Message from the President

　Greetings to all. My name is Kazuhiko Nakamura, and I was appointed President of the University of Yamanashi on April 1st, 2023. The motto of our university is “Creating the Backbone of the Community and Developing Citizens of the World.” To the utmost of my ability, I will endeavor to foster a unique and attractive university that can develop in conjunction with our local community.

　Rapidly changing social conditions such as the declining birthrate, globalization, digitalization and the COVID-19 pandemic have put local national universities in a very challenging situation in recent years. Our role as a university is to contribute to society by taking the lead in solving problems through academic research, education and contribution to our community. Our mission is to serve as a regional center for intellectual creative activity and to develop alongside our community, meeting the expectations of Yamanashi Prefecture and the surrounding area. For this reason, the basic goal of our 4th Medium-Term Plan (for 2022-2027) is to “cultivate university personnel who can truly play a role in regional revitalization and play an active role in the world.”

The following four points are the pillars of my vision to achieve this goal.
1. Promotion of educational reform
　In addition to expansion of student options through collaboration with other universities and the development of a system to realize internal quality assurance in areas such as the curriculum, student support and our educational system, we must implement measures to promote globalization.

2. Strengthening of the research support system
　We will aim for global developments in our strongest and most unique fields of research and research that involves collaboration of differing fields, and invest resources to develop and strengthen innovative fields. In addition, to raise the level of research capability throughout the university, the development of our research support system, including measures to assure research time, will be a top priority.

3. Strengthening regional cooperation
　In order to respond to the challenges faced by our local community, we will utilize diverse networks and accelerate efforts to build new collaborative systems. In addition, we will strengthen our ability to develop human resources considering the particular needs of our region, promote regional revitalization, and promote international contribution by continuing our support for overseas students.

4. Strengthening our management base and promoting reform
　Reinforcing our efforts to fully grasp our business situation and acquire external funding, we will promote economic reforms, including continuing and further developing measures to secure finances through reductions in costs. Through thorough discussion with each faculty and affiliated organizations such as the university hospital, we hope that these measures can also be reflected in the management systems of each organization.

　In order to realize these visions, we will focus on dialogue with our constituent members (faculty, staff, and students) and other stakeholders, consider various opinions and incorporate them in each policy, implementing measures promptly. My predecessor President Shimada established the University Alliance Yamanashi, enabling educational reform while reducing costs and increasing revenue, and through his strong governance accomplished many things, including contribution to regional medical care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. My intention is to realize the four pillars of my vision by demonstrating my leadership, inheriting and developing the spirit of reform shown by the former president.

　My personal motto is “Sincerity and Compassion.” Dr. Satoshi Omura, a graduate of our university and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015, used this proverb meaning, “We can make the world a better place by doing things with sincerity and by considering people’s feelings. This should be our way of life.” Keeping these words close to our hearts, in cooperation with faculty, staff and stakeholders, let us rebuild the University of Yamanashi, promoting the advancement of education, research, and university management, and further developing our contributions to our local community. I sincerely hope that each and every one in the university will give me your kind support on this journey.

April 1st, 2023
University of Yamanashi President Kazuhiko Nakamura

Biography

1978 Graduated from Yamanashi Prefectural Kofu First High School
1982 Graduated from Faculty of Education, University of Yamanashi
1986 Completed Graduate School of Physical Education, University of Tsukuba
2011 Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Yamanashi
2015 Dean of Faculty of Education and Graduate School of Education, University of Yamanashi
2021 University of Yamanashi Trustee (Academics and International Exchange) and Vice President
2023 President, University of Yamanashi

Fields of Expertise

Pedagogy, Science of Physical Growth and Development