Kyudai News No26 page 6/28

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Kyudai News No26

D Kyushu University is going to actively undertakeinitiatives aimed at internationalization, isnOt it?is September, construction of two new studentdormitories at the Ito Campus ? the Ito Harmony Houseand Dormitory III ? was completed. International studentswill live in these alongside Japanese students. We’re alsoenhancing our systems for promoting and supportingoverseas study by Japanese students, and will use theKyushu University Fund to ?nance further e?orts in thisarea. My ?rst task as president was to speak at the FY2014Autumn Entrance Ceremony on October 2. Most of the370 or so entrants were international students, so the wholeof the ceremony was conducted in English. I want to makesteady progress in promoting internationalization.D The number of international students hasincreased quite considerably, hasnOt it?ere are currently almost 19,000 students, approximately2,000 of whom are international students, hailing fromaround 80 countries. So that means that internationalstudents make up just over 10% of the student body. I’mlooking forward to having more opportunities to meet awider range of our international students.D Do you think that will have a rejuvenating effect?I’m afraid that age-wise, it’s downhill all the way now. But I get the feeling that coming into contactwith young people gives one a younger outlook.D This is the first time IOve been to the Ito Campusfor a while, but it seems that new buildings havesprung up each time I visit, which makes me feelvery proud.I think it’s a wonderful environment ? it’s so spacious andthe air is very clean. My predecessor, Dr. Arikawa, showedme around the Ito Campus, which is about three kilometersfrom one end to another. We’re aiming for completion inthe 2018 academic year, by which stage there will be 19,000students, sta?, and faculty members here.D ItOs going to be like a small town in its own right,isnOt it?It certainly will be just like a small town, both in terms ofthe number of students, sta?, and faculty members and interms of the scale of the university’s budget.D Finally, as president, what message do you havefor our current students and other young people?Over the course of its history, which spans more than acentury, Kyushu University has been a leader in the ?elds ofeducation, research, and health care in Japan. In the future,I’d like all students, sta?, and faculty members to worktogether to make it one of the world’s leading universities.In particular, I want to encourage students to engagediligently with scholarship, to experience the joy of learning,and to take a close look at themselves ? in other words, tohone their ideas about who they are and what they want todo. Moreover, I’d like everyone at Kyushu University toembrace and single-mindedly pursue their own dream.Top Story Interview with the PresidentEncouragingstudentsto hone their ideasabout who they areand what theywant to do5 Kyudai News No.26