Goto Educational Foundation (Tokyo City University) Chairman, Toru Takahashi 　

To develop healthy, passionate individuals who can play an active role in society.

■ Profile

Born in Tokyo in 1950.
After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo in 1974, he joined Tokyu Corporation.
He was appointed Senior Managing Director in 2011, and subsequently served as Representative Director and President of Tokyu Hotels and Tokyu Research Institute.
In 2017, he became the chairman of the Japan Secretaries Association, and in 2018, he became the chairman of the Goto Scholarship Foundation.

We spoke to Toru Takahashi, chairman of the Goto Ikueikai educational corporation, which manages the Tokyo City University Group, about the type of person society will need in the future.

■Please tell us about your life from your student days to your post-employment years.

　Many of my relatives are in the medical field, and I myself aspired to become a doctor until my third year of high school. However, I was in a class where many students went on to study humanities, so I ended up going to a liberal arts university. I was also very active in sports, so my only part-time job was as a private tutor.
　Regarding my job search, I had been aiming to become a diplomat, but I ended up working for Tokyu Corporation. I considered taking a year off to study for the diplomatic exam, but after consulting with many people, I was advised that it would be better to get out into the world as soon as possible, so I decided to get a job. I think that COVID-19 has changed the way people look for work, but the world can change drastically in a day, so it's important to do everything you can. It's better to regret doing something than regret not doing it.
　At Tokyu, I first gained experience working as a station attendant to gain on-site experience, and then I was assigned to the Overseas Department. It was a newly established department, and the task was to bring and expand Japanese land development know-how overseas, but it was quite difficult. After that, I earned an MBA in the United States and worked in finance, secretarial work, and other positions. After serving as chairman of Tokyu Hotels, I took up my current position two years ago.

■What kind of students do you think society needs?

　When people enter society, they are required to have various abilities such as decision-making ability, judgment, and initiative, but because the world is constantly changing, it is especially important to be able to sense change faster than others and know how to respond to it.
　And since nothing can get done unless you can communicate with others, the ability to explain things in a digestible way, the ability to be accepted by others, and how to communicate are all important. Furthermore, globalization will continue to progress, and Japan's position in the world will likely change due to the impact of a declining birthrate. With this in mind, it would be a good idea to acquire the skills to work overseas. Learning English is key. But it's also important to be able to talk about Japanese culture and express your opinions in English.

What is your focus in education?

　Data science education and global education are two areas of education that I would like to focus on. As we are building a society that is deeply involved in big data, AI, IoT, and other technologies, I believe that this type of education will become increasingly necessary. For this reason, I am currently incorporating classes that teach basic data science to all students.
　As for global education, there are four-month study abroad programs in Australia, with around 300 students studying abroad each year. For students with high TOEIC levels, there is a program to study in New Zealand, with up to 4 students participating each year.
　We are also focusing on overseas internships. We have a program that allows students to go abroad for about three weeks, making full use of the network of Tokyu Group companies, business partners, alumni, and former students. This internship system won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award this year.

■Please give us a message for university students

　One of the words that Keita Goto, the first chairman of the board, treasured was "zessei (passion, sincerity)." This expresses the idea that if you have health and enthusiasm, you will surely succeed at the dividing line between failure and success.
　I hope that all students will take these words to heart and approach things with passion and sincerity, without succumbing to the changes in society brought about by COVID-19.
　If you adopt this kind of lifestyle, you will be able to clearly recognize your own growth.

Student Newspaper October 2020 Issue Musashi University 4th Year Student Iioka Ikio