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September 09, 2005
Fletcher Convocation 2005: A time of new beginnings and long awaited reunions
Faculty, students and alumni of The Fletcher School filled the ASEAN Auditorium to capacity on September 7 for the school’s Annual Academic Convocation. This event – the 72nd in Fletcher’s history – marked the beginning of the academic year for current students and was also an opportunity for past graduates to reunite.
This year, the Class of 1955 celebrated its 50th reunion and paid tribute to one of its own, the Honorable Shijuro Ogata, who received the Class of 1947’s annual Distinguished Leadership Award. Mr. Ogata, a retired central banker who served the Bank of Japan from 1950 to 1991 and ascended to the post of Deputy Governor for International Relations, was presented the award by the Honorable William B. Dale, President of the Class of 1947. Representatives of Fletcher classes of 1927, 1936, 1947 and 1965 were also in attendance.
After welcoming remarks from Fletcher Dean Stephen W. Bosworth and a performance by Fletcher a cappella group “The Ambassachords,” the evening’s program began with the presentation of the Alfred P. Rubin Prize in International Law. Professor Joel P. Trachtman presented the award, which is given to two second-year Fletcher students excelling in the study of international law, to Adam C. Day and Ehren Brahv, MALD 2006.
Professor of International Economics Matthew Kahn addressed convocation on behalf of the faculty. His remarks, “An Unusual Summer for a Fletcher Economist,” included musings on the popularity of the book Freakonomics and on his own blog, “Environmental and Urban Economics.” Professor Kahn discussed his forthcoming book, tentatively titled Green Cities. The book will address the environmental effects of urban growth. Professor Kahn’s address was followed by remarks from second-year Fletcher MALD student Nirmalaguhan Wigneswaran, student convocation representative.
In his introduction to Mr. Ogata’s keynote address, Dean Bosworth praised Mr. Ogata as a representative of the “very best” Fletcher has to offer. Mr. Ogata, whose career has included more than 40 years at the Bank of Japan, advisory roles in top private firms, and his current post as the Deputy Chairman of the Pacific Asia Region for the Trilateral Commission, “played a central role in bringing Japan out to the world,” Dean Bosworth said.
Mr. Ogata’s keynote convocation address was a vehicle for both remembrance of his time as a graduate student during the Eisenhower era and for discussion of current international fiscal policies.
“It is indeed a great pleasure for us, the Class of 1955, to return to Fletcher. It has allowed us to renew our friendships – in many cases, for the first time in 50 years,” Mr. Ogata said. “Attending today’s convocation, I am very reminiscent of my days at Fletcher.”
Turning to international fiscal policy, Mr. Ogata warned against global imbalances in the post-Cold War era. “Disparities between rich and poor have enlarged, not only between countries, but within countries,” he said. He also warned against protectionism and exchange rate instability, encouraging the consideration of the international community in the development of national fiscal policies. However, “I am afraid that international cooperation may not be a popular subject,” Mr. Ogata said.
Dean Bosworth concluded the evening with a state of the school report. Noting Fletcher’s growth over the years – from 12 classes offered in its first years to today’s hundreds of courses offered by 30 full-time faculty members – Dean Bosworth explained the need for Fletcher’s current state-of-the-art facility renovation and expansion. “The ongoing renovations ensure that the physical appearance of our school is equivalent to its academic excellence,” he said.
Reflecting on recent global conflicts and disasters, Dean Bosworth concluded, “As far as the mission of The Fletcher School, I believe it is today more relevant than ever. The world needs leaders with a global perspective, much like those Fletcher continues to produce.”
Article by Stacy Reiter Neal, MALD '07
Posted by jessica at September 9, 2005 11:44 AM
