Ellen Mashiko

　

Participants were welcomed to the first meeting of its kind to be convened in Japan and thanked for their extensive preparation beforehand.

The overview focused on the meeting theme, SYLFF: The Next 15 Years, and included:

　

First, enhancement of the respective SYLFF fellowship programs, included the introduction of mechanisms that allow SYLFF steering committees to propose revisions to Appendices 1 and 2 of the Agreements between the endowed-universities and The Nippon Foundation.

　

Second, development of programs and activities that strengthen collaborative relationships, included an explanation of the termination of existing SYLFF follow-up programs (JREX, JREX Selection Committee, Forum and Visit Japan Programs for SYLFF fellows), and already completed transformation of the AFEX Program into the Program Development Award Program (PDA) for faculty and administrators, and the start-up of new programs (SYLFF Prize, SYLFF Regional Forums, SYLFF Network Program and SYLFF Fellows' Mobility Program).

　

Third, the inter-connectedness of the PDA Program and the proposed new initiatives in relation to network building was highlighted. In addition, the engagement of all stakeholders (SYLFF institutions, fellows and both foundations) in planning and implementing the new programs was emphasized and in regards to the fulfillment of the purposes of the SYLFF Program.

　

　

　

During Session I, representatives of the three latest members of the SYLFF Program presented their institutions and their respective SYLFF Programs.

　

The University of Latvia (UL), the first institution from former Soviet states to receive a SYLFF endowment, enrolls approximately one-third of all university students in Latvia. UL joined the SYLFF network in 2002, and will to begin to award fellowships in 2003. The goal of the SYLFF Program at UL is threefold:

Following completion of twelve years of elementary and high school, Chilean students have a choice of entering (1)a two-year technical and professional certificate program at one of the technical training centers, (2)a four-year Licenciatura program, which is an academic program but not a bachelor's program, or (3)a five-to-six-year-long professional degree program, which is the option most students prefer. Chile is about to initiate a major change to its higher education system, that is, to introduce a two-year bachelor's program, after which students will be given the choice of continuing on to a professional degree program.

　

Established in 1842, the University of Chile (UC) is the oldest and largest university in Chile. It is a research university with 23,864 undergraduate and 4,188 graduate students enrolled in 14 faculties and 3 interdisciplinary institutes, offering 64 undergraduate, 53 masters, and 34 doctoral programs. UC receives 40% of the research funding allocated among Chilean universities, and conducts 33% of all university-based research projects. Given the country's history, only 7% of all research projects at UC are conducted in humanities and social sciences fields. UC offers five programs in the humanities and 15 programs in the social sciences. SYLFF fellowships will be awarded to graduate students in the following three programs: Latin American studies, anthropology and development, and gender studies.

　

Plagued by poverty, the alleviation of living conditions and the improvement of society, in general, is the role of not only the Philippine government, but also of educational institutions, particularly of higher education institutions. Although The Ateneo receives no government support, it allocates 15% of its budget to scholarships and fellowships, a policy that reflects the university's commitment to national needs.

The Ateneo's SYLFF Program will provide support to graduate students whose studies focus on three areas: strengthening identities, transforming social institutions, and engaging world communities that are linked to pertinent issues in Filipino society.

　

　

　

How are leaders and leadership defined and identified in various cultures? How are potential leaders identified in the selection process of the SYLFF fellowship programs? What criteria are used? What practices have been successful? What difficulties, if any, have been encountered?

　

The goal of Session II is to help focus discussion throughout the meeting by discussing the issue of leadership. Attention was drawn to the cultural aspects of leadership, as clearly shown in differences of the concept between Japan and the United States. The convenor also pointed out that she would be making frequent references to the Fulbright Program and her experience as Executive Director of the Japanese Fulbright Commission, as the Fulbright and SYLFF programs share many similar challenges and issues, and drawing upon the experience of the Fulbright program might provide important insights and useful information for discussion and planning the future of the SYLFF Program.

　

Reference to the questionnaire summary, notably responses that the SYLFF institutions provided regarding the issue of leaders and leadership led to a brief discussion of different criteria that can be used for evaluating leadership, such as knowledge (measured by test scores), ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, creativity, and common sense. The convenor emphasized that leadership does not necessarily equal excellence in a particular field, but can also be a result of several differing abilities that are developed to a sufficient level and are well-balanced. These criteria should be borne in mind when developing selection criteria for SYLFF fellows and other programs.

　

Some views from a country still in the process of transition were offered. Although the Czech Republic has been undergoing radical changes throughout the second half of the 20^th century, it is the most recent changes that have most influenced both the concept of leadership and the educational system.

　

President Vaclav Havel was cited as an exemplary leader of the "new type," i.e. during the latest stage of development of the Czech Republic from 1989 onwards. President Havel was involved in the creation of Forum 2000, a program organized and sponsored by The Nippon Foundation, whose aim was to bring together individuals from different walks of life for discussions on inducing positive changes in society. Other Czech leaders associated with the SYLFF Program who are still actively participating in the national social life and exerting important influence were also identified.

　

Regarding the selection of SYLFF fellows, academic performance of the applicants was the sole criteria for selection in the early stages of the Program, but additional criteria have been introduced in order to provide for a more comprehensive judgment of applicants.

