On Monday, September 7th, 2026, the "2026 Discussion Meeting Between Students And the President" was held in the Regional and International Exchange Hall.
The discussion meeting was held in a workshop format, with Specially Appointed Lecturer Tamaari Tomoko at the Research Center for Higher Education, as the facilitator, and focused on the theme of the " What to preserve and what to change at Tokushima University by 2040."
The event was attended by 12 graduate students, 10 undergraduate students, three students from Tokushima University's i.school who served as a table facilitator. From the university side, 14 people including President Kawamura Yasuhiko, Executive Directors, Vice President for the International Affairs, faculty members from the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Research Center for Higher Education, and administrative staff members.
The event began with opening remarks from Vice President for Education Kawano Fumiaki, followed by a message from President Kawamura, who expressed his hope that the gathering would foster connections and mutual support, creating friendships among those who would continue to watch over Tokushima University with warmth throughout their long lives ahead.
In the subsequent the "Pro-Action Café," participants proposed topics for discussion and then broke into groups based on those themes to exchange ideas. Students and faculty/staff members put forward eight topics, including "education that circulates within the community," "systematizing national universities," "inter-campus interaction—can we unite the campuses?," "how to attract young people to Tokushima," "important things that are hard to put into words but definitely exist," "wouldn't working professionals also want to learn and conduct research?", and "is Tokushima University still around?" In each group, students, faculty/staff members engaged in lively discussions, sharing their thoughts, insights, and lessons learned—as well as ideas on "what we can do right now"—from their respective perspectives. It was a valuable opportunity for students and faculty/staff members to exchange views across their different roles and envision the future of Tokushima University in 2040.
Participants shared comments such as, "It was great to realize just how many people love Tokushima University," "I gained something I want to share with my future students when I become a teacher," and "There are students who want to promote Tokushima University to high schoolers themselves; it was heartening to see their love for the university come through."
Finally, President Kawamura shared the following message: "We were able to discuss a valuable topic, and I intend to incorporate these insights into the university's administration. Through today's gathering, I strongly felt the deep affection everyone here holds for Tokushima University. Moving forward, I will continue to speak passionately and persistently about the university's strengths."
For the students, this discussion meeting served as an opportunity to gain new perspectives and insights through dialogue with faculty, staff, and students from other departments—people with whom they rarely have the chance to interact. It was also a meaningful opportunity for the university to gain direct insight into the students' candid thoughts and attitudes.
Moving forward, Tokushima University will share the opinions and proposals raised at this meeting within the university and consider their implementation. At the same time, we will continue to provide opportunities for dialogue between students and the university president, incorporating student feedback into university administration as we work to build a better Tokushima University.
President Kawamura sharing stories about interactions with friends from his university days
Participants engaging in group discussions based on specific themes
Facilitator Tamaari summarizing participants' ideas on a whiteboard
Commemorative photo with President Kawamura
