On May 21, 2015, Josai University Educational Corporation invited former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad to give a keynote lecture entitled “Enhancing Knowledge for Peace: A Message to Future Leaders & Global Citizens” at the Tokyo Kioicho Campus as part of Josai’s 50th anniversary.
　 Josai also commemorated the event by awarding Mr. Mahathir an honorary doctoral degree in conjunction with the opening of the Josai Center for ASEAN Studies.

As part of their 50th anniversary festivities, Josai organized the Mizuta Mikio Memorial “Global Lecture” Series that invites globally influential people and exceptional scholars from both Japan and abroad to speak on the cultivation of global human resources. Mr. Mahathir is the first such speaker in this series.

Mr. Mahathir was the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia. Beginning as a medical practitioner, he switched to politics and served as Malaysia’s longest-standing Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. As an Asian leader with k nowledge of Japan, Mr. Mahathir espoused a “look East” policy that looked to Japan rather than the West for a model of economic development. Thanks to his exceptional and sustained leadership, Malaysia’s national power has grown exponentially.

During a Chancellor Mizuta-led Josai delegation visit to Malaysia in January 2015, the delegation was invited to Mr. Mahathir’s residence. It was then that Chancellor Mizuta announced Josai’s plans for a Global Lecture Series and secured Mr. Mahathir’s participation.

Arriving to the Tokyo Kioicho Campus on the morning of May 21, Mr. Mahathir’s delegation was greeted by domestic and exchange students as well as faculties from both Josai University and Josai International University to tour the 1st and 3rd buildings of the Kioicho campus. In the 1st building’s auditorium, Chancellor Mizuta greeted the guests saying: “It is a great honor to have the opportunity to hear a speech from a leader that has contributed to the peace and prosperity of Asia,” she said. In his lecture, Mr. Mahathir said, “Though Malaysia has been involved in territorial disputes with its five neighboring nations, they have all been resolved in accordance with the International Court of Justice without starting wars. Japan must not resort to war in the name of territorial disputes. We must send a message to the world that war is the most serious of crimes.”

The auditorium was filled to capacity with Asian government officials and leaders, as well as JU and JIU faculties and students. Students from Josai satellite universities also attended the event. The entire audience listened with great attention to the precious words from this Asian global leader.

The guests then moved to an hotel for a luncheon party following the lecture. Former Chairman of the Japan Business Federation Hiromasa Yonekura, Consultant for Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd. and toastmaster Ryoki Sugita, former President of Nikkei Inc. Yoshiaki Ito, as well as the managing directors of the Mainichi Newspapers also joined the festivities.

The newly opened Josai Center for ASEAN Studies will be located on the 2nd building of the Tokyo Kioicho Campus with Josai University Vice President Kenji Sugibayashi and former Malaysian Minister of Tourism Ng Yen Yen serving as joint directors. Here at Josai, we continue to work for the promotion of academic exchange and joint research between Japan and the ASEAN region and the cultivation of human resources for the extension of international relations.