教養学部報
第658号 
Broaden your interests, experiences and perspectives
Fumitaka Mafune
Good afternoon.
As the Dean of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences, I warmly congratulate you upon your entrance into the University of Tokyo. You are now in the Komaba campus, and you have just enrolled in the College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Komaba Campus accommodates over 9,000 people, with 400 academic staff, around 1,500 graduate and research students, and over 7,000 undergraduate students. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Our organization embodies the academic policy of UTokyo's liberal arts education mainly in the Junior Division of the College but also in the Senior Division in the College and Graduate School. We perform interdisciplinary education and research, encompassing the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
It is said that the world has "become a VUCA world". VUCA stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. We are entering an era in which we cannot predict whether what is happening here now will be following the same trajectory one year later. Furthermore, the social issues around us are complicated, and do not have a correct unique answer.
For example, I was confused when I heard the announcement by British ex-Prime Minister Sunak in September, 2023, that United Kingdom would postpone the end of sales of new gasoline and diesel vehicles to 2035, which had been previously set at 2030. According to scientific measurements, the average temperature of the earth is gradually rising, and since 1970 it has risen by 1 degree Celsius over 50 years. I believe that people share a vague sense of anxiety that if this trend continues, we may no longer be able to live on Earth, and a sense of urgency that something must be resolved as soon as possible.
For the British to postpone the year that sales must end for new gasoline and diesel vehicles, I understand that the delay is because the target was originally set too tightly, while keeping the goal of achieving net zero emissions of CO2 by the year 2050. In this light, environmental issues are not just purely scientific or technological issues, but are more political and economic issues.
Now, we are required to solve a complex equation with the absolute requirement of "preserving the global environment". No longer is "preserving the global environment" an aspirational goal; it is now an essential imperative. Additionally, the social issues around us, not all relevant to the global environment, are very broad, such as international affairs, prolonged armed conflicts, inequality and absolute poverty. I hope you will make the most of your academic environment, not only to deepen your knowledge in a specific field of study or research, but also to broaden your interests, experiences and perspectives for a future life and society. I am convinced that all of you will have the courage and strength to tackle these complex social issues that are truly intertwined with science and technology, society, politics, and economics.
Thank you for your attention. Congratulations again on your entrance into the University of Tokyo.
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo
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