Towards Uniqueness

The post-war history of national universities began with the enactment of the School Education Law of 1947 and the establishment of a new system of national universities (national combined universities) under the National School Establishment Law of 1949, as well as the transition of imperial universities to national comprehensive universities. In 1963, the Central Council for Education recommended that higher education institutions be classified into different types: comprehensive graduate universities for professional and specialist education and research, and combined universities for the development of local industry. The proposal included plans to establish master's programs to train professionals with high research skills at both types of universities. Our university, however, was founded in 1973 based on a new law and with clearly different philosophy and principles. But our roots go back to the Normal School which was founded in 1872 as Japan's first institution of higher education. In line with this heritage, we are expected to create and lead Japanese university reform.

Today, higher education in Japan faces two major challenges with no easy solution: trends in demographics and the nation's financial situation. The population of 18-year-olds is roughly 1.18 million, but is expected to decline to about 1 million by 2030 and 800,000 by 2040. In the past, the quota for students studying education at national universities increased beginning from 1966 as a result of the second baby boom, while science and engineering programs were expanded to support Japan's era of rapid and steady growth. The possibility that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) will reduce the number of undergraduate students is now becoming a real possibility. If there is no change in policy to dramatically increase the percentage of students enrolling in universities and we continue to demand high quality students, we will have to decrease our undergraduate student population. If enrollment is reduced, tuition revenue, number of faculty members and operating funds will be reduced accordingly. This would jeopardize our ability to maintain our current levels of education and research. The solution is not to simply reduce university enrollment capacity in response to a shrinking population. Japan needs human resources that can navigate today's increasingly complex society. This is true not only for knowledge-based fields, but also for sports and other creative fields. We can maintain the highest level of education only if we recruit a wide range of talented students.

Japan's social structure is also undergoing major changes. At the core of these changes is the rapid development of digital sciences. Society 5.0 is the vision for a future society proposed in the Japanese Government's Fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan. It is a society that will promote the resolution of social issues by integrating cyber and physical space. In addition, Japan has the world's fastest aging population. The aging population can be rethought as bringing about a 100-year lifespan era. The interim report of the Council for Designing 100 Year-Life Society states that to enrich such a long life-span, lifelong learning is important, from early childhood education, to elementary, middle and high school education, to university education, as well as adult recurrent education. There is also the issue of regional development. The structure of Japan's society, economy and industrial structure is greatly concentrated in Tokyo and its surrounding areas. While it makes make use of the vitality of other regions, it is not in a position to provide fundamental support or drive their development. Looking at the current distribution of corporate locations in Europe and the United States, it is easy to understand that Japan's high concentration in Tokyo is exceptional. The rapid development of digital science is driving a shift from a labor-intensive to a knowledge-intensive industrial structure. With the advances of smart technology, current industries in rural and regional areas can have great potential. We need to consider society based on the needs of local and regional areas. As a national university, we need to interpret this perspective in our own way and aim for solutions through research and education. In times of tight government finances, this be seen as an opportunity to obtain external funding.

We must create the conditions for maintaining our academic freedom and uniqueness. The amendments to the National University Corporation Law enacted by the National Diet in 2016 and enforced in fiscal 2017 allows the Minister of MEXT to designate national university corporations that have the capability to offer world-class education and research as Designated National University Corporations. Universities that become a designated national university corporation are expected to compete with leading global universities. They are expected also to invest in projects that have been closed to national university corporations. So far, six universities have received such a designation. At the last open call for application (fiscal year 2016), we did not apply as our university did not meet some of the prerequisites. However, in light of our future vision, we must apply with full confidence at the time of the next call for application, which is assumed to be during the fifth year of the third mid-term plan period.

Aiming for a unique education

One of the ways in which our university is able to demonstrate its unique approach to education is to make a full transition to a degree program system. The Central Council for Education stressed the importance and necessity of degree programs in its report of last November. Discussions have begun within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to make this transformation a reality. The transition is part of our third mid-term goals and plan. A new curriculum to enrich undergraduate degree programs will be introduced this year in educational programs that have been accredited since the opening of our university under the proviso of Article 85 of the School Education Act. One of the main focus of this endeavor will be the enhancement of AI, foundational mathematics and digital sciences education in relation to Society 5.0. Also, to reiterate last year's statement, liberal arts are the arts and sciences that are not confined to a specific career path. Predictions in newspapers and other media state that "65% of today's children will be employed in jobs that don't exist today when they graduate from college," or that "about 47% of jobs in the next 10 to 20 years will be automated." What today's students need is a liberal arts education that will give them the capability to create new jobs that people--not machines--should be doing, without being bound by traditional concepts. A liberal arts education is also necessary for thriving in today's VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) environment.

