Today, I have been appointed as the president of the University of Osaka by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. I feel a great sense of responsibility and mission in assuming this important position. My term of office is six years, starting April 1, 2025. I am determined to take on new challenges and make leaps forward while inheriting the wonderful history and tradition of the University of Osaka.
Tekijuku, the root of the University of Osaka, attracted highly motivated young people from all over Japan who admired OGATA Koan. Back then, Tekijuku offered a school system of friendly rivalry between those who taught and those who learned, where students not only received the teachings from their masters but also emulated and improved each other. The spirit of Tekijuku, “Do not aim to become like your master but rather strive to be what your master aspires to be,” has been passed down to the entire University of Osaka still today. The right attitude for learning at university should be not merely to acquire existing knowledge in a passive way but to learn autonomously while selecting what to learn. Also, as the saying goes, “Spend three years in searching for your master rather than in studying,” the University of Osaka has remarkable teachers who serve as your future role models. Furthermore, as a university, the University of Osaka will make your learning experience more fulfilling if you interact with people from diverse backgrounds and jump into their circles with courage.
Since its establishment in 1931, the University of Osaka has taken on many social issues based on the open-minded civic spirit rooted in the Kaitokudo and Tekijuku, under the philosophy of “Live locally and grow globally.” As a “seat of learning,” the university has a tradition of creating new academic fields and contributing to society by harmonizing expertise deepening (vertical axis) and interdisciplinary expansion (horizontal axis). We will continue to generate values worthy of a “seat of learning” by leveraging this foundation and further deepening our co-creation with society. The future of the University of Osaka to aim for is a place where each member can pursue their field of expertise and, in exploring boundary areas, create new values at the same time. To achieve this, it is essential to provide an environment in which all members can devote themselves to research and education with outside-of-the-box thinking by securing more time for educational and research activities and administrative operations. It is also necessary to develop an educational and research infrastructure with a view to a university-wide strategy to create a campus where a diverse range of human resources can play an active role. This will attract young students, enhancing the university’s appeal as full of future aspirations.
The University of Osaka, whose spiritual roots lie in Kaitokudo and Tekijuku, still carries the civic spirit as a bottom-up, rather than top-down, autonomous learning institution. Inheriting this spirit, we will further strengthen collaboration across fields of expertise in order to address diverse social issues of today. We will strive to improve the research and education environment and promote social contribution activities by leveraging our strength as a university and establishing a university-wide governance system with respected autonomy of each department.
As we head into the new era, let’s build the foundation for the next 100 years together with the University of Osaka. We aim to generate power to explore the future through collaboration with all members of the University of Osaka. Your continued warm support will be greatly appreciated.
The 19th President of the University of Osaka
Atsushi KUMANOGOH
Profile of President
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