TOPICS 01

New Year’s Greeting from the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor of the Ritsume…

Happy new year, everyone.
We sincerely hope that 2025 will be a fruitful and wonderful year for all of you.

Last year saw leadership change hands in many countries and regions, and the world is on the verge of major change. With the inauguration of the new administration in Japan, the country has entered an important phase of drawing up a grand design for the future, which includes measures to combat a declining birthrate and aging population, economic and fiscal policies, the promotion of regional development, the transition to a decarbonized society, and discussions on the direction of foreign policy. On top of this, 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The history of resilient recovery from unprecedented disasters must be passed on to the next generation, and systems must be developed to realize a safe and sustainable society.

Universities are expected to play a role in solving these kinds of social issues and in guiding and accelerating change for a better future. At Ritsumeikan, we need to bolster our distinctive strengths as an institution of higher education , especially our research capacity, which is the source of these strengths, and feed them back into more advanced education. We also need to create new value through practical applications including industry-academia-government collaborations and startup creation and develop the talent who will lead the next generation of society.