Kyudai News No27 page 6/28

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Kyudai News No27

Top Story Now IOd like to askyou about the newAction Plan. Whatwas the thinkingbehind it?Even now, KyushuUniversity is one of theworld’s top institutions inthe field of energy andAsia-related matters, butI’d like it to furtherexpand its range ofstrengths to become a university capable of competing withothers around the world on equal terms. I want it to becomeone of the top 100 universities worldwide when all fields aretaken into account, as signified by the slogan “Lead to theNext 100 Years , Leap to the Best 100 World” that wascreated to mark the university’s centenary. I believe it’s vitalfor us to strive to achieve this target. Personally, I’m anoptimistic realist, so while I’m clear-sighted about actualproblems, I don’t want to be unremittingly serious; I’drather constantly pursue a dream.Which particular areas does the Action Planemphasize?The six key points of the Action Plan are all important, but Ibelieve that what Kyushu University needs to do inparticular is to continue to carry out world-class researchand education, and to cultivate personnel wth a globaloutlook, who are capable of resolving the wide range ofchallenges faced by society. To do so, it will be crucial forus to properly enhance both the tangible and intangibleaspects of the university campus, so that we can create andinnovate.Since you mention campus development, theprocess of integration and relocation to the ItoCampus will be completed in another three years.ThatOs another key initiative in the Action Plan,isnOt it?That’s right. My mission is to fully complete the process ofcampus relocation, which has already been underway for tenyears. In addition, I believe that developing a roadmap forthe future of the Hakozaki Campus site with the support ofthe local community is an important task.One of the crucial points in the Action Plan is the future ofthe humanities and social sciences. Kyushu University is acore university, so I want it to continue to value thehumanities and social sciences as our organization growsthrough outstanding research and education. However, I dobelieve that the organization needs to be restructured tomeet the needs of the times. As science progresses further,many ethical issues are emerging. What form should humansociety take in the future? The voices and thoughts ofpeople in the humanities and social sciences concerning thisquestion are vital. The term “humanities and socialsciences” covers a wide range of fields, including history,culture, philosophy, and languages, so I’d like ouracademics to offer more pointers about the challenges thatsociety and our planet face today.YouOve seen Kyushu University develop over manyyears, from your student days through to thepresent. WhatOsyour image ofKyushuUniversity?My main impressionof it is as quite a freeand easy place. Butas people often tellme, it doesn’t have avery strong spirit ofrivalry, because it’sso far from otherIOmEanEoptimisticErealist:EIEwantEtoEconstantlyEpursueEaEdream,EwhileEremainingEclear-sightedEaboutEtheEproblemsEthatEweEactuallyEface5