　

Observations based on the experience of Columbia University on two topics: (1)the conception of leadership, and (2)how to judge and cultivate potential leaders as not all good students will become leaders, were presented.

　

In distinguishing between leaders and leadership it was pointed out that, while leaders are defined by the position they hold, leadership itself is a quality. Therefore, there are leaders who do not possess the quality of leadership but are recognized as leaders because of their position of influence. At the same time, there are also individuals who possess the quality of leadership but do not hold a position, as is often the case with "leaders in the field".

　

Another categorization of leaders-universally accepted leaders, and culturally defined leaders-was also put forward. In the case of culturally defined leaders, the difference is that of degree rather than kind, as different cultures/societies place emphasis on different qualities (e.g. outspoken US leaders vs. quiet Japanese leaders). Two primary qualities that leaders should possess-capacity/ability, and vision (a unique feature of leaders)-were also identified.

　

The question of how to judge potential leaders was addressed next. In the case of Columbia University, not all applicants for SYLFF fellowships have been already admitted to the program at the time of application for a fellowship. It was pointed out that not all students who excel in their field become leaders nor do they all possess leadership potential; however, most leaders are born as good students.

　

SYLFF fellowships were formerly awarded to doctoral students, but the focus of the target group has shifted to master's students because, while doctoral students become leaders primarily in their academic fields, master's students have potential to become involved in and practice leadership in a wider range of activities.

In conclusion, examples of recent projects proposed by recipients of SYLFF fellowships were shared.

　

Two aspects of leadership have come to the fore in South African society: (1)the role of politics and (2)the extent to which managerial and organizational skills and social status are confused as forms of leaders. The identification of aspects of South African society that have had and continue impact on the concepts of leaders and leadership were related and placed in the context of the SYLFF Program as follows:

The issue of leadership in Japanese society was addressed. In spite of cultural and societal differences between the US and Japan, the US criteria of leadership usually fit Japanese; it is in the definition of a "good leader" that differences appear. Two types of leaders in the Japanese society were defined: (1)the "US type" leader, i.e. eloquent and outgoing (such as current Prime Minister Koizumi), and (2)the "Japanese type" leader who places emphasis on harmony and consensus in the decision making processes (such as former Prime Minister Obuchi). Both prime ministers shared the characteristic of having clear vision of Japanese society. Under the influence of globalization, the "US type" leaders currentlypredominate, but Japanese people still consider harmony and consensus very important.

　

The issue of leadership within the context of the SYLFF Program was then discussed. The SYLFF Program being only recently established at Waseda, there are currentlyonly four fellowship recipients. The criteria employed in the selection process are: academic excellence, communication skills, and leadership potential (a concept which is still in the process of being defined). The Steering Committee places emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. Essays are required, but recommendations are not. Fellows are required to submit mid-term reports. For every fellowship, there are approximately 5-10 applicants.

　

Q (Orlando Taylor): The issue of gender has not come up in the presentations. In the US, there is increasing discussion about differences in attributing the same leadership qualities to men and women; i.e. women are often penalized when they assume the same leadership traits as men.

A (Caroline Yang): Gender is indeed an important factor in attributing leadership qualities. However, the fact that men and women can and often do offer different kinds of leadership qualities should also be taken into account when discussing this issue.

Q (Ramli Abdullah): How can wisdom be included in the calculation, as it seems to be an important aspect of leadership?

A (Caroline Yang): Wisdom is difficult to define. Usually, wisdom is taken as having the same meaning as common sense, only wisdom is more frequently attributed to older people.

A (Xiaobo Lu): As just mentioned, wisdom is usually associated with age, thus it would be difficult to evaluate wisdom in the case of a target group that is on average quite young.

Q (Ersin Onulduran): There must be some marginal qualities that enable former leaders to retain their support even when they leave their positions of leadership and face accusations, such as in the cases of Winnie Mandela, Ferdinand Marcos, Benazir Bhutto, or Slobodan Milosevic. How do we identify these qualities?

A (Caroline Yang): As Jan Persens mentioned, leadership is often confused with celebrity, and this might be the case with these former leaders.

A (Xiaobo Lu): Leadership can take different forms, positive or negative. It is important to distinguish leaders who make a big impact on the society from, as Jan Persens pointed out, those who make or lead to making positive changes within society, which would be the kind of leadership SYLFF Program would want to foster.

Q (Patricia Murphy): Object to the differences between the US and Japanese speakers. Although statesmen are those who are the center of attention and who often take credit for leadership actions (usually because they are the ones whose image is transmitted by the media), actual leaders are those behind the scenes who play important parts in creating policies, etc. It is often those who work behind the scenes who have more influence on decision-making than those on stage.

A (Shujiro Urata): Agree. The distinction made between US type and Japanese type leaders, when applied to politicians, involved the element of communication. Whereas US type leaders actively communicate with the public, Japanese type leaders do not, regardless of who actually created the policies that are to be communicated to the public.

A (Caroline Yang): Agree. For example, open press conferences, which are very common in the US, do not exist in Japan.

　

Just as there are different types of leadership, there are also different types of educational systems. The latter can be broadly divided into systems that (1)give the right answers, and (2)those that ask the right questions. As educational systems strongly affect the profile of leaders in society, education must be taken into account when defining leadership within the context of the SYLFF Program.