Based on the proviso of Article 100 of the School Education Act, a new system for our graduate schools will be approved by MEXT by the end of this academic year, and will be introduced next year. We are committed to making the most of these systems to further refine our unique system of education that goes beyond the barriers between disciplines, organizations, institutions, society, and national borders. Collaboration between specialists in different fields is necessary for transcending academic disciplines. To do so this, we can envision a situation where one person learns and acquires skills in various fields and continues to collaborate with others having different skills.

In advancing such initiatives, it is also important to have a system for managing and verifying the quality of education provided. We are now in the process of reorganizing the Organization for Educational Initiatives and establishing an Office of Academic Management for this matter. This organization will have the functions of both the Council for the Establishment of Universities (which deliberates on the establishment, aftercare, and revision or abolition of degree programs) and an accreditation body. Evaluation of education quality is important. However, exact educational outcomes is not something that can determined over a short period either. For example, we need to prepare qualitative and quantitative indicators that capture the success of our graduates, through mainly our Diversity, Accessibility and Career Center (DAC Center).

One of the fundamental roles of Japanese national universities is to ensure that all citizens have equal opportunities to high quality higher education and to produce the human resources who will support the future vitality of our nation. It is necessary to discuss and select the best way for us to respond to this role. If we continue with our current student recruitment and education policies, we will not be able to produce a higher level of human resources in greater numbers than we do today.

Efforts to continue to attract undergraduate students from across the country are essential. In particular, efforts to identify previously undiscovered talent are important. Reform of entrance examinations is vital in this regard. Other national universities are reforming their own entrance examinations (including not only the traditional entrance examinations for incoming first and second semester students, but also for special recommendations and Admissions Office examinations). Admissions examinations based on diploma and curriculum policies that reflect our uniqueness are necessary.

In addition, serious consideration must be given to how to increase the number of outstanding foreign undergraduate students. Offering a unique education at our university will not only encourage foreign graduates to contribute to the knowledge capital of our country, but will also provide them with a starting point for their future. The 5% enrollment capacity of international students has already been filled through our conventional programs taught in 365体育投注, the Global Issues Degree Program (bachelor's degree), the Japan- Expert Program (bachelor's degree) and the Comprehensive Science and Engineering Degree Program. From the perspective of securing more international students, we must also strengthen our efforts to recruit students from abroad and expand our education internationally. Competition for international students is increasing on a global scale. Japan is lagging in this respect. We need to strengthen our own recruitment of students not only from overseas universities, but also from high schools.

We also need to consider recurrent education for working adults. Many working adults recognize the need to update their knowledge and skills in the midst of rapid social change. This is reflected in the significant increase in the need for highly specialized and advanced programs aimed at working adults. We do not, however, intend to offer recurrent undergraduate education. In fact, we currently have a system in place for admitting working adults in graduate and doctoral programs that is limited to talented professionals. While this system is based on admission policies for individual programs, we need to develop a university-wide policy on the acceptance of working adults. In doing so, we need to consider a flexible admission, curriculum and completion system that allows students to begin their studies in certificate and extension programs and to later use any credits earned towards a degree. Such credits earned can be used for determining to which year of study incoming students will be admitted and for early graduation.

With a declining population of 18-year-olds, it will become difficult to maintain the current population of both our graduate and undergraduate student bodies. We are facing a serious shortage of graduate students in Japan compared to the West. Future graduates will need not only deep expertise in a single discipline, but also across a range of disciplines to be able to tackle the complex problems and challenges of the future. As a research-oriented university, we must strive to produce graduates who can not only support academia, but also respond to the needs of a knowledge-based society.

Aiming for Uniqueness

The aim of university research activities is the search for truth and creation of knowledge. Both university's educational activities and societal contribution are based on solid and original research. Our university supports two main types of research: basic and applied research and development research. The latter will be discussed later in this section, but close collaboration with society is necessary. The goal of research in the former category is not investment. You cannot expect earnings from such research. Researchers should strive to achieve their research while obtaining funding in a competitive environment. To apply to become a designated national university, the university must either be ranked in the top 10 in the country in terms of total number of new applications in two or more fields of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research Projects, or be ranked in the top 10 in terms of its ratio of top 10% cited papers per total number of papers (Q-value) in the country. We have met these requirements, but we must continue to strengthen our support for research so that you can obtain research funding and produce high-impact papers. Much of the cutting-edge research is accomplished by groups of intellectually curious experts, and I hope that the university will continue to strengthen its support so that you can continue to write high-impact papers. Universities must increase the number of researchers, including outstanding faculty members, graduate students and externally funded postdoctoral fellows, and secure research time. We have high hopes for more outstanding graduate programs such as the newly developed Humanics Degree Program. In addition, based on the evaluation of our activities for the first five years of MEXT's Project for Promoting the Strengthening of Research Universities, we were selected for project continuation for an additional five years. We intend to increase the number of URAs and enhance other research support measures.

