Upfront: The Sun Also Rises for Michigan State
UPFRONT
THE SUN ALSO RISES FOR MICHIGAN STATE
The hospitality we received after the team plane and the alumni tour touched down in Tokyo last December was extraordinary. Let me salute our alumni and friends in Japan who made the Coca Cola Bowl a wonderful experience. Indeed, so strong was the support for MSU that President McPherson now looks to the Pacific Rim as a strategic zone for the university. Let me start by singling out two key alumni volunteers who contributed a tremendous amount of effort and time. Yasumasa Kosuga, president of the alumni regional club in Japan, and Tetsuya Imai, who worked for MSU Sports Information while a student, led our volunteer efforts.
One evening, the Japan Alumni Club hosted a banquet honoring our players and coaches. The event proved to be a unique cross-cultural opportunity as the two sides congregated with dynamic gusto. A few days later, our alumni hosted an evening with President McPherson and MSU Trustees, during which they discussed ways for MSU and Japan to forge stronger relationships. Present in the discussion were several key leaders in Japan, including master builder Toichi Takenaka (see 'People,').
In addition to their official responsibilities to the Coca Cola Bowl, our trustees took the time to actively partake in many of MSU's functions. One day they met with the presidents of Tokyo University of Agriculture, Soka University, Shiga University, Mie University, Bunkyo University and Kwansei Gakuin University. Another very fruitful contact involved the significant number of MSU professors who are working at a variety of educational institutions in Japan. These people form part of the global outreach that MSU has been known for since the days of John Hannah. Their linkages with MSU were strengthened after reviewing their universities with President McPherson, trustees and university officials.
Positive results also occurred in Hong Kong, where we formed a brand new alumni regional club under the leadership of Patrick Davenport and Christopher Moore, two graduates of MSU's acclaimed James Madison College. They will serve as co-presidents. I want to thank our trustees for their role in this achievement. The new Hong Kong club will do what most regional clubs do for the university--among other things, they create a network for our alumni, provide internship opportunity for MSU students and graduates, help recruit students from the area, and encourage gifts from the private sector.
Many of our alumni in Hong Kong have a desire to help their alma mater, and a club will serve as a vehicle for such help. Finally, Hong Kong's strategic location in the Pacific Rim can generate similar organizations in other countries.
President Peter McPherson saw our presence in Japan as the first step in an evolving Pacific Rim strategy for MSU. That part of the world has emerged in recent years to dwarf Europe as a trading partner, and remains a geographical area of opportunity for MSU in the future. Thanks to all our loyal alumni in the area and to our officials for helping to make this happen.
