stares asking, "What's going on here?!" When I understand the situation from a prior briefing by the administrative staff or when the questions are easily predictable, I can explain my way through it. However, sometimes I'm hit with an unexpected question out of the blue, and there are times when even I can't make sense of the matter. In those moments, I find myself breaking into a cold sweat and stammering through an explanation, thinking, "Oh, but if I don't get this approved today, necessary expenditures can't be made, and everyone on campus will be in trouble." (So, please, give me a heads-up in advance, especially for potentially contentious issues.)
Let me add, to avoid any misunderstanding, that I'm not saying you should only do safe, conventional things because it's tough for me. When the news is good, I feel proud and happy to explain the amazing things SFC is doing, and I believe you should all be confident in your work. The ideas coming out of SFC are creative and future-oriented, which makes the effort all the more worthwhile.
So, everyone, please keep pursuing creative endeavors that will put Kokuryo in a tough spot explaining them at Mita Campus. On a serious note, if SFC isn't always on the cutting edge, it will quickly sink. It is at a significant locational disadvantage in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is crowded with strong competitors. We cannot survive simply by writing mainstream academic papers (though we do that too). I believe it is precisely this fate that allows SFC to maintain its cutting-edge nature. Let's create a campus that is unique in the world.