1. Introduction

It is a great honor, and it also fills me with a deep sense of responsibility, to be elected by the members and to assume the Presidency of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) of Japan, in the year when the Institute celebrates its 90^th anniversary.

Exactly 90 years ago, in May 1917, Dr. Morisaburo Tonegawa took up office as the first President of the IEICE, and I am the 84^th President. In his inaugural address, my predecessor, Dr. Izawa, presented his deep insights into the climate surrounding the IEICE under the title of "Industrial Revolution in the 21^st Century". He said, "I pledge that I will do my utmost to pursue the development of the Institute, which has been thoughtfully nurtured by my predecessors, other officers and members, so that the Institute will be able to continue to adapt to the dramatically changing social environment." I fully endorse his insight and will carry on the work he started, and I ask for your wholehearted support in this endeavor.

As I look back, I realize that each milestone in the life of my generation coincided with revolutions in society, starting with a change in school system while we were under compulsory education. While we were university students, an emphasis was placed on science and engineering, to respond to the high economic growth of the time. As we joined the workforce, we experienced a series of waves of reform to public services, from privatization of the national railways to that of postal service. In addition, national research institutes and universities were turned into independent corporations. There were other numerous organizational reforms to cope with the declining birthrate and aging society in Japan. More globally, we saw the end of the Cold War between East and West, and globalization and the unrestricted movement of economic and industrial activities across borders.

We note that the ninety-year history of the IEICE has been studded with brilliant achievements. It is also a period of history in which organizations have reformed themselves continuously in response to changes in society. Each reform arises for compelling reasons at the beginning but over time a divergence or contradiction arises between the intended objectives and the current climate, and so reforms may proceed in a meandering manner. Therefore, we must recognize that, just like natural rivers, reforms necessarily involve small streams, strong torrents, and meanderings. Reforms are sometimes said to advance in a spiral. The flow of reforms surrounding the IEICE may look like a whirlpool, but we can cope with it by learning lessons from previous whirlpools that are similar to the current one.