Since the opening of our university, it can be said that the uniqueness of our research lies in its interdisciplinary and international nature. In my 2016 Statement, I interpreted interdisciplinarity as "the creation of new academic disciplines" and redefined our university as a place to actively create new academic fields and disciplines, rather than as a place for only joint research between different fields. We believe that the WPI system will serve as a model for internationalizing research, with its requirement of having at least 30% international researchers at all times and having 365体育投注 as the standard language for all administrative and research support systems. The new ministry framework, International Joint Usage/Research Center has the same requirements. If we can make this a standard in our university, we will create an environment in which international faculty members can perform at their best without language barriers.

There is one additional point that I would like to point out to everyone. That is, all research should be considered from the perspective of SDGs. This, however, does not mean that each research should be conducted from the perspective of SDGs, but rather that the UN-proposed SDGs are a concrete example of the Japanese government's "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" initiative which is a plan of action for humanity and earth that was adopted January 2016. We are the first national university in Japan to join the United Nations Global Compact, a global effort to achieve sustainable growth. The achievement of SDGs requires the mobilization of knowledge in all fields and the power of new science and technology. In Europe and the United States, support is no longer given to initiatives that significantly hinder the achievement of the SDGs. I look forward to a lively debate on the role that universities should play.

Aiming for Unique Industry-Academic Collaboration

We did not apply to become a designated national university during the 2016 call as we did not meet the Collaboration with Society requirement listed below:

• an average ratio of contracted/joint research revenue to ordinary income for fiscal years 2011-2015 that is among the top 10 in Japan
• an average ratio of endowment revenue to current revenue for fiscal years 2011-2015 that is among the top 10 in Japan
• an average ratio of income from patents to ordinary income for fiscal years 2010-2014 that is among the top 10 in Japan

Considering the level of our research, education and collaboration with industry and government, our ratios in these areas are unexpectedly low. We reorganized our Department of Research Promotion and moved industry-university cooperation activities into a newly formed and independent Headquarters for International University-Industry Collaboration. As a result, funds for joint research from industry has exceeded one billion yen for three consecutive years and is increasingly annually. With increased effort we aim to develop a global reputation as a top international institution. Unfortunately, however, the amount of corporate investment in education or the development of human resources is still very low. While we understand that it is difficult for companies to invest in education, we need to consider ways to encourage them to do so.

We intend to actively contribute to the realization of Society 5.0 and the achievement of the SDGs through our Development Research Centers. The university will continue to promote a good balance between basic research, applied research and development research, with development research having the most potential for growth despite our being a latecomer to this area. In development research, we need to accelerate the shift from a seeds-based approach to a needs-based approach. In Japan, many joint research projects with companies and university-launched ventures are still based on research seeds. Starting from the needs of companies and society should result in a positive cycle that will attract investment. In order to take advantage of our uniqueness and location to shift to a needs-based approach, accreditation as a designated national university corporation is essential. I won't go into details in this statement, but creating a corporate-style organization, in which we actively engage in investments, is necessary for realizing needs-based open innovation research.

On March 1 of this year, the University Sports Association (UNIVAS) was established. While we agree with the founding objectives of the association, which are to monetize university sports, ensure student safety and balance academics, our university has decided not to join this organization. The reason for this decision is that the Student Athletic Federations (academic federations) of each sport has been granted the same full membership as universities. Universities should be given greater consideration in order to prioritize student growth. However, it appears UNIVAS will have a clear policy of protecting the rights of athletic federations. This could place the needs of the sports federation and athletic performance ahead of student growth, which is against our philosophy for university sports. If this position of UNIVAS changes, we would like to join UNIVAS, but until then, we are in a unique position to implement and promote the philosophy of our athletic department.

Aiming for Unique Student Support

College is the last stop for students before they go out into the world. There is a big difference between life as a student and life as an adult. University is a place where academic and intellectual skills are nurtured and a certain amount of self-knowledge is achieved through interaction with fellow students and professors. It is a place that prepares students for the next stage of their lives. University is not just a place to learn about the liberal arts or an academic field, but also a place to nurture an adult mindset.

