World conference for Universities

Title

Creator

Foundation Time

Language

English

Year

1965

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

WORLD CONFERENCE OF UNIVERSITIES One of the most important conferences on higher educa tion took place in Tokyo from August 30 to Septem ber 6 this year. It was the quinquennial meeting of the International Association of Universities. The meeting preceding it was held in Mexico City in 1960. About 400 universities and institutions of higher learn ing from all parts of the world participated in the Tokyo conference. Seven Philippine institutions were officially represented. They were the University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Centro Escolar de Senoritas University, Philippine Women’s University, Nation al University and Foundation College of Dumaguete, these being full members of the IAU. The International Asso ciation of Universities is not sponsored by any government or state. So universities from all parts of the world, public and private, free communist, and neutral, sectarian and non-sectarian, are represent ed without distinction. Poli tical subjects are not includ ed in the agenda at any meet ing. The sole requirement for membership is that an institution should maintain satisfactory standard of in struction. And in this con nection, the directorate has decided that admission of new members will henceforth be stricter than in the first years of the Association’s life, some twelve or fifteen years ago. In the Tokyo conference the general subjects in the agenda which were discussed by the. representatives were three in number, namely: Access to Higher Education, University Autonomy, and Contribution to Higher EduOctober 1965 61 cation to Economic and Cul tural Development. To enable the entire con ference to consider the dif ferent points or phases of each subject, three separate working groups, which were smaller groups or commit tees of about 20 members each, were organized. The procedure followed was: first, a plenary session was held on each subject; and this was succeeded by a close door session of the working group or committee assigned to consider the points raised during the plenary session and to summarize them. An other meeting of the work ing committee was held the day following to which any member or representative of any member institution could go and take part in the dis cussion of different points brought together in the first meeting of the committee. In this session any member may question any point presented before or add any new idea pertinent to the general subject. After this the rapporteur makes a summary of the various points which received group approval. In the general and final plenary session, the 3 working committees presented their summaries. The President of the Asso ciation then submitted them to the entire conference for final approval or modifica tion. This was the conclud ing part of the program of the conference. On the last day the elec tion of the President for the following five years took place. Dr. Zurhaik, wellknown professor of history of the American University of Beirut and former univer sity rector, was unanimously elected to the post. He suc ceeds Dr. F. Cyril James, the retiring President, a for mer professor of economics of the University of Pennsyl vania and former President of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. One cannot help but ad mire the ability, dignity, and poise of Dr. Cyril James. His speeches were models of clearness in thought and in the logical presentation of pertinent ideas, without cir cumlocution nor pompous appeal to emotion. His de livery was deliberate and pleasantly measured. Every 62 PANORAMA word and phrase were dis tinctively expressed, every sentence left no doubt in the hearer’s mind about its in tended purpose. Vivid pic tures and scholarly expres sions all clothed in language of simplicity, made Dr. James addresses, which were never tedious and long, some thing which served to en lighten the minds of the re presentatives at the con ference on the significance of the role of universities in the present-day world. The delegates were largely university presidents, rectors, and vice-chancellors of insti tutions in European, British, North American, South and Central American, African, Asian, and Australian coun tries. Ancient universities, such as Paris, Oxford, Heidel berg, Cambridge, Milan, Sa lamanca, Cordova, and more modern ones, such as Harvard, Yale, Michigan, California, Moscow, Berlin, to mention but a few, were all represent ed. Meeting famous scholars, scientists, academic execu tives, all with long and rich experience in the pursuit of education and learning, is a distinct privilege for all who appreciate the intellectual life. One cannot help but notice the gulf of difference between such event, on one hand, and a.convention of po liticians, on the other, in which no more than pom pous and futuous addresses and comments fill the hall in boresome repetition. This second group attempts to believe that it could solve problems with hasty and su perficial solutions. The first realizes the difficulties of the problems it discusses and proposes no more than sug gestions for needed action which may fit certain condi tions, with full awareness of the complexity created by rapid changes taking place in the present fields of scho larship, education, technolo gy, and science. The Tokyo conference of the I AU was of special sig nificance to the emerging na tions or die less developed communities in the world to day. For in addition to the discussion of the subjects common to all institutions of higher education every where, the conference gave particular attention to the October 1965 63 role of higher education in the development of the econo mic, social, and cultural con ditions of the new nations to day. The Japanese managers of the conference deserve full praise for the orderly way the sessions were conducted, the excellent reception of the delegates, and the perfect smoothness with which the activities were carried out. Japanese hospitality was un surpassed. Finally, one could not help but notice the relatively minor attention given to the matter of the election of the succeeding officials of the Association. There were 28 posts in two administrative bodies to be chosen, but only 24 nominations were submit ted ; by the members or dele gates. Consequently, the out going executive committee on elections had to designate 4 more candidates in order to fill all the 28 posts. What a constrast this presented to what happens in Philippine elections where for one va cant post there are always ten or more candidates fighting noisily for it. The explana tion is simple: the members obviously went to the con ference chiefly to participate in the discussion of the sub jects rather than to concern themselves with the election of officers. The inexperienc ed university head who went there to get himself elected to a high post must have come out badly disillusioned. Membership in the Inter national Association of Uni versities is surely a mark of distinction and a high privi lege for the university or col lege who acquires it; and at tendance in its quinquennial conference can prove a sti mulating experience to heads and professors of institutions of learning who are able to take part in its discussions. — Foundation Time. 64 PANORAMA

Media