入学式から１カ月余り、新入生の皆さんはもう学生生活に慣れてきたころでしょうか。親元を離れ一人暮らしを始めた方は、不安なことが多いかもしれません。そんなときは、チューターの教員、各学部の学生支援室などに気軽に相談してください。必ず相談に乗ってくれます。

　広島大学は原爆投下から4年後の1949年5月31日に開学し、今年で76年を迎えました。文部大臣を経て初代学長に就任した森戸辰男先生は「自由で平和な一つの大学」を掲げ、「中国・四国地方の中心大学」「地域性のある大学」「国際性のある大学」というビジョンを示しました。このビジョンは現代においても色褪せることなく、そのDNAは今も脈々と受け継がれており、あらためて森戸先生の慧眼には感服するばかりです。

　さて、近年の大学を取り巻く環境が大きく変化しているのはご承知のことと思います。国は2004年の国立大学法人化以来、大学運営に欠かせない「運営費交付金」を年々削減する一方、公募で選んだ研究に振り向ける「競争的資金」を大幅に増やしました。この資金は、大学間で競争して勝ちとらねばなりません。

　「競争的資金」に関して、広島大学は、「世界トップレベル研究拠点プログラム（WPI）」や「地域中核・特色ある研究大学強化促進事業（J-PEAKS）」、「ワクチン生産体制強化のためのバイオ医薬品製造拠点等整備事業」、「高度医療人材養成拠点形成事業－タイプA」といった国の大型研究資金を相次いで獲得しました。これらは、森戸辰男初代学長が掲げたビジョンを具現化－すなわち、中国・四国地方の中心大学として相応しい本学の教育・研究拠点整備に使用され、学生の皆さんの学習環境をより充実させる礎となりました。しかしながら、これらの競争的資金は国が求めた事業にしか執行できません。

　「運営費交付金」の減少の影響は小さくなく、他の国立大学に先駆けて教員人事を全学で一元管理して、教育研究の戦略的な運営を実現するなど、さまざまな大学改革に取り組んできましたが、この20年間で教職員数は約15%減りました。講義棟や各種研究施設などでも、修繕が行き届かないところが目に付くようになりました。

　そんな中、文部科学大臣の諮問機関である中央教育審議会は、国立大学の機能強化策として「学部定員を縮小し、大学院教育を強化する」考えを示しました。少子化が加速しているとは言え、海外からの留学生の受け入れを拡大することなく性急に学部定員を削減すれば、大学院への進学者はいずれ減少し、高等教育全体の裾野を狭めてしまう懸念があります。

　こうした問題意識から、私は2025年2月7日の朝日新聞「私の視点」に寄稿し、学生に最適な学びの場を提供し、研究者に基礎から応用に至るまで幅広い分野で自由に研究できる環境を整えて、人類の持続的な発展に貢献するのが大学の使命であること、そしてそれを実現することのできる「国をあげた高等教育の環境整備が急務である」ことを訴えました。

　これからも学生の皆さんが安心してさまざまな挑戦に踏み出せるよう、尽力していく所存です。

More than one month has passed since the 2025 Entrance Ceremony. By now, our new students have likely settled into campus life. For those who moved away from home to start living independently, there may still be some uncertainties. If that is the case, please do not hesitate to seek support from your tutors or the student support office in your department. They will undoubtedly be able to assist you.

Hiroshima University (HU), founded on 31st May 1949, four years after the atomic bombing, is now 76 years old. Mr. Tatsuo Morito, HU’s first president and also a former Minister of Education, advocated ‘a single unified university, free and pursuing peace’ and presented a vision of becoming ‘the central university in the Chugoku-Shikoku region’, ‘a university with regional identity’, and ‘an internationally-minded university’. These ideals remain undiminished even in the modern era, and are still deeply ingrained in the university’s DNA. I am truly impressed by Mr. Morito’s foresight.

Well, as you are likely aware, the environment surrounding universities has undergone significant changes in recent years. Since the national universities transitioned to become ‘National University Corporations’ in 2004, the government has annually reduced ‘university operating grants’ essential for the administration and operation of universities. At the same time, the government has significantly increased the amount of ‘competitive research funding.’ This funding is allocated to university research through a process of public applications, whereby universities compete with each other for funding.

Hiroshima University has been successful in a series of major national funding applications, including the ‘World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI),’ the ‘Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)’, the ‘Project to Develop Bio-pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facilities and Other Infrastructure Projects to Strengthen the Vaccine Production System’ , and the ‘Project for the Formation of Advanced Medical Human Resource Development Centers (type A)’. These embody the vision set out by the first president, Tatsuo Morito, laying the foundations for enhancing our educational and research capabilities as well as improving students’ learning environment. However, these
competitive funds can only be used for projects mandated by the government.

The impact of the decline in operating grants has not been insignificant. Ahead of any other national university, we have undertaken various university reforms that include the centralized management of faculty personnel across the entire university with the aim of achieving strategic management of education and research. However, the number of teaching staff has decreased by about 15% over the past 20 years. Similarly, we have noticed that some lecture buildings and various research facilities are not being repaired properly.

Against this backdrop, the Central Council for Education, an advisory body to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, has announced its intention to ‘reduce undergraduate student quotas and enhance postgraduate education’, as a measure to strengthen the functionality of national universities. Although the birthrate is declining at an accelerating rate, there are concerns that hasty reductions in undergraduate places without expanding the intake of international students from abroad will eventually result in fewer students entering postgraduate studies, thereby narrowing the scope of higher education as a whole.

Based on my awareness of these issues, I wrote an opinion piece for the 7th February 2025 edition of the Asahi Shimbun, entitled ‘My Perspective (Watashi no Shiten).’ I believe universities have a duty to support the sustainable development of humanity by offering students an optimal learning environment and by granting researchers the freedom to explore a diverse array of fields, ranging from basic to applied sciences. I called for an ‘urgent need for a streamlined national environment for higher education’ that would enable this to happen.

I will continue to do my utmost to ensure that all of you have the peace of mind to confidently take on the various challenges that lie ahead.