President’s Inaugural Message

Since its founding in 1911, Kyushu University has valued freedom in education and research, nurtured generations of students and researchers, advanced knowledge, and grown together with society. Located in Kyushu, a region open to Asia, the university has brought together people of different backgrounds and diverse fields of knowledge, creating new value through their interaction. This is an important part of our tradition and one of our strengths.

Today, we stand at a major turning point. Science and technology are advancing at an unprecedented pace, while the challenges we face—from environmental issues and demographic change to shifts in the international community—are becoming increasingly complex. As more problems emerge that cannot be solved by existing knowledge and approaches alone, the role of universities must also change.

A university is, above all, a place where we confront questions that have yet to be answered. Free inquiry and the willingness to take on new challenges open new frontiers of knowledge and, in time, can change society. I want Kyushu University to be a university that supports those who take on challenges.

To achieve this, we will build on our strengths in research and education as a Designated National University Corporation, bringing together knowledge from diverse fields and creating an environment where new science can emerge across disciplinary and organizational boundaries. At the same time, we will make our governance more autonomous and agile, so that the university can shape its own future and fully use its strengths. Rooted in Kyushu, we will remain open to Asia and the world.

Above all, the future of the university depends on its people—our students, faculty and staff, alumni, and the many people in the community and society who support us. When people with different backgrounds come together and inspire one another, their individual strengths can grow. In particular, I want Kyushu University to be a place where young people can ask their own questions and take a first step without fear of failure.

Supporting those who take on challenges, connecting people and knowledge, nurturing the next generation, and remaining rooted in our region while open to the world—this is the Kyushu University we seek to build.

Tradition also means continuing to create something new. Together, let us work toward a future that only Kyushu University can envision.

Koichi Akashi
President, Kyushu University
October 1, 2026