Let me begin by offering warmest congratulations on behalf of the University of California system and my North American colleagues to all of the Waseda community on this auspicious event.

Waseda indeed has a glorious history of 125 years of contributions to the people of Japan, and in fact of the world.

In reflecting on the key elements of the Waseda tradition that have helped make the institution so effective in the past, I am struck by how relevant they are for the challenges of the future.

Waseda has been remarkably successful in nurturing a culture of innovation, evidenced in particular by the characteristics of its outstanding alumni and by the diversity and breadth of its research contributions to society.

Waseda has also been noteworthy in its social commitment, and in its commitment from its inception to “promoting practical utilization of knowledge”.

Among Japanese universities, Waseda has also been particularly impressive recently in its commitment to international research collaborations, to increasingly providing international experiences for its students, and to welcoming scholars and students from around the world to its community.

All of these foundational elements of the Waseda culture poise it to continue to play vitally important leadership roles among research universities worldwide in the years to come. They are also values and core strategies we share at the University of California.

Research universities bear a responsibility in the years to come to increasingly target our intellectual resources, the creativity of our faculty and students, to addressing the big, complex interdisciplinary challenges facing all of us.

These challenges, such as global warming, emerging and chronic diseases, environmental quality and cultural preservation are challenges that no one university, or nation, can address on its own. Alliances of universities, working across national boundaries and collaborating effectively with multiple sectors of society, will be essential if we are to be effective in addressing these large-scale challenges.

I am convinced that Waseda's noble historic traditions, coupled with its strategic vision for the future, will combine to make it one of the most powerful academic forces for good in the 21st century. At the University of California, we look forward to working with Waseda, and with the other distinguished universities represented here today, to continue to advance our common goal of assuring a peaceful, healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for the coming generations.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak, and let me again warmly congratulate all of the Waseda community - faculty, staff, students and alumni - on the remarkable accomplishments and truly bright future of your great institution.