How can Chuo University survive? 中央大学が生き延びる道は Interview with Takashi Niwayama, member of the Board of Regents ―庭山理事に聞く―

Hakumon Herald had an interview with Takashi Niwayama, who was appointed a member of Chuo Universitys Board of Regents in May 2014.  He joined NHK upon graduating from Chuo in 1962. Our reporter asked him about some of the challenges Chuo faces now.

白門ヘラルドはこのほど、昨年5月に中央大学理事に選任された庭山卓氏(昭和37年卒、元NHK職員)にインタビュー、大学が今抱える問題について話を聞いた。

 

  -We hear that you chair Hakumon Club 37 that groups those who graduated from Chuo in 1962. What does it work on?

  ―理事は「白門三七会」の会長もされているとのことですが、この三七会とはどのような活動をしているのでしょうか。

 

  Niwayama: It is a reunion that puts together those who entered Chuo in 1958 or graduated from it in 1962 (the 37th year of the Showa era). We not only enjoy periodical get-togethers but also engage ourselves in various social activities ranging from supporting foreign students who study at Chuo and organizing seminars aimed to help students find a job upon graduation to providing them with an opportunity to do volunteer work. We uphold the catchword: For society and for people that calls on each of us to be of use to society.

  庭山卓 「白門三七会」は昭和33年に中央大に入学、または昭和37年に卒業した方の「同期の会」です。三七会では同期同士の交流会開催にとどまらず、中央大に在学する留学生支援、就活セミナーの開催、中大生のボランティア活動への支援など様々な活動を行っています。「世のため、人のため」をかかげ、社会の役に立つことを目指し活動しています。

  -Where do you put particular emphasis?

  ―三七会で理事が特に力を入れて取り組んでいるのは何でしょうか。

  Niwayama: We give greater priority to the promotion of communication with foreign students at Chuo. For example, we started in 2004 a fund-raising program asking each member of our club to donate ¥28 per day to support interchanges with foreign students. We have just greeted the 13th anniversary of our campaign this year. We have won kudos for our contribution to Chuos globalization efforts and have been presented with letters of appreciation by the schools chief executive regent, the president of the International Center and the president of the Alumni Association. Needless to say, our program would have been unsuccessful without the warm support from each member of our club. I realize the importance of continuing such support activity.

  庭山 特に留学生との交流に力を入れています。例えば三七会が平成14年に創設した「1日28円留学生交流支援募金」が今年で何と13回目を迎えることができました。この留学生支援事業は大学の国際化に貢献したと評価され、「中央大学理事長感謝状」「中央大学国際センター所長感謝状」「中央大学学員会会長感謝状」をいただきました。もちろんこれは会員の暖かな支援があってこそのことであり、こうした活動を続けていくことの重要性を痛感しています。

 

  -We are concerned that the environment surrounding Chuo will become increasingly severe as exemplified, for instance, by a declining number of applicants. As a member of the Board of Regents, what do you think Chuo should do to meet its challenges?

  ―大学受験者数の減少など、大学を取り巻く環境は今後厳しくなっていくと思いますが、どのような取り組みをするべきだと考えていますか。

 

  Niwayama: I think Chuo now stands at a major turning point. Every university across the country is desperate these days to attract foreign students in order to get more applicants and promising human resources. Globalization is in rapid progress in keeping with this trend. However, I feel that Chuo could not carry out any large-scale reforms and failed to stay current with the wave of globalization just because it has built up 130 years of long and dignified history. In order to resolve this problem, we need to review our present organization and structure a more efficient and efficacious organization befitting the new age.

  庭山 中央大学はいま、岐路に立っているのではないでしょうか。最近はどの大学も受験者と人材確保のため、外国人留学生を呼び込んでおり、それに伴い国際化が急激に進んでいます。しかし、中央大は創立130年という長く重厚な歴史を積み上げてきたがゆえに、大規模な改革に手を付けられず、国際化の流れに乗り遅れてしまっているのではないかと考えています。この問題を解決するためにも今までの組織の在り方を見直し、現代にあったより効率的で効果的な組織を新たに構築する必要があります。

 

  -Can you suggest some specific policy measures Chuo should implement?

―具体的にはどのような施策があるのですか。

 

  Niwayama: I think we need to reinforce the functions of our Enrollment Center, Career Center and International Center. It is crucial for us to create an environment where teachable students can comfortably study without any inhibition and to provide quality employment support that will really help students fly high upon their graduation. We should also reacknowledge that the university is an arena to nurture the next generation of human resources besides being an educational institution in the traditional sense of the word. Students who can be globally active after graduation are required to have overall skills such as creativity, planning ability and ability to act and practice. The university must provide students with chances to nurture those abilities.

 Of course, those are not all that should be done. I think we need to strengthen our educational power, develop and put in practice a better language-learning system compatible with ongoing globalization and carry out programs to promote globalization through closer communication between students from Japan and foreign countries. With my eyes set on the future, I would like to make contributions to Chuos further development by presenting reform proposals aimed to restructure, regenerate and restore it.

  庭山 入学センター、キャリアセンター、国際センターの強化が必要ではないでしょうか。学習意欲の高い学生が不自由せず、のびのびと学べる環境、卒業後大きく羽ばたくために必要な質の高い就労支援が重要だと思います。また、教育機関であるという従来の役割に加え、次世代の人材育成のための教育の場でもあるということを再認識しなくてはなりません。世界で戦える人材には創造力、企画力、行動実践力といった総合的なスキルが求められます。それらの能力を養える機会を大学は提供しなくてはならないのです。

もちろんそれだけにとどまらず、教育力の強化や国際化に対応できる語学力習得システムの開発実施、留学生と現役生の交流支援による国際化の実践などが必要だと考えられます。将来を見据え、中央大学の改革、再生、復権を図るためにも私は学校改革について提案し、中大の発展に貢献したいと思います。

 

  -Thank you very much.

 (Interviewed by Kento Isogai, Daisuke Aoki)

 

 ―ありがとうございました。