Rikkyo University President Renta Nishihara

Stick to the truth and have something original

President of Rikkyo University　Renta Nishihara(Nishihara Rentah)

■ Profile
Graduated from Kyoto University in 1987. Completed the Anglican Theological Seminary in 1994. Completed the Master's Program in Systematic Theology at Rikkyo University Graduate School of Letters in 1995. PhD (Theology). Became a full-time lecturer in the College of Letters at Rikkyo University in 1998, and served as an associate professor, professor, and vice president before assuming the position of President of Rikkyo University in April 2021.

He says that in order to be successful in society, it is important to continue to focus on what the truth is.
We must cultivate the ability to discern the real thing from the vast amount of information available. President Nishihara said that in order to do this, it is important to actually see things with your own eyes. We also spoke to President Nishihara about Rikkyo University's spirit of being a first-class person.

■What kind of student life did you have?

When I was a university student, I was conscious of meeting as many people as possible. In my first year, I was invited by a senior student to join a group that played with children. The group was to play with Korean children living in Japan in the park.
I also had a part-time job at a vegetable market, so I would work early in the morning, then attend classes at university and then participate in club activities.
At the time, I was shocked by meeting children living in areas that were unfairly discriminated against by society, and it made me rethink my way of life. Furthermore, outside of the club, I also met many people, such as going to Okinawa to hear from people living in a former leprosy sanatorium called Airakuen, and interacting with Ainu people in Hokkaido. By interacting with people living in such diverse environments and cultures, I began to think about who I am.

What is the job of the president?

The president has three responsibilities: education, research, and academic affairs. Education involves actually teaching classes and working with students in seminars, where we tackle various issues and discuss solutions. Research involves writing papers and reading books related to research. It's important that a good educator is also a good researcher. As educators, faculty members must continue their research and constantly provide students with new information. They must also find ways to make their classes easier to understand. The word "education" comes from the Latin "exducare," meaning to draw out, and faculty members must bring out the potential and abilities of their students. To achieve this, a balance between education and research is important. Finally, academic affairs involves managing the university, or in other words, producing it. To achieve this, I actually present the university's vision and manage and operate it so that all students and faculty can feel at ease.

■Please tell us the type of student society is looking for.

The important thing is to not fear criticism and to continue to question "what is truth?" I believe it's also about being aware of one's own existence, recognizing the existence of others, and learning about humanity and interpreting the world. In other words, it means questioning common sense and established theories and encountering originality. Today's young people, who are digital natives, tend to look up questions online and feel like they understand them. However, they need to question "Is that really true?" and actually see and experience things to gain their own originality. This is what studying English is for. If the answer to a question isn't available in Japan, the only option is to travel abroad and see the real thing for yourself. However, to do this, you need to understand the language of that country. English isn't about getting a good grade; it's a necessary language for obtaining information that can't be understood in Japanese alone. And those who can find the real thing among all the mundane information are what society needs.

■Please give us a message for university students

Finally, I would like to introduce this quote: "Do your best, and it must be first class." This is a quote from Dr. Paul Rusch, a professor at Rikkyo University who introduced American football to Japan after the war. A literal translation would be "Do your best, and be first class."
What this means is that the goal is not just to win, but to do your best in the mission you are given, and the process itself is what is important. That attitude and behavior will make you first-class.

Student Newspaper, October 1, 2022 Issue, Rikkyo University, 10th year student, Sudo Kakuto