大学・国際化・オワコン、無限大

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今週は勤務先でいくつか面白いセミナーがありました．講演者はサウジアラビアの KAUST，沖縄の OIST という設立 10 年前後の大学の方々でした．どちらも大学に S と T が入っていて，サイエンスの S とテクノロジーの T です．私の勤務先の SUTD はテクノロジーの T とデザインの D が入っていますので，似たような立ち位置だと思います．

知ってる限りではここ 15 年くらい，新興国が先進国の有名大学との協力関係の元で新設大学を作る動きが活発なようです．欧米の有名大学の名前を借りたり，有名教員にリーダーシップを取らせるなどして，新興国に新しい大学を作るということです．上記の 3 国でのケース以外にも，中国，韓国，インド，ドバイなどで同じような取り組みがあるのを知っています（日中韓などが新興国かは別にして）．

マクロ指標を元にいろいろ語るのは評論家に譲りますが，先進国で研究費が取りにくくなっている状況と，このトレンドは関係があるかと思います．研究よりも資金調達にほとんどの時間を費やさなければならないよりも，ある程度まとまった研究費が保証されるのは教員や研究者にはありがたみがあると思います．協力関係にある大学にとっても，もちろん慈善事業ではないので，サポートすることで金銭的なメリットもあるのだと思います．

途上国・新興国への技術提供・技術支援などは，枠を上手く組み替えて，この手の教育機関を立ち上げるプロジェクトにできないでしょうか．相手は各国の政府になることが多いので，額の大きい案件になるかもしれません．エジプトにできた E-JUST というのは，それに近い取り組みだと思いますが（ちなみにこれも S と T がついています，流行りですね），JICA のプロジェクトのようです．もしカウンターパートがアメリカの大学ならば，まとまったお金が発生する案件だとも思います．全容がわからないものの，技術提供，指導などは無償なのでしょうか．E-JUST にしたって，東大とか京大ががっつり向き合って，「東京大学地中海キャンパス」くらいのアイデアだって良いと思うのです．

他方，もちろん日本が JICA を通じて長らくやって来たような，短期的な利益を求めない支援（例えばケニア人の友人から以前こんな話を聞きました）を通じて，現地での敬意を獲得しているというのも間違いなさそうです．大学を作るというのは，国家的なプロジェクトあり，現地での文化を作ることです．どのような枠組みで行うのか，国としても面白い案件ではないでしょうか．

巷では大学はオワコン（終わったコンテンツ，衰退産業），みたいな意見があるようです．ただ私はオワコンなのか良くわかっていません．例えば新興国に大学が増えている現状を踏まえると，大学を誘致して設立して維持することは，教育機関を作る以上の意義があるように思うからです．社会的，経済的，文化的なインパクトがあり，国際関係を構築したり，他国へ影響力を持ち得るカードなのです．

「大学はオワコン」議論で私が一番欠けていると思うのは，「大学がある」「高等教育機関がある」ということが，現地の人の矜持や希望を生み出すとこにあります．「大学」と一口で言っても色んな種類があると思うのですが，その国や地域で初めての大学ともなれば，国外から研究者がやってきますし，人の交流の場になります．そういう大学はインフラでありハブであり，現地の人の希望になり得ると思います．これは費用対効果のような指標だけで完全に白黒つけられないところで，国公立大学として担って欲しい役割だと思っています．

ゴリゴリの研究大学の海外進出ではなく，アフリカ全土に散らばる汎アフリカ大学 (PAU, Pan-African University) の構想とか，バングラデシュのアジア女子大学 (AUW, Asian University for Women) というような取り組みがあります．これらは現地コミュニティのエンパワーメントを目的にした側面があるのではないでしょうか．一方で，最初に書いたような新興国で研究大学を作るような取り組みも，ある程度はこの手の効果があるように思います．

大学なんて要らない，インターネットで MIT やハーバードの授業が見られるよね，という議論もあります．大学の直接的な役目に教育と研究があるとするならば，そもそも MOOC（授業をビデオに取ってインターネットに流すやつ）で研究はできませんので，インターネットが発展しようが（一部の分野を除いて）研究の場の代わりになると言うのは的外れです．教育についても，授業で学生に向き合う教員ならば，MOOC が授業の代わりにはならないと経験的に感じるのではないでしょうか．

留学生の受け入れは，国家的な戦略にもなり得る案件です．留学生がやってきて，そのまま高度技能人材として国にとどまるのであれば，労働力の問題，人口の問題に働きかける糸口になるかもしれません．他方，国に帰った留学生が留学先の国への親しみを持ち続けるケースもありそうです（逆もあるでしょうが）．シンガポールに来てから，学会などで「以前日本へ留学してました」という方に多数お会いしてきました．その大半が大学関係者で「日本で博士号を取得しました」という方が国に戻って大学の教職に就いているケースです．彼らが日本人の私に親切にしてくれたり，親しみを感じてくれることも少なくありません．人の親切や親しみを値踏みして損得を述べるのは浅ましいことですが，あえて言うならば，私は日本が留学生を受け入れてきたおかげで「得」をしています．日本国にとっても「得」です．こういうのはインターネットでビデオを見てても起こりません．

大学を作ることによる，現地雇用の創出とか，更なる発展もありそうです．私の勤務先であるシンガポールの SUTD では，Changi Business Park と呼ばれる企業誘致をしているエリアに隣接して大学を作ることで，相乗効果を狙っています．サウジアラビアのKAUST も北部に大きな金融特区を作る計画があるようです．

思いついたことをつらつらと述べただけでも，様々なレベル感の話がありそうです．日本の状況だけや，ビジネスになるかだけを見て「大学はオワコン」というならば，それは一面的な意見だろうと思います．既存の大学を使うにせよ，新設大学を使うにせよ，大学は国際的かつ文化的であり，しかも社会の諸問題に働きかける可能性を持つ，面白いプラットフォームではないでしょうか．オワコンとか言わずに使っていきませんか．

インターネットを見ていると，就職先・転職先には「大企業かベンチャーか」みたいな対立軸で考えることがあるようです．大学関係者でも，就職先には「伝統的な大学か新設大学か」みたいな切り口があるかもしれません．

同じような大学に勤めている人と話すと，悩みが似ているようで励みになります．大学というと大半の人には「授業を受ける場所」「研究をする場所」なのだと思います．それらの活動を行うためには組織の様々な機能が必要になるのですが，最低限の機能が確立されていないことが多いのが，新設大学にありがちなネタです．特にルールが複雑な政府系の研究資金を使うための経理の仕組みの非効率さなどは，洋の東西南北を問わず，どの大学でも苦労しているようです．（まあこれは新しい大学じゃなくても文句は多いですが 笑）

一方で新しい大学だからこそ，組織内政治がまだ色濃くないとか，人数が少ないからこそ物事が決まるのが早いとか，キーパーソンがわかりやすいのような良い面もあります．こういうのはベンチャーと大企業の対比にも似てるんじゃないかと思います．大学と一口に言っても，そういうような違いもありますので，色んな場所を経験しながら，個人的にも楽しんでいます．

極めて雑記のようになってしまいました．まとめると，大学の国際展開と新設大学の設立はここ 10 年くらいのブームのようで，そういうスタートアップ大学で働くのも面白いです．社会を見渡せば，大学はオワコンだ不要だなんだと言いたい放題ですが，大学のポテンシャルは教育的なものだけではなく，国際的，文化的，社会的な幅広いものですから，もっともっと戦略的に大学が持つ仕組みやインパクトを利用して欲しいとも思います．

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