Yamagiwa I believe that globalization is an important step in the process of establishing and developing a company.
Nagamori Actually, our first customer was an American company. When I first visited a Japanese company after I established my company, they only asked me my age, the number of years since establishment, or the number of employees, and since I had no experience, I get turned away at the door. Accordingly, I went to the US. In the US, they only asked me what advantages we can provide them with. The US is a country with many startup companies since then, so if you bring good products, you will be accepted.
Conversely, if you don't have world-class technology or something, you are out of the question.
Yamagiwa The same is true in the scientific community. One of the criteria of determining the status of globalization of the University is how many chairman of international academic associations are produced. There are two things that are required in managing academic associations for Western researchers who account for the majority of the community. One is respectable performance. The other is future concept. If you cannot present attractive plans for the association's future, no one will follow.
Nagamori They are important things. I go to an acquired company and tell them this at the beginning: "Just for one year, please follow me, just for the heck of it". Then, I talk about the vision a year later. A business managers' work is to talk about their dream and have it come true.

Yamagiwa In 2014, you established the Nagamori Awards, which is an awards program for motor engineers, and in August 2015, three Japanese and three non-Japanese engineers were awarded.
Nagamori In the 1980s, the main products in industry were iron and steel, later it was semiconductors, and I believe that from 2020 onward, motors will be the main product, the third "rice", in industry. In fact, more than half of the world's electricity demand is consumed by motors. If energy-saving motors are created, that would have a profound effect. Motors have the possibility to play an important role in solving environmental and resource problems. Nevertheless, the number of researchers involved in motors is decreasing. Courses on motors at universities in the world are disappearing. The current situation is that not very many people come to the core point of hardware, or manufacturing field. I can't just look on without doing anything. That's the reason why I began to work on the Nagamori Awards.
Yamagiwa In today's Japan, the "trust in technology", which is the driving force in promoting hardware manufacturing, has been shaken and undermined. When I was a kid, we used to foster trust and respect in technology through the experience of putting together transistor radio on our own as we could contrive. Nowadays, technology is no longer what we create on our own.
Nagamori Disrespect for manufacturing is a huge issue. I would like everyone to know what a fascinating world the hardware field is.
Yamagiwa Since a third of our students are engineering students. We would like to help our students foster their aspirations for manufacturing and develop their huge ambitions to change the world with technology. One prescription for this is to provide continuing education for adults. While in the US, 20 to 30 percent of university students are adult students, in Japan, less than 2 percent are adult students. We would like to create a competitive environment where if young people just sit around and do nothing, they will be overtaken by adult students in terms of technology and other resources.

Nagamori There are two things that I find disappointing about at Kyoto University.
The first is that there have been few graduates who started their own business and developed it into a company with sales of more than a trillion yen or who are outstanding in the business world. For companies, the largest contribution to society is job creation. This is very important. The world's best university should train the world's best graduates who can create a company.
The second is that there are few graduates who work for local companies in Kyoto, even though there are many good companies in Kyoto. If more and more graduates work for and play an active role in companies in Kyoto or create a startup in Kyoto, this would be ideal situation and the largest contribution to the local community.
Yamagiwa We are also concerned that there are many students who don't know about Kyoto or companies in Kyoto. As a consequence, we are considering encouraging the "Kyoto and Universities Campus Program", which plans to make the whole of Kyoto a large university campus, and linking students to Kyoto through further collaboration with local governments, the business world, and other universities. It will be highly possible in the future to use ideas from completely different fields, so learning in Kyoto itself, where you can find various cultures and ideas, will be a strength.
Nagamori Internship would also be an effective way. I hope that more and more students realize the advantages and strengths of the local companies in Kyoto through their working experience there and continue to stay in Kyoto.

Nagamori As we discussed previously, the reasons why so few students establish startups include social validation, influence of their mother or partner, or problems with the inadequate support system. However, the crucial thing is the awareness of young people. I gave a lecture at Kyoto University last year, but only overseas students asked questions actively.
Yamagiwa I'm afraid so. Accordingly, we are considering that it is necessary to increase ambitious students from overseas to raise the awareness of Japanese students.
Nagamori A long time ago, a Japanese person who studied at Harvard University said to his fellow students: "After graduation, I will return to the company I worked for". He was scorned by them. They said that they came there to learn to create a company. After returning to Japan, he quit the company and established his own company. It happens a lot that students get stimulated by the environment or their fellow students.
Yamagiwa Moreover, what is important for students is to realize that they have a variety of possibilities. I hope they have an experience of jumping into a whole new world, putting themselves to the test, and discovering and being impressed by new things.
Nagamori By going through many successful experiences, people become confident and strive for improvement. Although there are a lot of things to reform, such as systems and awareness, I expect that they will change during your term of office.
Yamagiwa Thank you. We will do that "at a dead run" to respond your expectations.