I discussed “Learning of Tomorrow” with Dr. Hiroshi Komiyama, President of the Learning of Tomorrow Association and the 28th President of the University of Tokyo. I’m delighted to hear that Dr. Komiyama has been using the term “Meta University” frequently lately. He encouraged us, saying, “Let’s do our best to achieve lifelong active learning.”
　Now, since I’ve received permission to share Professor Komiyama’s opening remarks from the symposium marking the establishment of the Learning of Tomorrow Association, I’d like to present them here.
*The photo shows Professor Komiyama wearing a Learning of Tomorrow pin.

■ Three Perspectives for Understanding “Learning of Tomorrow”
Hello, everyone. I imagine you’ve gathered here wondering, “What exactly is the Learning of Tomorrow Association?” I didn’t expect so many of you to attend, so I made a mistake in selecting the venue—I chose one that’s a bit too small. I sincerely apologize for having to turn some of you away.To help you understand “Learning of Tomorrow,” there are three key perspectives. The first is the keyword “IT talent development.” The second is “Learning of Tomorrow” as viewed through the lens of Japan’s unique characteristics and strengths. The third is the question: “What exactly is a ‘Learning of Tomorrow Society’?” I’d like to explain these three perspectives in order.

■ IT as a Foundational Literacy
First, the development of IT talent. It goes without saying that, just like reading, writing, and arithmetic—or subjects such as Japanese, math, science, and social studies—IT is becoming a foundational literacy. However, Japan has fallen behind in the area of IT education.This is also true when we look at society outside of schools. While the adoption of renewable energy is spreading at an unbelievably rapid pace globally, Japan is lagging behind—and there are various other areas where adoption lags compared to the rest of the world. These issues are actually all interconnected, and IT must become a foundational literacy.

　Furthermore, we are now said to be in the era of a “100-year life,” which makes lifelong learning crucial. I have been active in DiTT (Digital Textbook Council) up until now, and the government has finally begun to take action. However, this, too, is far too little, far too late.I fear that unless the private sector takes the lead in this field, Japan will be left with no viable options. The idea of “moving forward with private-sector leadership” is also a key point in “Learning of Tomorrow.” Let’s have the private sector take the lead in cultivating talent capable of utilizing IT. This is the first perspective we must consider when thinking about “Learning of Tomorrow.”

■Japanese Society Still Has Plenty of Room to Utilize IT and AI
　The second perspective is that one of the defining characteristics of Japan today is its exceptionally strong job market. Conversely, this is also described as a labor shortage. Currently, people aged 15 to 64 are considered part of the working-age population, but what do the facts actually show?People aged 15 to 18 are in their third year of junior high school, third year of high school, or first year of college. They aren’t working, are they? Last year in Japan, only 17 percent of high school graduates started working immediately after graduation. By developed-country standards, the working-age population is generally defined as those aged 20 and older.I am 73 years old now, but I’m still going strong. When I invite my friends to play golf, they tell me, “I’m going trekking on Mount Everest, so let’s do it when I get back.” Since we’re classmates, we’re all roughly the same age.You, the taxpayers, are paying pensions to these very people. In other words, I believe the current social system is flawed. The reality has changed, but the system hasn’t kept up. For example, if we could transform society so that the working-age population spans ages 20 to 74—and boost productivity by adopting IT and AI—a significant portion of the issues we’re currently debating would cease to be problems.Even if we rapidly adopt IT and AI, it won’t create employment problems on a large scale. This is an advantage that few other countries have—one that’s virtually unparalleled worldwide.

■ The “100-Year Life” Era Leads to a “Learning of Tomorrow Society”
Next, the third point: what exactly is this “Learning of Tomorrow society”?The current school system was created in an era when life expectancy was around 50 or 60 years. In fact, the mandatory retirement system first emerged around Showa 25, with the retirement age set at 50.However, the average life expectancy at that time wasn’t even 50 years—partly due to the effects of the war. After all, the global average life expectancy in 1900 was just 31 years. Since then, average life expectancy has continued to rise, and today it stands at 72 years worldwide. It’s not just Japan that’s unique; people everywhere are now living longer.

　And now, we’re in the era of the “100-Year Life.” It’s said that children born this year will live to be 100. In an era like this, the old model just doesn’t make sense anymore—starting elementary school, studying all the way through college, and then working at the same company for the rest of your life. Today’s students aren’t even considering that path. So what will they do? If they want to change jobs along the way, they’ll study somewhere and take on new challenges.If they feel school education alone isn’t enough, they’ll go to cram schools, take swimming lessons, or study programming. These things are already happening, aren’t they? In an era like this, IT is truly a convenient tool. If we can make full use of IT, problems like depopulation in rural areas will likely be reduced.For elementary school students, middle school students, college students—and indeed, even for people of our generation—IT is a highly effective means of learning.

What will life be like in the future? What will society look like? From now on, from the moment we’re born until we die, we’ll spend our entire lives learning in one form or another.This is the “Learning of Tomorrow society.” Why do we want to study so much? Is it for personal gain? I don’t think so. We simply want to know. The moment we think, “I get it,” is one of life’s greatest joys. Just as with saying, “I like this person,” we exist as human beings to experience that sense of understanding.Faust was no exception. The central theme of *Faust* is that he sold his soul for the sake of curiosity. That is why learning itself becomes the goal. We have IT as a tool to achieve this. Let’s expand the pool of IT professionals. In fact, Japan is in a favorable position to do so.A “Learning of Tomorrow society” is one where everyone—from birth through old age—can continue learning. We need the educational infrastructure to support that. As chairman, it is my opinion that building that infrastructure is the true role of Learning of Tomorrow. As a country that leads the way in addressing challenges, I want Japan to take the lead globally by creating Learning of Tomorrow and a Learning of Tomorrow society. Let’s work on this together.