President's New Year Greeting

I wish you a very happy New Year and extend my warmest greetings for 2022.   
 
With the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19, the situation seems unpredictable as we move toward the end of the pandemic. Although it is unfortunate that there are still many uncertain factors for the future, Chuo University will continue to offer courses in an effective combination of face-to-face and online classes, taking into account the status of the coronavirus infection, changes in social conditions associated with vaccinations, and various measures issued by the government, while giving due consideration to educational effectiveness. In the new academic year, we will continue our utmost efforts to fulfill our social responsibility as a university by welcoming students to our campus and striving to provide them with a fulfilling campus life with face-to-face academic activities and various student exchanges.
 
Now, we are a year away from the relocation of the Faculty of Law to the Myogadani Campus in Bunkyo-ku. Currently, under the "Chuo Vision 2025", our mid- to long-term institutional plan, Chuo University is in the midst of major reforms that will determine the future of the University. These reforms include the establishment of two new faculties in 2019, followed by the relocation of the Faculty of Law and the Graduate School of Law to the Myogadani Campus, and the relocation of the Chuo Law School and the Graduate School of Strategic Management to the Surugadai Campus, scheduled for 2023, next year.
 
I take these geographical and physical changes as not merely the movement of organizations or an initiative to return to the city center, but rather as a turning point toward the development of a bright future for our University. Therefore, based on the recognition that it is extremely important to establish the philosophy Chuo University will pursue with these relocations, we are currently discussing how the educational content on our downtown Tokyo campuses, including the Faculty of Law, should be enhanced and in what way education at the Tama Campus should be augmented.
 
On the downtown Tokyo campuses, the relocation of the Faculty of Law to the Myogadani Campus will enable us to further promote legal education by expanding cooperation between the Faculty of Law and the Law School. We will also be able to realize integrated educational cooperation among the Arts and Sciences, the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Global Informatics located nearby, with the aim of nurturing the strength to handle multiple issues from a comprehensive perspective. Through these efforts, we will work to enhance Chuo University’s presence even further.
 
On the other hand, aiming to enhance the Tama Campus as a global campus, we are currently discussing our vision for the future of the Tama Campus. This will go beyond existing collaboration of the faculties through shared facilities, taking into account possible reorganization of the faculties, departments, and graduate schools, as well as establishment of new faculties.
 
As one example, the Forest Gateway Chuo, completed in 2021, will become a symbol of the Tama Campus as a central hub for new research and education through implementation of interactive conferences and classes using large-screen systems.
The campus reorganization is expected to be an opportunity to further promote faculty exchange, development of new educational programs, and expansion and improvement of common subjects that integrate Arts and Sciences.
These new interactions on the Tama and downtown Tokyo campuses will lead to greater cooperation with the local community and promotion of diversity. We will work hard to enhance the university as a "university open to society" that can also provide recurrent educational opportunities.
 
The "Chuo Vision 2025," now in its second phase, sets forth the University's stance and role in the face of drastic changes in society. Further focus on areas such as education development, research support, and international exchange with digital transformation (DX) in mind is one of the challenges that we now face.
For example, Chuo University established the AI and Data Science Center in April 2020 and the ELSI Center in April 2021, both on the Korakuen Campus. There are no other universities with these two functions, and we will make full use of these to respond to the era of Society 5.0.
 
Furthermore, the “AI Data Science Program” that aims to foster a solid foundation for living in the next generation began in 2021 for all undergraduate students, and we plan to expand the program to include students in our affiliated junior and senior high schools.   
 
In order to create a bright future for Chuo University, I believe it is essential that we, the faculty, work together and exert our “emerging” strength through close cooperation.
I would like to offer my gratitude for your continued understanding and support for our endeavors, and I wish all of you a year filled with peace, good health, and happiness.
 
 
 

Hisashi Kawai,

President, Chuo University

January 1, 2022