Good morning University of North Carolina Wilmington, but more importantly, good morning to our guests from Kyoto University. On behalf of our Chancellor, Rosemary DePaolo, our faculty and staff, and student body…I welcome you to our campus and to our great state. It is a great day in Seahawk Nation when two countries join together to explore our minds and enhance our lives with the power of education. Hopefully you’ve found our campus to be warm and inviting, and let me tell you how excited we are that you are here. We pride ourselves on the attractiveness of our University, with our lush plant life and sparkling ponds planted through campus. I do hope that if you haven’t already, go out and meander around our great school. Explore the buildings and notice our major landmarks, like the clock tower and Chancellor’s Walk. Although our campuses are far different, our missions in educating are not so different. According to your mission statement your University strives for “diverse development in pure and applied research.” International student exchanges provide such a diverse and exciting outlook on gaining knowledge in new ways. UNCW expresses in our mission statement that, similar to your mission, we are also “committed to diversity and inclusion, affordable access, and global scholarship.” This is a beautiful way of saying we welcome students near and far to our university and appreciate a medley of students while being a cost sensitive school. Aside from common goals, the experiences students gain at each University, whether at KU or UNCW, will be one to change student’s lives. Not only would they be able to encounter rich and fulfilling academics, but they would also relish in such different cultures between Kyoto and Wilmington. Our city proudly provides any student with the luxury of the coast, being only 10 minutes away from campus. Students travelling abroad in the charming and ancient city of Kyoto can tour the Tamba highlands and absorb your city’s rich history. They can also marvel at the population difference. Kyoto is full of approximately 1.5 million people whereas Wilmington has a relatively small population of roughly 400,000 people. When visiting Wilmington, people almost always visit Wrightsville Beach as well as downtown Wilmington. Our historic downtown has great attractions: plenty of fine dining, the Riverwalk and the Cotton Exchange, and also horse drawn carriages showcasing our beautiful historic homes. Kyoto also offers plenty of fun and exciting attractions: Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto is a wonderful place to learn about Kyoto’s history; famous Itwatayama Monkey Park; and plenty of festivals, museums and gardens. It is absolutely clear that both cities and their fine Universities provide all students with scholarly academia and rich, exciting cultures as well. UNCW fully supports your respectable endeavors to reach out to the students of the world and further create a diverse student body. We will also become loyal to the idea as we invite any and all students to our great school. Let not only our schools come together, but our hearts and minds too. Let us become worldly as we experience each other’s cultures and communities. Let our colors bleed together: teal and dark blue. Kyoto University, we welcome you to the land of Teal and Gold, we welcome you to the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Enjoy your stay, and learn a lot…now go explore!