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I was dean of the Faculty of Economics, Osaka Sangyo University from 2002 to 2004. In this period, I made great efforts to establish open university governance.
This term is new; however, it corresponds to the term of corporate governance and has the same meaning.
Just as many Japanese companies have closed systems, so, too, do some private universities in Japan because these universities are supported by governmental subsidies and are not independent from the government.
I think that open university governance means the following. The first is to disclose various information about our faculty and accept evaluation from the outside. The second is to accept outsiders as official members.
According to this strategy, as dean, I submitted our COE (21st Century Center of Excellence Program) program to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. At the same time, in 2003, our faculty held various important events. The first one is an international symposium, Monetary Integration in Europe and its Implications for East Asia, whose message of invitation is provided in the following. The second one is a lecture meeting by Ms. Husae Ohta, the governor of Osaka prefecture, to develop the relationship between our university and Eastern Districts of Osaka.

International symposium
"Monetary Integration in Europe and its Implications for East Asia"
In commemoration of the completion of our Department of International economics and with the aim of establishing COE

Twelve EU member countries out of fifteen countries gave up their own currencies permanently from January 2002 after 10 years of preparation and adopted a new single currency, the Euro. This monetary integration shows that European economic integration has reached a new higher stage.
The influence of a great challenge on the global world is significant, and the movement towards economic and monetary integration is becoming active across the globe.
Asian countries, reflecting on the Asian economic crisis in 1997, are seeking, not a unilateral dependence on the U.S. dollar, but a movement towards Asian economic and monetary integration. In early July, 2002, at the ASEM (The Asia-Europe Meeting) Finance Ministers' Meeting held in Copenhagen, the Asian common currency plan was proposed.
Without doubt the crisis of a split in Europe has been brought about from the war in Iraq by the U.S. and Britain. However, we believe that the main trend of integration will not retreat in this globalizing world.
We would like to confirm the results of European economic and monetary integration, and to take this opportunity to send our message boldly regarding how to promote it in Asia to the world at this symposium.
Incidentally, this symposium will be held to commemorate that both our Department of Economics and our consistent research and education program through 9 years to our Graduate School of Economics was completed. Thus, our Graduate School has applied for COE (Center of Excellence) with the subject of "Industrial Agglomeration in Eastern Districts of Osaka and its Industrial Alliance with East Asian Countries."
Copyright(C) 2003-2009, Hirohiko Shimpo, All rights reserved.