• 
• 

 The 2025 academic year is upon us, and on April 13, Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai will open its doors. In line with the theme “Designing a Future Society where Life Shines Brightly,” we can expect the Expo to be a place where people can design and experience the future and be excited about the various technological advances that lie ahead.
 However, it is worth questioning whether the progress of science is in step with the progression of individuals and society. Technological advancement alone does not provide all the solutions to the multitude of concerns facing us, such as for example, the numerous problems arising from the declining population of the Osaka metropolis.
 Even if issues may seem to have been addressed, it is prudent to carefully evaluate whether these solutions are truly good or bad with regard to our human activities and implement new approaches where necessary.
 Osaka International University students participating in a short-term training program in Cambodia, upon their return, reported this observation in their presentation of their study abroad experience. They maintained that volunteer work and assistance do not necessarily produce good results for the local people unless it is done with proper consideration.
 Their observation was that if technology and ideas of developed
 countries are imposed upon developing countries without carefully considering the local conditions, the end result may be that the natural systems, cultures, and activities of those countries will be destroyed.
 The German playwright, poet, and politician, Goethe, said, “Preserve the old faithfully, and cultivate the ability to see the new correctly.” As Goethe said, we want to send out into society talented people who are not preoccupied with novelty and superficial beauty, but who recognize the value in commonplace everyday life, and who can think carefully about the future and the meaning of life. I would like to continue to support our preschool children, school students, and university students so that they will preserve the culture of this community, bring about a new wind, and gradually create a better world and a future in which each individual life will shine brightly.
 Please accept my best regards for this school year.

Osaka International Educational Institution
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Goro Okuda