HavingacceptedthepositionaftermyreturntoJapanin1987ItaughtintheJapaneseLanguageEducationProgramatKeioUniversity,whenanopportunitywithinmyfieldofexpertise,whichissociolinguistics,wasadvertised,andsoin2002ItransferredtotheInternationalChristianUniversity(ICU).Ihadinitiallyplannedonconcentratingexclusivelyonmyteachingandresearchinthisfield,butaroundthreeyearsaftermymove,Iwasunexpectedlycalledonbyaninternalcommitteedebatingambitiouseducationalreforms,andsoaftertakingonthepostsofDirectoroftheOfficeofAcademicReform(in2006)andVicePresidentforAcademicAffairs(in2008),IwentontobecomeICU’s10thPresidentin2012.TheissuewhereinIinvestedthemosteffortintopromotingduringmytwoterms(eightyears)asPresident,wasrestructuringtheadmissionsystem.WhenIassumedoffice,themajorityoftheinternationalstudentsatICUwereone-yearexchangestudentsorgraduatestudents.However,withthedesireofadmittingundergraduatestudentstofour-yearBachelordegreeprogramsfromarangeofnationsandregionsworldwide,andwithaparticularfocusonthenationsofAsia,wethoroughlyoverhauledtheadmissionsystem*,andintroducedasystemthatwasbasedonEnglish.Asaresultoftheselarge-scalereformsregardingentranceexaminations,thepercentageofstudentsamongournewundergraduatesroseby8%duringtheacademicyears2014and2020,atrendthathappilyappearstobecontinuing.*See https://www.icu.ac.jp/admissions/undergraduate/exam/engdoc/for further details. internationalBasedonaclear-headedanalysisofcurrentchallenges,weknowthatthelargerthescaleofwhatyouwishtoachievethemoredifficultitistoenvisionwhatyoushouldaimfor,andidentifythespecificmeasuresneededtorealizethis.Forthisveryreason,achievingyourobjectivesandseeingresultswillbeallthemoregratifying,andthiswouldbeevenmoretrueifitisaprojectyouyourselfheadedinaleadershiprole.Isincerelyhopeagreatnumberofwomenwillexperiencethissenseofelation,whichmywordsherecanbarelycapture.Ifanopportunitycomesyourway,Iadviseyoutoresistlistingthereasonswhyyoucannottakeit.Onthecontrary,goaheadandgiveitatry.Atsuchtimes,havingmodelslikeProfessorsTsurumiandOgataisexceedinglyvital.Canyoufindsomeonelikethisinyourowncircle?Imaynotbeinthesameleagueasthesetwoprofessors,butIwishtocontinueworkinginordertoserveasanexampleforothers,howeverminor.Iencourageyoutoleadhealthylives,andbeasactiveasyoucanasyouforgeaheadtowardsyourgoals.Benjamin Franklin, the founder of my Alma Mater,the University of Pennsylvania. College Hallin the background14LeadershipandReformAMessagefortheNextGeneration
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