On October 27 and 28, 2007, Kyushu University hosted the “University Summit in Kyushu 2007” for the second time since 2000.
1. Sessions and Summit Declaration Kyushu University, along with 11 other universities from 11 countries, with the theme of Integrating Global Universities and Local Communities in the 21st Century, participated in the following three sessions, which were dedicated to exchanging experiences, Q&A session, and tour of the Ito Campus: (1) The science city of the future and the environment; (2) The university as a resource for a prosperous local community; and (3) The university’s role in health sciences.
In the closing session on October 28, discussion results were formulated into the “Kyushu University Summit 2007 Declaration.” The summit was summarized by President Kajiyama’s comment, “This meeting gave us an opportunity to reacknowledge the importance of intellectual cooperation between universities, and of fostering the capabilities of younger generations. I hope to make this Declaration widely known to the society.”
2. Dialogue with high school students On the morning of October 28, 85 high school students from 11 schools in and beyond Fukuoka Prefecture gathered for a dialogue with the heads of foreign universities, an essay contest with the theme, How Can I Contribute to the World as a University Student? (in which the top student was awarded the opportunity to participate in a short-term study program at one of the participating universities of his/her choosing), and an exchange with foreign students from Kyushu University’s sister schools.
The following are excerpts from that dialogue: Q: What is the purpose of a university education? (Hayashida, Nagasaki Higashi High School, top essay award recipient) A: The purpose is to gain the knowledge necessary for dealing with social problems, as well as issues within one’s specialized fields. (Huber, Munich University President) A: Everything relates to what’s happening in society. Please, go out and learn so that you can deal with future regional and global scale problems. (Amid-Zanjani, University of Tehran President)
Q: What is your impression of Japanese university students? (Kimura, Tochiku High School) A: Like Korean students, they seem to become shy when talking to Americans in English. For those of you living in the 21st century, I want all of you to be open to the outside world and be able to communicate with different people.(Kim, Graduate school Dean, Seoul National University)
Q: What do you mean by being “open”? (Oniwa, Chikushigaoka High School) A: To be fluent in English, a global language, and to be independent and active.(Kim, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Director, Seoul National University)
Q: What advice do you have for people with dreams? (Kubo, Chikushigaoka High School) A: I would advise people to have a tangible dream. Visualizing a utopia leads to the creation of a new world.(Hirano, University of Sao Paulo Vice President) A: Having a dream provides its own strong power fueling that dream. You will be responsible for the future of the world. Understanding and respecting people from different parts of the world will help create a peaceful world.(Kiranandana, Chulalongkorn University President)
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