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2007 DECLARATION OF THE UNIVERSITY SUMMIT IN KYUSHU

 

Distinguished representatives from Chulalongkorn University, Gadjah Mada University, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, University of Michigan, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Saint Petersburg State University, University of Sao Paulo, Seoul National University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Tehran, Waseda University, and Kyushu University gathered in Fukuoka, Japan from 26-28 October to attend the University Summit in Kyushu 2007. We deliberated on various issues relating to the social role and responsibility of universities in the 21st Century, and hereby adopt the 2007 Declaration of the University Summit in Kyushu outlining the main conclusions of the meeting and proposals for future activities:

1.The representatives of the twelve universities participating in this event recognize that,
  in addition to the pursuit of excellence in education and research, universities should
   engage in socially responsible activities that seek to enhance the quality of life for the
  local, national and international community. As such, participants acknowledge the vital
  role that universities have in:

@.Acquiring knowledge and disseminating information about the current state of the
   natural environment, and promoting sustainable strategies that will contribute to the
   preservation of the environment on both a local and global scale.
A.Cooperating with government, local communities and the private sector to ensure
   that scientific knowledge and technology is effectively utilized in the development of
   “Science Cities” that stimulate interaction between business and universities and
   provide for the needs of residents in an environmentally sustainable manner.
B.Promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and friendship between different
   racial, national and religious groups, and thereby contributing to the peaceful resolution
   of international conflict.

2.After two days of intensive discussion, we came to the following conclusions and stress
  the importance of the following activities in order to advance the general objectives
   outlined above:

Session 1 - The “Science City” of the Future and the Environment
Considering,

  • The importance of “Science Cities” in shaping the future of universities;
  • The diverse range of functions that a modern university is expected to perform, notably acting as a regional and international hub for education, research and business;
  • The centrality of information technology in everyday life;
  • The dangers posed by the degradation of the natural environment and the importance of creating an environmentally-friendly campus.

Participants in Session 1 emphasized the importance of,

  • Adopting long-term strategic plans for university campus design that inter alia seek to (i) create campus spaces that provide a wide range of cultural services that contribute to creating a strong sense of institutional and civic identity; (ii) establish the university campus as an instrument for attracting inward economic investment; (iii) raise public awareness by promoting the economic, transport and cultural benefits for local residents; (iv) serve as a nexus of cultural exchange by promoting international activities;
  • Facilitating a greater degree of inter- and intra-disciplinary interaction and “knowledge conversion” through curriculum reform and imaginative design of campus facilities;
  • Providing a vision of the future and solutions to current problems, for example a technological infrastructure that offers a range of “on“ and “off“ campus services to both faculty members, students and local residents;
  • Pursuing research and educational activities that offer workable solutions to global environmental problems, and implementing those solutions “on-campus” so as to provide a model of good practice that demonstrate the benefits of new technologies;
  • Establishing international cooperative mechanisms for further dialogue and information exchange on the above issues, in which universities can act as a “global science village”.

Session 2 - The University as a Resource for Prosperous Local Communities
Considering,

  • The desirability of universities providing a resource for all stakeholders within the community and not an “ivory tower” detached from the interests of the surrounding community;
  • The benefits of sharing positive experiences in research, education and “outreach” programs in order to ensure that good practices related to all aspects of university-industry-community collaboration, for example related to the food chain, are adopted on a global scale. As such, food related issues can provide an important model of how the university can function as a resource for prosperous communities.

Participants in Session 2 emphasized the importance of,

  • Developing cooperative international research and education projects that are tightly integrated with the interests of local communities and working closely with such communities in creating outreach programs that educate and assist producers on best practice in the production and sale of their produce;
  • Establishing an international network with particular responsibility for global issues and local problems in which universities play a key leadership role;
  • Focusing on food matters, for example, as a key issue in which universities can make a significant and meaningful contribution to enriching social life;
  • Promoting ethically responsible behavior on the part of universities and corporations in the context of food production, marketing and sales;
  • Continuing to “think globally and act locally” by pursuing local solutions via international collaboration.

Session 3 - The University’s Role in Health Science
Considering,

  • The centrality of public health for human well-being and development;
  • The importance of university-led research for medical science and promotion of public health;
  • The benefits for community health of sustained cooperation between universities and the pharmaceutical industry;
  • The ethical controversies associated with advances in biomedical science and technology.

Participants in Session 3 emphasized the importance of,

  • Campaigning for a steep increase in public expenditure on health R&D;
  • Engaging in research that has the potential to have an impact on major public health issues;
  • Supporting the international exchange of university medical staff, researchers and students, particularly in joint, interdisciplinary education and research projects that could aim, in part, at creating an online university information network in various fields related to public health;
  • Promoting public understanding of medical science and reducing anxieties regarding the implications of advances in medical technology;
  • Working to resolve ethical issues raised by medical research through active management programs. The desirability of education programs in the field of medical ethics, as well as professional scientific medicine, was noted. Mutual understanding and further collaboration would thus be stimulated.

3.Participants note the special responsibility that universities owe to young people,
   notably the obligation to provide an education that produces citizens who actively
   contribute to the life of their community. Of particular importance in this regard,
   participants stressed the need to harness student passion in educating independent,
   internationally-minded young adults who possess a specialized knowledge of their
   chosen field of study, as well as the ability to think critically, participate rationally
   in social debates, and develop into future leaders capable of making a contribution to
   global peace.

4.Participants emphasize that it is only through enhanced partnership with civil society
   and state actors that universities can make a meaningful contribution to community
   life. Participants therefore call upon respective local and central governments, the
   private sector, and the international community to support, from their own positions,
   the efforts undertaken by universities in contributing toward the goals outlined here.

5.Finally, the represented institutions promise to further intensify mutual cooperation in
   pursuit of the goals outlined in this Declaration. To this end, the value of transnational
   dialogue is affirmed and the desirability of establishing a global university consortium,
   whose mission will be to contribute to the global environment and world peace is noted.

 

 

 

28 October 2007
Fukuoka, Japan

Chulalongkorn University
Gadjah Mada University
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
University of Michigan
Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich
Saint Petersburg State University
University of Sao Paulo
Seoul National University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
University of Tehran
Waseda University
Kyushu University

 

 
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