I would like to wish everyone a happy New Year, and share my slogan for 2018: "Like a pack of wise animals".
The Chinese zodiac marks 2018 as the Year of the Dog. Dogs are known to be hierarchy-conscious and loyal to their leaders. They are our trusted and longtime friends, and members of the human community.
In Japan, however, they are also known as archenemies of monkeys, an animal that I have spent numerous years studying. This perceived animosity is thought to go back to when farmers began using dogs to scare monkeys away.
While both dogs and monkeys live in groups, their group behaviors are totally different from each other. Dog packs are focused on hunting, and are tightly controlled by leaders. Monkeys, on the other hand, are herbivorous, and their troops are structured primarily for efficient and safe foraging of fruits and leaves over a wide area. When foraging and eating, monkeys keep away from each other to avoid competition. They only cluster together to ensure safety while resting.
As a species, humans are closer to monkeys than to dogs, making them relatively poor at leading or following.
It is often said that KyotoU students are not group animals. What this means, I think, is that they tend to be independent-minded and immune to peer pressure.
Our first president, Koji Kinoshita, espoused the concept of "self-reliance and self-respect", explaining that respect for self leads to that for others — an idea that has fostered our tradition of "academic freedom based on dialogue".
To me, our students do seem to enjoy company; they like to get together for freewheeling discussions, and for opportunities to cultivate their capacities for original and independent thinking.
Just as with the students, our faculty and staff each has unique sets of strengths. I want all of us to respect each other's individuality and strengths, and share in the joys and hardships of our journey together, as we strive to achieve our goals as a university.
I appreciate your continued support for these endeavors throughout 2018.
Juichi Yamagiwa
President, Kyoto University
5 January 2018
