NEWS

1 January, 2014 KORENAGA Shun President, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Happy New Year.

In the 14 years since APU opened, it has been a leader in globalizing Japan's higher education with cutting-edge and innovative concepts and systems. This year, the true value of our endeavors is likely to be tested. The IT revolution has fundamentally changed human history, and throughout the world, higher education is shifting to a global free market model. As such, the university must identify and present evidence for the meaning and value of its existence. To successfully compete with universities around the globe, it is essential for APU to differentiate itself and strive for higher quality. I would like to see the university open up new horizons by strengthening internal systems and securing objective assessments in the form of AACSB accreditation, the MEXT Super Global University Project and JUAA accreditation. 　

Private universities are founded on self-proclaimed ideals. For the foreseeable future, times will be turbulent, but one of APU's high ideals, 'Freedom, Peace and Humanity', is increasingly becoming a universal value. On December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, passed away, but I believe there is much to learn from his indefatigable pursuit of freedom and his spirit of tolerance even after securing victory. I think APU's campus, where freedom is honored and numerous cultures coexist in peace, is a beacon for the future of human civilization.