COM 345

Welcoming Speech

Welcome everyone to the campus of UNCW! My name is Lexi Shepard and it is an honor and a privilege to stand before you today. We, the student body of UNCW, hope this to be the first of many meetings between Kyoto University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our campus as well as our great city with you, the representatives of the highly regarded Kyoto University. It is our hope that through the course of your visit here in Wilmington North Carolina, you too will be able to recognize the tradition and heritage that we are so very proud of and that we will also have the advantage of getting acquainted with Japanese culture and ideas.

I would like to take this opportunity to speak to you about the similarities between our two schools. These are only a few of the many that would allow Kyoto students to feel right at home on our campus here at UNCW.

Because both of our institutions are committed to improving the quality of learning for our students, we are both expanding rapidly with every academic year. While Kyoto was established over a century ago and boasts 10 colleges with well over 20,000 students, UNCW also has seen monumental growth in its 50 years since being established. Between the years of 1990 and 2003 attendance has skyrocketed from 7,000 to over 11,100 students and we now have 5 colleges elsewhere in the state.

Just as Kyoto University prides itself on their extensive research program, we here at UNCW are always challenging ourselves to develop the latest and greatest in the world of marine biology. Ranking 5^th in the world in our marine biology undergraduate discipline, UNCW is dedicated to the betterment of the environment. As a fairly new institution, we do not have as many research facilities as Kyoto but are working towards growth in this department. Because UNCW is located on the coast, any Kyoto student that is interested in marine biology would have access to first hand experience because of all the beaches, rivers and other natural bodies of water located here in our own back yard.

Another similarity between our 2 great schools is that of tradition. Kyoto students still celebrate the small agricultural beginnings that their city was founded on by honoring the traditions of their ancestors in the maintenance of villages and UNCW students are still reminiscent of the days when Wilmington was just a port city located on the Cape Fear River. The feeling of the old south is still very evident, especially while driving down the stone streets lined with old Victorian houses in the historic downtown waterfront of Wilmington.

What could make this experience worthwhile for a student from Kyoto Japan? UNCW is a melting pot of sorts for the United States. We have students from all walks of life as well as several different states. There are many different ages, races, religions and lifestyles that are represented in our town. A Kyoto student could also benefit from the variety of businesses, restaurants and performing art opportunities that are located here in Wilmington.

Because most of our student body has lived in the United States their entire lives, the opportunity to experience Japanese culture first hand would be priceless. Not only would they be able to learn alongside the best and brightest from Kyoto, they would also gain a better understanding of Japanese traditions and cultures which would no doubt help in their understanding of business as well as long term international relations.

In conclusion as you can see, Kyoto University and UNCW have several common traits that would make this Student Exchange Program a valuable learning tool and experience for all involved. Whether it is the ever expanding campuses, the unified love for research, or the deep rooted traditions, both of our schools share common grounds that would allow for an Exchange Program that would no doubt advance the educational and worldly knowledge of both Kyoto and UNCW students.