1. IAU Durban Conference, August 20-25, 2000
11th General Conference: Universities as Gateway to the Future
Closing Speech
Closing Speech
by
the Outgoing President, Wataru Mori.
Introduction
Politics, it is said, is the art of making promises. Administration, however, is the task of making sure
those promises are adhered to. Five years ago, you did me the singular honour of electing me
President of our Association. It is only right that, in the brief time, which remains before the expiry of
my mandate, I lay before you an account of my stewardship.
Remit
When you invested me with the responsibilities of presiding the IAU, I laid particular emphasis on
three points.
These were:
- to improve the financial situation of the Association;
- to strengthen further the ties that have existed over the past half century between our Association
and UNESCO;
- to give greater visibility to the activities undertaken by IAU.
Finances
As regards the first, let me say that thanks to the efforts of both the Finance Committee, under the
leadership of Michel Falise (who, unfortunately, could not be with us here in Durban), and the
Secretariat, the Association's finances have managed to shed that burden which has accompanied them
for the better part of the decade. Indeed, I am happy to be in the pleasant position of handing over the
reins of responsibility to my successor with a consolidated situation and without debts, which really
was very worrying at one time.
Co-operation with UNESCO
Co-operation with UNESCO has, indeed, been close. There is the continued public service rendered
on behalf of UNESCO, in particular through the work of the joint IAU/UNESCO Information Centre
on Higher Education. Especially close has been the collaboration which marked the presentation of
the World Conference on Higher Education in October 1998. The preparation and holding of this
event saw IAU working at one with UNESCO. Furthermore, the Association was present at the World
Science Conference, one year later. IAU now has a major role to play in the international follow-up to
both conferences and in the implementation of the action plans adopted there.
IAU offers to UNESCO in the areas of education, science, culture and communication, the
Association's broad network for interaction with the universities of the world. Its unique resource-
base, located at the Organisation's headquarters in Paris, is conveniently available to UNESCO. Good
relations may be difficult to maintain unless both parties are engaged in substantive issues of mutual
concern and interest. IAU now enjoys the very special status of formal associate relations with
UNESCO, and I am confident that long years of fruitful collaboration in the future lie ahead of us.
Visibility
Giving great visibility to the activities of our Association has been one of our constant
preoccupations. In this age of information and communications technology, visibility has many
aspects and many forms. Expanding our electronic outreach and presence through the Internet, is well
advanced. The Association's Web site has become an award-wining resource for information on the
world of higher education. It is also an efficient communication interface. As you have doubtless
noticed, for the first time it has been possible to sign up for our General Conference, electronically.
And through this same channel, we are receiving an increasing number of applications for membership

2. as well. Another form of visibility, is provided through the Association's regular publications, both
reference works and contributions to the international higher education policy debate, which have
earned a certain renown in the world of higher learning. Finally, as you have noticed, the year 2000
and our fiftieth anniversary were good enough reasons in themselves for us to rethink our visual
appearance and literally to give the Association, a "new look". We hope you like it!
Achievements
What are the marker points of these five years? It is a matter of fact that never in its fifty years of
activity has the Association contributed quantitatively as much to both the international information
base and to the debate on higher education, on higher education policy. The same may be said in
respect of that vital discussion between scholars and practitioners. This half-decade has seen our
Association productive indeed.
Furthermore, our membership has increased by about ten per cent over the past five years. This
situation makes for a certain satisfaction, which must, however, remain cautious for in truth, like
Oliver Twist, we would always be pleased with more!
Overall, I believe that we have laid down a solid basis from which to reach out further and extend the
usefulness of our Association. This cannot but be advanced by the policy line and constitutional
reforms, which you have adopted.
Thanks Due
I have come to the end of my account and to the end of my term as President. I have been privileged to
have served our Association and to have given my bit to its fortunes. Let me express my heart-felt
thanks to my friends and colleagues on the Administrative Board, in particular to my two Vice-
Presidents, Flavio Fava de Moraes and Hans van Ginkel, for their wholehearted support, for their solid
advice and, above all, for their unfailing good fellowship. My sincere thanks also go to the whole
Secretariat, headed by Franz Eberhard, Secretary-General, with the collaboration of Claudine
Langlois, Director of the joint IAU/UNESCO Information Centre on Higher Education, Guy Neave,
Director of Research, and Zhang Maizeng, Director of Cooperation, for their hard work and for doing
much with limited means.
As Professor van Ginkel said yesterday during the IAU Business Meeting, the Secretary-General
informed us that he would not be present in the next General Assembly. I know it is not yet the
appropriate moment to say farewell officially. I would just like to remind you of his furious devotion
and considerable contribution to IAU and that over many years. My applause to him is prolonged and
heart-felt. Thank you very much.
Members of the Board, of the Secretariat, and of IAU itself are really the people who contributed to
the achievements on which I have just reported. The credit if any does not come to me. It should go
to you all.