New Year’s Greetings from the President

Happy New Year to everyone in the Chuo University community and beyond!
 
In the near future, in what is referred to as Society 5.0, all of us will face unprecedented challenges. Following the hunting society (Society 1.0), the agricultural society (2.0), the industrial society (3.0), and the information society (4.0), we now must acquire abilities necessary for a new, even more advanced society, which means re-evaluation of university education is essential. To be active players in Society 5.0, students will be required to develop the competence to act on their own initiative in a creative manner by utilizing knowledge and skills acquired at university.
 
Over 130 years since its establishment, Chuo University has stayed true to its founding spirit of “Fostering the Ability to Apply Knowledge to Practice,” and has remained committed to nurturing students who will go on to work for the betterment of society and as pioneers of the future. The term “Ability” in our founding spirit is the competency required today. 
 
In recent years, Chuo University has been accelerating its university-wide efforts to cultivate global competency as well as to foster global professionals, aiming to develop to a global standard on the basis of our university motto, “Knowledge into Action,” and the message of “Go Global, Toward the Future!”

Taking this opportunity, I would like to introduce our plans and challenges for this year.
 
Based on Chuo Vision 2025, a ten-year development plan released in anticipation of our 140th anniversary in 2025, here are some key goals for 2020 (CHUO 2020). We will focus on cultivating students better able to adapt to the challenges of globalization and aging populations, as well as to changes in societal structure expected in Society 5.0. For this purpose, we plan to extend our research and teaching to cover new fields, including health, sports, AI and data science. We are also committed to creating an optimal academic environment for research and education in these fields, through cooperation among our Faculties, with the aim to nurture students that will become leaders in Society 5.0.
 
Chuo will also be dedicated to enriching further our academic and research environment by fostering university-society cooperation, and by promoting diversity and inclusion through collaboration with society to pursue the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which impact all humanity.
 
In addition, we are moving forward with plans to upgrade our campuses, both at Tama and in downtown Tokyo. These efforts will highlight the unique characteristics of each campus while facilitating greater cooperation, so that Chuo’s research and education endeavors continue to promote and maintain global standards.
 
In April this year, the Global Center and the International Education Residence will open on the Tama Campus. The Global Center will be equipped with facilities that support global academic gatherings and research, while the International Residence will provide opportunities for students and researchers, both international and domestic, to interact socially and academically on a daily basis. With these new facilities, the Tama Campus will become a truly global campus that we can be proud of.  
 
Regarding the Law Faculty, we plan to upgrade facilities on downtown Tokyo campuses to better address the new system of allowing a five-year course, three years undergraduate and two years postgraduate, for students aiming to pass the bar examination within a shorter time frame. We will proceed with the planned relocation of the Law faculty to the Myogadani Campus, as well as reconstruction of the Surugadai Campus, which will become home to the Chuo Law School and the Chuo Business School. Ahead of all these relocation plans, the five-year course will be established for Law students from April this year.
 
Our continuous efforts to enhance Chuo University by taking advantage of our uniqueness and strength also include enrichment of undergraduate and postgraduate faculties, including two new faculties (Global Management and Global Informatics), expansion of cross-faculty cooperation, such as the Faculty Linkage Program, initiatives to increase funding through diverse sources to improve our research environment, increased financial support including scholarship opportunities, support for students seeking various qualifications and undertaking job-hunting efforts, and support for volunteer activities and club activities which contribute to enriching students’ everyday lives.
 
What Society 5.0 will entail is still unclear. However, Chuo University envisions the future based on our tradition and history. We will continue to nurture individuals who can play an active role in supporting the future, while contributing to the establishment of a sustainable society, building upon our growing tradition of being a loved and respected university in our present age and society.
 
In closing, I would like to express my gratitude for your continued understanding and support, as well as your sharing in our dreams for the future. To all of you, I wish a year filled with peace, good health, and happiness.  

Tadahiko Fukuhara
President, Chuo University
January 1, 2020