Message from President

The radical transformation of global society has brought confusion and
unrest to our lives. In our global society, problems such as
pollution, infectious diseases, financial crisis, and terrorism have
been spreading beyond national boundaries in no time. The task of
solving problems concerning energy and environment, or industrial and
economic revitalization, needs to be shared on a global
scale. Solutions for aforementioned issues will require innovation
that surpasses contemporary convention.

The University of Tsukuba was reborn in 1973 as a comprehensive
university based on new educational concepts. It has inherited the
traditions of its predecessors, starting with the Normal School, which
was founded by the Meiji government in 1872 as the first institution
of higher education in Japan, and continuing over to its history as
the Tokyo University of Education. The philosophy of human resource
development rooted in our university is expressed with the phrase
shikon risai. Loosely interpreted, it emphasizes the need to be
kind-hearted to others, much like parents and teachers, and to have
the ability to bring people together, as well as to solve problems
rationally. By applying shikon risai, I believe that our mission is
the creation of knowledge aimed at finding solutions for emerging
global tasks and the making of a future society, including the
cultivation of human resources who will take the initiative.

Since its establishment, the University of Tsukuba has aimed to be an
open university in every sense. Based on that aim, we have promoted
constant reforms in order to create a flexible education and research
organization, as well as a new university system that would meet the
needs of the next generation. Dr. Jigoro Kano who was the principal at
the Tokyo Higher Normal School -- the predecessor of the University of
Tsukuba is known as the Father of Judo. More importantly, however, he
was the pioneer who opened up Japanese higher education to the
international community. Furthermore, the University of Tsukuba, as a
comprehensive university, has an incomparably wide range of academic
disciplines. Even as we have advanced specialized areas of expertise,
we have actively developed new cross-disciplinary approaches to
education and research. Amid this rapidly changing global society, the
functions of a university need to be restructured, and we realize that
it is our responsibility to take the lead role in conducting such a
reform.

Universities, in general, are required to contribute to society
through education and research activities. The University of Tsukuba
was established based on new educational concepts in the heart of
Tsukuba Science City. Since then it came to be a center of
cutting-edge research and education, human development, collaboration
among industry, government and academia, and needless to say, an
international center of intellectual activity. In its capacity as an
open university, the University of Tsukuba intends to continuously
meet new challenges in order to contribute to the welfare of its
region and regional society, Japan and its citizens, and lastly the
world and humanity as a whole.

The University of Tsukuba is located in a rich natural environment,
and is a university that respects diverse values. Our university
intends to contribute to the international society by demonstrating
leadership as an innovative, unique, and cosmopolitan center of
knowledge with an influential voice on the international scene, under
the slogan "IMAGINE THE FUTURE."

Kyosuke NAGATA
President of the University of Tsukuba