We need specific initiatives to achieve this. For example, we have developed a system where students design and propose ideas for on-campus jobs. There are many job possibilities, such as design, promotional video production, IT support, software development, international student support, study support, campus beautification, event planning, and staffing services. On a campus with a diverse student body, a variety of needs can be found everywhere. Through these activities, students can develop an entrepreneurial mindset and job creating competencies, as well as earn an income with minimal travel. When students take on a job, they will have responsibilities and obligations. Not only do they have to complete the work on time, but also ensure the quality of the goods delivered and services provided. Students will experience the difficulties of this process, and more importantly, they will learn the importance of working with others. By consulting and receiving advice from faculty and staff, students will gradually develop a sense of being adult members of society. This is just one example. Other meaningful initiatives for student support should be considered as well.

Aiming for unique social partnerships

When considering the connection between our university and society, we must take into account Tsukuba City, the surrounding areas and global environment, as well as our hospital, affiliated schools and potential corporate partners.

As I have already mentioned, internationalism is the cornerstone of our uniqueness. In world university rankings, our internationalization score is consistently among the highest in Japan. However, we cannot be satisfied with this score. With this in mind, our initiative for the Japanese Top Global University project is named Creating a Transborder University for a Brighter Future. This reflects the international nature of our university and our aim to transform global higher education. It is no exaggeration to say that our Campus-in-Campus initiative promoted by this project has evolved from a bilateral partnership to a multilateral research and education alliance of nine universities. The world's top universities are both fierce competitors and collaborators in joint research and degree programs. In industry, strategic collaboration with competitors is called coopetition; we would like to present a model of inter-university coopetition to the world.

Although we have already met the requirements for international collaboration for a designated national university, the slow growth in number of international students is a cause for concern. In addition to strengthening traditional approaches such as the use of study abroad fairs and overseas offices, we also need to consider the use of online content (e.g. MOOCs) and the possibility of developing overseas campuses. The Japanese Association of National Universities has begun discussing the possibility of a standardized test for international students. In addition, in order to increase the mobility of international students among Japanese universities, discussions have begun on a model that allows students to take courses at multiple universities. For this to happen, course numbering must be implemented and content must be shared across universities.

Cooperation between each department and the Office of Global Initiatives (OGI) is critical. While OGI has developed a wealth of overseas connections and negotiation strategies, it does not have sufficient knowledge regarding research and education content, academic affairs, student support, external funds, and industry-academia collaboration. On the other hand, our centers, educational organizations, study affairs, and departments of educational promotion, research promotion and industry-academia collaboration have abundant knowledge regarding content, but limited international connections. The university as a whole can achieve its full potential when these organizations work together organically.

As the anchor institution of Tsukuba Science City, our university has great responsibility regarding its future. We are critically worried about the direction of the development of the area surrounding Tsukuba Station, the last stop of the Tsukuba Express line. Rather than creating a hollowed-out city by simply turning it into a satellite of Tokyo, we support urban development that is in line with the declaration "A city that nurtures dreams and creates the future" made last year by the Tsukuba Science City Long-Term Vision Council. The idea is to form a coliseum of knowledge and a city that will serve as a testing ground for science and technology. The projected outcomes of this idea would be in line with the final report titled "Towards the Realization of the Super City Concept" that was compiled by the Advisory Council on National Strategic Special Zones (Cabinet Office) this February. A super city is defined as model for an ideal future society in all aspects of life. It is not a simple matter, we must promote its realization as only we can.

Our university hospital should carry out unique activities. We must understand the significance of being a hospital affiliated with a research university with a unique function in the prefecture. At the end of last year, we were able to recruit a researcher to the hospital to strengthen our research capabilities. In order to promote the social implementation of cutting-edge medicine (genomics, cell regeneration, high-difficulty reproductive medicine, etc.), we aim for developments in medical research in collaboration with different fields such as the digital sciences. To accelerate the translational function of T-CReDO, specific goals are needed. Physician-led clinical trials that promote collaboration with domestic and international research institutions and the private sector to introduce medical technologies in preventive medicine and treatment are necessary. As the flagship hospital in the prefecture, it must strengthen cooperation with other medical institutions, especially regional medical centers, in addition to providing difficult and acute care and enhancing its function as a center for policy-based emergency and disaster medical care. Efforts should be made to establish a permanent and stable management base by promoting the efficient deployment of human and material resources with constant follow-up.

