Speech for Presidents Open Forum APRU 11th ANNUAL PRESIDENTS MEETING - May 29, 2007 -
Kazuo OIKE
Kyoto University is known for its historical commitment to academic freedom for the purpose of fostering originality and creativity. The spirit behind this commitment has encouraged a thriving tradition of Kyoto scholars involved in field-sciences in Asia and Africa.
In 2001, Kyoto University, in its endeavor to integrate over-diversified academic disciplines on its campus, promulgated a mission statement which declared a new ideal: ‘to pursue harmonious coexistence within human and ecological community on this planet.’ The drafting committee emphasized that this community should include non-humans ranging ‘from animals and plants to rocks and streams.’