I have been appointed to serve as the thirteenth president of Saitama University, and I will do everything I can to guide our university along a fruitful path of growth and development into the future.

In 1949, the former Urawa High School, Saitama Normal School, and Saitama Youth Normal School were integrated into Saitama University—a national university under the new education system. Now, more than 70 years since its establishment, the university boasts the five faculties of Liberal Arts, Economics, Education, Science, and Engineering, the three graduate schools of Humanities and Social Sciences, Education, and Science and Engineering, and a total enrollment capacity of 2,200 students. Those seven decades have also seen the university produce more than 80,000 graduates, who have made their marks in a diversity of social sectors, generating new knowledge and fostering the progress of both Japan and the world. We take pride in that legacy, one whose roots lie in the committed, sustained pursuit of education and research characterizing our entire history.

I look forward to carrying our heritage forward. In addition to enhancing our research capabilities to help us better develop new horizons of human knowledge and address pertinent issues in today’s world, we at Saitama University will continue to leverage that firm academic foundation in providing the high-caliber education that tomorrow’s leaders can thrive on. At the same time, we want to foster active human exchange with a view to the world so that our graduates can flourish on the global stage. Our geographical location, meanwhile, is another asset we hope to make the most of. Situated in Saitama, a pivotal link between the neighboring Japanese capital of Tokyo and outlying areas, Saitama University has a reach that encompasses Saitama Prefecture, the Tokyo metropolitan area, and regional communities as well. Recognizing the unique advantages our location offers, we will keep working to meet community needs and respond to the demands of the times with speed and agility, incorporate input from both within and outside the university organization, and fulfill our core role in energizing the local community.

As we continue to enrich and enliven our pursuit of better education, research, and social contribution—a commitment evident across our entire history—we envision what the next chapter holds for Saitama University: developing into an even more vibrant force with a solid, enduring presence in the region, the nation, and the international community. 

April 1, 2020

Takafumi Sakai
President, Saitama University