3. Financial Management in the Second Half of R2030

Japanese society and the international community as a whole are now undergoing a major transition. While Japan’s population decline is accelerating, national university policy is advancing efforts to strengthen research capabilities and make priority investments in growth fields, and the competitive environment among universities is rapidly intensifying. In an uncertain era in which it is difficult to foresee the future, the role universities should play is also being discussed. Under these circumstances, for Ritsumeikan University to continue to be trusted by society into the future and remain a center of intellectual creation and a place of learning for many people, it is essential both to continue enhancing the quality of education and research and to stably maintain the financial base that supports them. In the business plan for the second half of R2030, the University aims to extend its value to society by deepening collaboration among industry, government, academia, and local communities, returning research outcomes to society, and expanding graduate education.

At the same time, to make new challenges possible, the underlying operating balance that supports regular education and research activities must be sound. If this foundation remains unstable, the University cannot ensure sustainable learning and research. At the same time, an important medium-term issue will be to explore in greater depth how the University can shift away from its current financial structure, which relies on tuition and fees. In the second half of R2030, the University (Executive Board of Trustees), together with the colleges and graduate schools, will work responsibly and in an integrated manner to carry out business strategies and other initiatives, further enhance and visualize the value of Ritsumeikan University’s and each college’s and graduate school’s education and research activities, and fundamentally strengthen donations and other revenue by communicating the social significance of those activities. At the same time, the University will move forward with consideration of student-fee policies, financial- and operating-balance structures and conditions, approaches to financial management, and related matters that can provide a path toward further reducing reliance on student fees, that is, students’ burden of educational expenses.