One of our high schools has been selected as a Super Science High School and two as Super Global High Schools. They, as well as our other affiliated schools, also work on their own initiatives. Our summer camp for inclusive education was highly evaluated and will move from Kurohime to Miura to allow for greater participation. Plans for the three centers of our affiliated schools (Center for Leading Education, Center for Teacher Education, and Center for International Education) seem to be making good progress. It is important also for our affiliated schools to be keenly aware that they are affiliated with a research university and make use of available resources. A 2021 report by MEXT states, "As long as a school is affiliated with a university or faculty, even if it is not affiliated with a university that educates teachers, it must cooperate with the university in research related to university education." If a school operates and is managed independently, there is no need for it to remain an affiliated school. This must be taken seriously. Recognizing the significance and value of affiliated schools as laboratory schools, I have high expectations for their future policies (including managerial reforms) and activities.

DAC Center was created with the mission of realizing diversity and supporting students, including aid in finding jobs after graduation. It has expanded its activities to include follow-up surveys of alumni. We look forward to transforming the center into a center of empowerment that turns differences and diversity into positive forces, not only for minorities, but for all.

Administration and management to support uniqueness

It is very difficult to envision a stable future for operating grants at this time. We have no choice but to reduce our dependence on the operation grants by diversifying our sources of finance. In addition to securing tuition income and obtaining scientific research grants, we must also increase external funding from contract research and joint research, hospital income, and donations. Investment will help diversify our financial interests. With recent deregulations, we have already begun to invest surplus funds from donations and other sources in highly profitable financial instruments.

With the deregulation of management of university real estate, it is now possible to obtain approval from the Minister of MEXT to lease real estate to a third party, even for uses unrelated to university operations, if certain requirements are met. In light of this, we have begun to do so and should consider effective use of our Tokyo and Kasuga campuses.

The University of Tsukuba has established Japan's first industry-university scheme for obtaining rights to acquire stocks for a university-launched company by comprehensively transferring intellectual property rights to that venture. We are planning to increase such investments in the future. Once we become a designated national university corporation, we will be able to invest directly in university-born ventures, which will further expand our investment possibilities.

In order to improve the performance of our research and education, fundamental reform of human resource management is necessary. While aiming to do so, we need to respond to the national government's request for personnel and salary system reform, while taking a university-wide approach to human resource management, including appropriate and sustainable levels of faculty and staff numbers and their salaries, utilization of external human resources through cross appointment, handling of dual employment, and promotion of diversity. In particular, the third category of positions at the university, represented by URAs, must be made attractive, including developing clear career paths.

Institutional Research (IR) must be discussed. If everyone has access to real-time IR data appropriate to their position at all times, evidence-based decision-making will be possible at all levels. It is difficult to spot strengths and weaknesses if you only look at data concerning your department or organization. A trans-institutional research database built in collaboration with other educational organizations, can enhance research and educational activities while providing the executive team with a valuable resource for decision making

To protect its uniqueness

Universities, especially national universities, are clearly centers for supporting the culture, society and economy of regional areas. They also have primary responsibility for local industry, medical care, welfare, and education, and are directly connected to the international community. Universities must also develop human resources that can identify jobs that should be done by people and engage in value creating activities. The development of human resources that can respond to the transformation from a society that is labor-intensive society to one that is knowledge-intensive is crucial.

Public spending on universities is being restrained and facing criticism. Japanese universities are losing their international competitiveness. There are only two Japanese universities in the top 100 in the world ranking. However, Japan is ranked third in terms of the number of universities ranked in the top 1,000 (157 US universities, 93 UK universities, and 87 Japanese universities). From this perspective, Japan is doing very well. We need to promote society's awareness of universities' current and future situation. Universities must engage in real discussions with stakeholders to strengthen and transform themselves so that they can make optimal use of their uniqueness.

The Emperor will abdicate the throne at the end of this month and the Crown Prince will ascend to the throne on 1 May; the G20 Trade and Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting will be held in Tsukuba in June; the Rugby World Cup 2019 will be held across Japan for a month and a half starting in September, which will be good practice for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Also, the 74th National Sports Competition and the 19th National Sports Competition for the Disabled will be held in Ibaraki Prefecture in September and October, respectively. There are also a number of projects in which we will take the lead, including two international conferences on digital sciences held in conjunction with the G20 Trade and Digital Economy Ministers' Meeting. In addition, in place of TGSW, Tsukuba Conference will be held at the Tsukuba International Conference Center from October 2nd to 4th and attended by many opinions leaders.

The new curriculum to enhance our degree programs has been implemented. In addition, preparations for our graduate degree programs are largely complete. I would like to thank all our faculty and staff for their hard work. I hope that our students will enjoy the new curriculum, which has been developed with the students of the future in mind. We will continue to face challenges in the future and we will continue to work closely with our students and reflect on our research and education on a daily basis as we do so.