Dr. Eng. Tatsuro Matsumae
・ President of Tokai University Educational System
Modern civilization is supported by a high level of technology. During the 20th century, mankind reached new technological goals: putting men on the moon, harnessing the power of the atom, and decoding the genetic code contained in DNA. However, if we do not use this newfound knowledge wisely, mankind will be in danger. Not only do we face a food crisis, but we must also confront the problems caused by global warming as the world's population increases to a figure of over 10 billion. These problems may result in a catastrophic collapse of the global environment. Without a doubt, these problems are caused by modern society and they must be faced and solved. Let us also note that although the advances of the information technology revolution continue to transform our lives and promote the globalization of society, we still suffer from the same global problems: regional conflicts and racial and religious tensions. In addition, while there has been progress in the field of nuclear disarmament, an uncomfortably large number of nuclear warheads still exist throughout the world.
What is our mission for this era? The era during which people drew their values solely from religion or ideology is now over. We are at a turning point in history. We are entering a chaotic new century where values worldwide are diverse and complex. We must learn to appreciate those qualities valued by others and find ways to live together without posing threats to others. With this in mind, we can form new relationships between nations, between people, and between humanity and the rest of the environment. Turning to the last point, it is now very clear from recent advances in the life sciences that all life on this planet springs from one source and that homo sapiens constitutes just one among the millions of diverse species which inhabit this planet. We must reconsider our future, always reminding ourselves of this fact, and bearing in mind the diversity of life on Earth.
Turning to the other relationships mentioned earlier, we learn from history that mankind has always been subject to cycles of conflict. We also know that this conflict can be reduced, if not eliminated, by the development of better relationships between individuals and among the nations of the world. Tokai University Educational System has a vision of a new civilization where individuals and societies can live together peacefully, and our species lives in harmony with the environment. Our mission is to turn that vision into a reality.
