NewsRelease
2019/01/31 published
Let me begin by wishing all of you a Happy New Year.
As you know, this year will mark the end of the Heisei Era in Japan. And I hope that the new Era that will begin in April will be one full of hope.
The Kanji of the Year in 2017 was wazawai, meaning a disaster or calamity. This was a reflection of the many natural disasters that occurred, including the No. 24 Typhoon that wreaked serious damage. These disasters made us aware again of the important role of universities, based on their research in this area. The previous year was also a time of social upheaval around the world, including political friction and various scandals.
But in the New Year there were some rays of hope. Residents of Miyazaki were encouraged by the victory of the Asahi Kasei "ekiden" relay-race team based in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture. The team's dramatic, come-from-behind victory secured their third straight national championship.
At the University of Miyazaki we have been promoting a wide range of collaborative activities that contribute to our region, as reflected in our university slogan, "Look at the world, start with the community."
One example of this is the "Miyazaki Top Seminar" series held at the Kibana Campus in the MER Academy building that opened in October 2017 thanks to a generous contribution from Mera Denki Sangyo. The events have featured the mayors of municipalities around Miyazaki Prefecture who have showcased the charms and future vision of their communities.
Another series of events on our campus is the UoM evening Lectures, featuring an array of prominent national figures. Each event is broadcast live in collaboration with Keio University in Tokyo.
All of these events are open to the public, so not only our faculty and staff but also members of the local community and businesspersons can take advantage of these learning opportunities. Moreover, the MER Academy building, where these events have been held, is only campus facility that is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Centered on such activities, the MER Academy has been used by over 10,000 people from inside and outside the university over the past year, thus contributing in a tangible way to local revitalization.
Our regional contribution efforts have won praise from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In 2017, based on a screening by the Ministry's National University Corporation Evaluation Committee, we were commended for making "outstanding progress" with regard to improving and streamlining university administration. Only two of Japan's 86 national universities received this commendation, so it is a great honor for us. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the director of the Center for Collaborative Research and Community Cooperation, Dr. Kunitake, and Special Professor Mikami, and everyone else involved, for their efforts in this regard.
More and more faculties and departments are emerging that are actively promoting community-rooted activities, and I hope that our university will continue to earnestly follow this path as a key institute of higher learning in our region.
Alongside our community efforts, we are also expanding our global horizons through collaboration with partners worldwide. Particularly noteworthy are the ties we have formed with the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, particularly the agreement we have signed with its Ministry of Education. And I would like to thank the director of our Center for International Relations, Dr. Itami, and his colleagues for the energetic efforts they have made to build these ties. Let me also thank the dean of our Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Yokota, as well as Dr. Thi Thi Zin and Dr. Pyke Tin, for serving as a bridge between Myanmar and the University of Miyazaki.
The number of academic papers our faculty are publishing along with foreign researchers is increasing, which is one fruit of our expanding international partnerships. I hope that this New Year will see even more international research papers published by our professors and researchers.
Another of our role's as a university is to take the results of our educational and research activities that contribute to the local community and share them with the rest of Japan and the world. This is particularly important today, as the operational funds provided by the government to national universities are steadily decreasing. This makes it increasingly crucial for each researcher to strive to obtain outside funding by winning competitive grants.
According to the information provided by our university director, Dr. Suiko, in fiscal 2017, our researchers received the largest amount of outside funding ever, totaling \1.83 billion. The number of academic papers and presentations by our faculty is also increasing significantly. This progress reflects the proactive attitude of all our faculty and staff, and I want take this occasion to express my gratitude.
Another area of great improvement is our students'participation in business-plan concepts. Our student groups participating in such events have one high praise, including the winning of the Ministry of Education's prize in this field, as well as significant sponsorship.
Our students are also excelling in sports, including the performance of our Faculty of Education student Yui Taniguchi at the Asia Pacific Canoe Sprint Cup, where he came away with a medal.
Another noteworthy recent achievement is the unveiling of our own premium shochu, Kuntou. The shochu is made from Koganesengan sweet potatoes grown in the Kibana Field of our Faculty of Agriculture, and distilled at the Watanabe Distillery in Miyazaki City. The distinctive bottle and packaging were designed by Assistant Professor Kenji Miyaki of the Faculty of Regional Innovation. The 37% alcohol shochu has already been highly praised by many people for its refined flavor.
The splendid packaging created by Assistant Professor Miyaki was recently awarded the Japan Star Award in a packaging contest, and then went on to win the Asia Star and World Star Awards. This is an accomplishment that truly embodies our university slogan, "Look at the world, start with the community." In May, Assistant Professor Miyaki will be going to Prague for the award ceremony. Kuntou is exclusively for use as a gift item, not available for retail sale. I hope that staff and faculty will contribute to the university fund to support such initiatives.
I would also like to commend the achievement of Assistant Professor Susumu Nozoe of our Faculty of Agriculture, who was awarded the Oustanding Academic Paper award by the East-Asian Association for Science Education in recognition of the results of his educational research at our university.
There is no question that we face an increasingly difficult situation in terms of university management, against the backdrop of the funding environment and the university reforms. And every year universities are coming under increasing social scrutiny.
The University of Miyazaki needs to continue to carry out its activities while thoroughly fulfilling its role as an institution that supports the lives of people in Miyazaki Prefecture. Our university is an extremely important presence for people living in the prefecture, and we need to be an institution that is essential to their lives. In order to do that, we need to deepen our collaboration with a variety of organizations inside the prefecture to bring tangible results. I hope that we can inspire dreams and hopes as we pursue our bright future as a university.
Last year as well I quoted a famous line from Shotaro Iwakiri, a famous businessman from Miyazaki, who said: "Don't worry, innovate!" I look to all of your effort and support in this New Year so that we can overcome together whatever difficulties we face.
January 7, 2019
Dr. Ikenoue
President
University of Miyazaki
