2016 New Year's Greetings

January 4, 28
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Cho Matsunaga Kore

Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you for your continued support this year.

This year marks the end of the second phase Medium-term Objective and the beginning of the third period Medium-term Objective. As you are already aware, the 3rd Medium-term Objective Plan aims to play a role as a leading university in the Japan of the world, with the vision of "Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology becoming a research university recognized around the world." ad hoc
1. Strengthening advanced research capabilities
2. Promotion of education and research with the ability to engage in dialogue with the international community
3. Leading Japan's industry to the world
4. Fostering high-level innovation leaders
In collaboration with overseas universities that are actively working on this and producing outstanding results, we will promote outstanding education and research and social implementation throughout the university. Our university has come to belong to the third category, which aims for internationally outstanding education and research, based on the framework of three priority support frameworks: regional, special, and international.

At the end of last year, the Cabinet approved the government's budget proposal for the 28th fiscal year. In relation to national university corporations, the reduction of operating expenses subsidies by 1% each year and the increase in self-income due to a 1.6% increase in tuition fees have caused a great deal of controversy, but neither the reduction nor the increase in revenue has been implemented. Depending on the three types, a functional enhancement promotion factor of 0.8 to 1.6% will be applied and reallocated for enhancement. In the third category, a functional enhancement promotion factor of 1.6% is applied, and since the 16 universities in the same group are also highly competitive, including the former Imperial University, it is necessary to make sincere efforts to achieve the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology indicators presented by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the university's own indicators. In order to achieve this, not only the Faculty Member but also the entire university, including staff, must work on it. Specific indicators include the number of papers published per Faculty Member, the number of citations of papers, the number of internationally co-authored papers, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, joint research, acceptance of commissioned research, the status of advancement to doctoral programs, the status of overseas dispatch of doctoral students, the introduction of a personnel evaluation system with an eye on international applicability, and the reflection of evaluation results. This is the very basis of the Medium-term Objective plan for this fiscal year, so I will not wait to implement it seriously.

In addition, in terms of facilities, we are currently renovating the main building centered on the lecture hall at the Fuchu Campus, and the FY28 budget proposal includes the development of a lifeline on the Fuchu Campus.
There are buildings on the Koganei and Fuchu campuses that have not yet been seismically renovated, but we will make efforts to respond to them as soon as possible.

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology celebrated the 140th anniversary of its founding last year as a university consisting of agriculture, engineering, and their interdisposition, and this year it is scheduled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering and the 30th anniversary of United Graduate School of Agricultural Science. While it is important to look back on the past and review the progress that has been made so far, I think it is more important to lay the foundation for creating the future. In the future, in the face of a declining birthrate and an aging society, I think it is necessary for all members of the university to think about how to develop the university. Considering the national budget deficit, it is unlikely that the budget of national universities will grow in the future. However, it is no exaggeration to say that higher education, science and technology are fields that hold the key to Japan's future prosperity. There is an increasing need for ingenuity and ingenuity to reduce waste and promote education and research. This year, I would like to conclude my New Year's address by pledging that all the faculty and staff will work together to contribute to the development of the university.