PREFACE


I was President of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) for four years, from 2000-2003. APU was established in April 2000 in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, by the Ritsumeikan Trust, cooperating with the local government. From its very initiation, APU received a warm reception from many people all around the world, as the first full-scale international university in Japan. Over four years as president, I had numerous opportunities to talk about the university’s mission, purpose, special characteristics and the background of the period leading up to its creation.

This book is a collection of a number of those personal memories, such as speeches and talks given in and or published in English. I would be most privileged if this small volume should be of use to people who are concerned with APU or those who work with APU.

In addition to this little book, I have also written a book in Japanese, “Creation of the Asia Pacific Age”, published in autumn, 2003. In that book, I put together a collection of my own thoughts related to APU’s mission, goals and characteristics, as well a background to the Asia Pacific Century, through the experience of setting out to prepare for its opening. This little volume then, published in English, is not simply an English translation of the Japanese in that book, but the content also corresponds to the Japanese version.

The opening of APU was a very big responsibility, being an entirely new experience for me. The first cohort of students graduated in March 2003, and I was thrilled to see them welcomed so positively as promising young human resources of the future by influential organisations and corporations, both here and overseas. APU has moved beyond its original initiation, and now faces many challenges to establish a footing as one of the world’s truly international universities.

As somebody entrusted with responsibility of managing the Ritsumeikan University Trust, I shall endeavour to develop APU as a leading university on the world stage.