Japan Koichi Tadenuma ’89 (Phd) Leads a Unique Japanese University
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
IN REVIEW Global Rochester: Japan Koichi Tadenuma ’89 (PhD) leads a unique Japanese university. As the new president at Hitotsubashi University in managing a university.” Tokyo, Koichi Tadenuma ’89 (PhD) is focusing on the Tadenuma returned to Japan from Rochester, global impact of the school, which specializes becoming an assistant professor at Hitotsubashi in in the social sciences—the leading uni- 1990 and receiving promotion to full rank eleven versity in the country to do so—and years later. In 2011, he became dean of the Gradu- has campuses in three areas of ate School of Economics. Akita the Japanese capital city. He credits his Rochester doctoral advisor, Wil- Elected last year, Tade- liam Thompson, the Elmer B. Milliman Professor of numa aims to “increase Economics—with whom he is now a coauthor—with Sendai the number of research teaching him “all the ‘musts’ for researchers: being fields at our university curious, finding a problem, building a model, think- that are ranked within ing logically, and interpreting results. The wealth the top 100 in world of invaluable advice and support he gave me is my Nagoya university rankings,” treasure for life.” Kyoto Tokyo adding that it’s a goal While research is dear to Tadenuma’s heart, Hiroshima Osaka held by university presi- leading the university turns out to be something of dents across Japan. The a family tradition: his father, legal scholar Kenichi school has about 6,400 Tadenuma, was president from 1977 to 1980. students, of whom 700 are “I saw my father take on the job of president at international students. the sacrifice of the research that he loved. I was Established in 1875 as a put in the same position when I was nominated commercial training school, the for president. Having seen my father’s situation, I school became Tokyo University needed some time to consider before deciding, but of Commerce in 1920. Just three years a sense of responsibility eventually made me accept later, an earthquake destroyed all of its build- the nomination.” —Kathleen McGarvey ROCHESTER AND JAPAN ings except for the library. It moved to its present location, People Kunitachi—about 15 miles west 4 7 6 alumni living in Japan of central Tokyo—in 1930 and 28 students from Japan in took the name Hitotsubashi in fall 2014 1949, from an education district 4 Fulbright Scholars have near the Imperial Palace where gone to Japan since 1993 it was located in its early days. 172 students have studied One of the first Japanese schools abroad in Japan since to adopt the American education 1979 system introduced after World War II, the school is made up In 1995, Lionel McKenzie, of 12 main units: four faculties, then the Wilson Professor seven graduate schools, and Emeritus of Economics, was one institute, the Institute of inducted into the Order of Economic Research. the Rising Sun and met with Tadenuma earned his doctor- Emperor Akihito in recogni- ate in economics at Rochester, tion of his influence on the and says that his economics teaching of economics in training serves him well in the Japan. Fifty of McKenzie’s presidency. “Economics seeks an former graduate students optimal system or mechanism from Japan urged their gov- that achieves the best conse- ernment to extend the honor. quence under given budget McKenzie died in 2010. constraints. I believe that this PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE: Tadenuma, an economist, is the way of thinking that I learned new president of Hitotsubashi University, Japan’s leading university in economics is also useful for to specialize in the social sciences. HITOTSUBASHI UNIVERSITY May–June 2015 ROCHESTER REVIEW 25 RochRev_May2015_Review.indd 25 4/28/15 5:24 PM.