TUFS Season’s Greetings 2016>2017
TUFS Featured
New Year’s Greetings from the President Hirotaka TATEISHI
I would like to extend my best wishes for the New Year to the faculty and students of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, to our graduates, and to everyone who has supported the growth and advancement of our university.
My term as president was originally for four years, from April 2013 to March of this year, but has since been extended for two more years by a decision of the president selection committee. I appreciate the endorsement and will do my best to fulfill your expectations of me. Thank you for your continuing support.
Ikuo Kameyama, my predecessor, divided what was once a single undergraduate department into two schools, and I have since worked with our faculty and alumni to institute a number of new measures to transform TUFS into an education and research hub connecting Japan to all regions of the world, as well as into a university contributing to dialogue and understanding between cultures for a world in which people co-exist in peace.
In fiscal 2014, TUFS was designated a Top Global University (Type B) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). With this designation, TUFS receives funding to serve as a key educational hub connecting people and knowledge under the slogan, “From the world to Japan and from Japan to the world.” Additionally, in fiscal 2015 and again in fiscal 2016, projects initiated by TUFS were selected for funding from MEXT’s Re-Inventing Japan Project. We have two ongoing programs under this project: “A Co-Creation Education Program of Humanities and Sciences to Solve Global Issues Confronting Japan and Latin America” and “TUFS Japan Specialist Program for the Enhancement of Japanese Language and Cultural Outreach in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia”.
Finally, under another MEXT initiative to enhance the functions of Japan’s national universities, TUFS has been contributing since fiscal 2015 to increasing Japan studies overseas and otherwise reinforcing Japan’s presence in the international community, and in fiscal 2017 we will be launching a research center for contemporary African studies.
These various undertakings are incorporated in our four strategies for our third midterm period which started in April 2016 and will continue to fiscal 2021. The four strategies are: (1) fostering multi-lingual global human resources; (2) promoting research to solve problems confronting Japan and the world; (3) making social contributions for the co-existence of global citizens; and (4) strengthening governance for efficient and effective operations.
In November last year, Nikkei BP Consulting published the results of its 2016-2017 University Brand Image Survey for the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. In its morning edition of December 1, 2016, the Nikkei newspaper noted that TUFS had increased its brand image by the largest margin of all the universities surveyed as compared to when the survey was last taken. Not only did our ranking go up from 10 to 8 over a three-year period, we were also ranked first in four out of the 49 brand image categories given in the survey. Three years ago, we didn’t appear in any of those categories. Now we have been ranked No. 1 for our students’ language skills and communication skills, and for our vision as an educational institution and our vigorous global relations. It is indeed gratifying to see that we have come to be recognized for the very traits that distinguish our endeavor to promote co-existence in the global community through intercultural dialogue and understanding based on language and area studies.
Of course, we are not satisfied with simply the appearance of having attained our objectives. In fact, schools specializing in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts are in a precarious position these days as society seems to belittle these disciplines. But there is no use in lamenting such a state of affairs. We must move forward with our four strategies and persevere together to secure a stronghold in society for the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Your support is much appreciated.
TUFS towards Interculturality
through Language and Area Studies
A Look Back at TUFS in 2016 –The events of this year–
We look back on this year’s TUFS.
January
01-Jan. Academic exchange agreement with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit?t München (Germany)
05-Jan. Academic exchange agreement with Languages and Arts Faculty, Manado State University (Indonesia)
07-Jan. Short Stay Winter Program 2016 started
11-Jan. Academic exchange agreement with Aix-Marseille University (France)
13-Jan. Academic exchange agreement with Khovd University (Mongolia)
21-Jan. Academic exchange agreement with University Nebraska at Kearney (U.S.A.)