Education must be able to cope with changes

Shimeji Furutani is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Osaka Sangyo University in Osaka, Japan. Before being appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University, he had served the Osaka Sangyo University High School for more than 20 years in various capacities. Furutani also headed the High School for a couple of years. Soon after he was appointed the Chairman in 1995, he visited Nepal to establish relationship and extend cooperation to Nepalese universities. His effort resulted in the initiation of a student and faculty member exchange programme between Osaka Sangyo University and Tribhuvan University since 1997. This week, he again came to Nepal in order to strengthen the relationship with TU. Neeraj Vajracharya of The Independent, with the help of an interpreter, talked with him on various aspects of education on Monday. Excerpts:

Q. Why are you here?
A. I, along with members of our University, came to Nepal for strengthening of relationship between Nepalese universities and our University - Osaka Sangyo University. I really feel Nepal is my second home-town and I very much like to spend my time here. The Nepalese people are very friendly and hospitable. Since Nepal is the birth place of Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace, it is a holy land for all Buddhist people around the world. Being a Buddhist myself, I respect and love Nepal very much. That’s why I have considered Nepal as my second home-town.

Besides that, the life-style in Japan is very much different than that in Nepal. People are very busy in Japan. I have found Nepalese people very warm and considerate. Because of my busy schedule, I have not yet visited Lumbini, where Lord Buddha was born. This time also our visit is very short and we couldn’t visit Lumbini. But, being in Nepal, I felt like I’ve been to the holy place of Buddhists. Next time when I come to Nepal, I will not miss visiting Lumbini.

Q. Have you came to Nepal before?
A. Yes, I have come to Nepal before. This is my second visit. I first came to Nepal five years ago in 1995. At that time, we were able to establish relationship with the Tribhuvan University. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tribhuvan University for student and teacher exchange programme and also for initiating cooperation between the two countries.

Q. How do you feel about the education system and institutions of Nepal?
A. The last time when I visited the Tribhuvan University and other institutions under it, I realized that the education system in Nepal was good. However, I felt some need of improvement in its system as well as in the physical infrastructure of the institutions.

This time, I haven’t yet met with the education experts of Nepal. So, I am not very sure about the actual figure of education institutes. But I hope the Tribhuvan University and the faculties under it are quite capable of providing better education to many more students than before. We are also willing to extend our help regarding the development of institutions and quality of education.

Q. How do you plan to help Nepalese institutes and  the Tribhuvan University?
A. We would like to help Nepalese Universities. But, we don’t know much about them and their needs. Actually, what we know about them is not enough for us to plan for extending our cooperation. However, I would like to assure all that we can extend our cooperation in diverse fields.

In the past five years, we have contributed our assistance to Nepal through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In association with JICA, we have provided financial assistance to a number of elementary schools in this country. Besides that, we’ve also contributed about three million yen for the construction of a bridge.

Q. In what aspect do the Nepalese Universities need to be provided help for better results?
A. I have met with different education experts in Nepal in the past. I am also meeting with the Minister of Education and vice-chancellor of the Tribhuvan University this afternoon. Only after meeting with them, can we answer this question. However, in the present context of rapid changes in technology, the education system as a whole should be made capable to cope with those changes. It should basically focus on technology and computer education to keep pace with other countries. For this, the educational institutions should consolidate themselves in terms of their infrastructure. They should also modify and update courses in a constant manner. Otherwise these institutions can not produce competent professionals. Nepalese universities should also try to take in foreign students.

Q. How can Nepal benefit from reputed Japanese Universities like Osaka Sangyo University?
A. Nepal can benefit in many ways from Japanese universities. They can develop and update their courses according to the ones which have been developed by and practiced in the reputed universities around the world. They can learn from the experience of others. Osaka Sangyo University can help Nepalese universities in this matter. Students and teachers exchange programmes can also help increase competence of both the students as well as of the teachers. Scholarship scheme can also be developed to provide better chances to intelligent students.

In keeping view the mutual benefit, our University has been financing student exchange programmes since 1997. More than thirty students have benefitted from this scheme. I hope this will help to a great extent to both the Nepalese students and the Japanese students.

Q. Can you tell our readers about the Student Exchange Programme that your university has started?
A. We signed the MoU with the Tribhuvan University on April of 1995 for this programme. According to it, Master’s level students from the Institute of Engineering were sent to Osaka Sangyo University for 1 year for their research work. At present, every year 2-3 students are sent to OSU for their 6-month research fellowship. Similarly, Institute of Engineering faculty members also visit OSU for research assignments. In the beginning faculty members used to stay for about a year for their research work. But, at present it has been reduced to about 2 weeks. We have realized that for any meaningful research attachment, two weeks time is very short. That’s why, we have decided to lengthen this duration to almost 6 months from next year. For this programme air fare was borne by the candidate and the living and research expenses were borne by the OSU.

Japanese students led by faculty members of the OSU also started to visit Nepal since 1997. The third group of students visited Nepal just recently. Nepal visit programme has became very popular among OSU students. This programme is coordinated by Nepalese professor Dr. Pramod B Shrestha, who is also the head of Department of Mechanical Engineering at Institute of Engineering, TU.

Q. It is said that the main theme of the Osaka Sangyo University is “Greatness for the Masses”. What does this mean and how the University has achieved this?
A. Osaka Sangyo University was founded by late Genzburo Sejima. After realizing the indispensability of compatible development of transportation and economy in Japan, late Sejima established Osaka Railway School in 1928. Foundation of this school inspired him to establish the University. Since its inception, the primary concern of the institution has consistently been the cultivation of modernized industrial persons with universal views who could contribute to the development of the new industrial society and the welfare of mankind. In addition to the study of transportation and industry, this University places its emphasis on building character and developing creativity through its own academic traditions pursuant to the spirit of the foundation, “Greatness for the Masses”.

It has devoted itself in contributing to society by coping with the age of rapid social development by producing talented students in wide variety of subjects. Now, we have more than thirteen thousand students in various faculties of the University and three thousand students in its junior high school. We also have almost 200 foreign students studying in our university. Presently, we have two students from Nepal. But we are willing to take more.