ファイナリストに残ったみなさん、おめでとうございます。とても素晴らしいプレゼンテーションでした。この大会が10年目を迎えるなかで、プレゼンテーションのレベルがとても上がっているのを見て、主催者としてとても嬉しく感じます。

このコンテストを着想したのは十数年前のことでした。当時は、TEDが始まった頃です。ビジュアルを使いながら、スピーチで人々を魅了するTEDのプレゼンテーションを見て、大変感動しました。強く感じたのは、「こういったスキルを持った日本人をどんどん育てなければいけない」ということです。そして、老川会長はじめ読売新聞社の方々にご相談して、このコンテストがスタートしました。

10年間で6,800名もの学生がこのコンテストに参加してくれました。学生のみなさんが真剣に考え、そして準備を重ねてくれたおかげで、年々、プレゼンテーションのレベルは向上してきました。その成長ぶりを見ていると、このコンテストはひとつの使命を果たせたのだと思います。

今、新型コロナウイルスの拡大もあり、プレゼンテーションやコミュニケーションのスタイルに変化が生じています。今回、10回目の節目をひとつの区切りに本コンテストを一旦、休止いたします。次に我々が取り組むべき社会の課題は何か。教育機関として何ができるか。どうやってトライできるかを我々は考えていきます。

本コンテストに参加したみなさん、この経験を生かして社会に大きく羽ばたいていってください。また、みなさんとお会いできるのを楽しみにしています。本コンテストが育んだプレゼンテーションの潮流が日本に深く根付き、日本人が世界の人々と協調しながら世界へと自らの意見を発信していけるものと確信しています。本日はありがとうございました。

Honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen, I am so delighted to be here with you today. I would like to say a few words to congratulate the winners and the participants on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, MEXT.

Well, I must confess that it gives me great pressure to speak after you. You have listened to the very best speeches today. My colleagues prepared a very formal speech for me, but being here today at the students’ English Presentation Contest, it reminded me of my memories from a very, very long time ago—my own memories from my university days. I hope you would allow me to speak from my personal experience.

Maybe like some of the participants today, I joined the English-Speaking Society Club, ESS, during my university days. We used to have four activities: speeches, discussion, debate, and drama. Actually, I must confess that I never liked the speech or presentation activities but I enjoyed debate. (But being a strong debater did not help me much in my private life!) Thinking back, I realize those activities in English helped me a lot after I graduated, maybe not so much because of the English skill I acquired during our activities, but because of the communication skills that they required and fostered.

Of course, English is very important and it is a very basic skill which we need in this globalized society. However, through my working experience outside Japan — working at organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD — I felt that the following three things were very important.

First, you need to have a message or a strong opinion which you really want to tell someone. Secondly, you should try to understand whom you are talking to. This is increasingly important in a more diversified community. Finally, and maybe this is the most important point, you have to have the passion to communicate.

So, I am convinced that today’s winners are very good communicators, maybe better communicators than I am. Regardless of the language you speak or use, I am sure that you are among the best communicators in Japan as young students. So, congratulations on your achievement.

Now, we are facing the great challenge of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and our world is also facing serious environmental issues. In these challenging times, we are seeking to overcome these problems together to make a better future. So I very much hope, and am also convinced, that those of you here today will be very good leaders in the cross-cultural global communication needed to meet these challenges.

Last but not least, let me express my congratulations on this milestone of the 10th anniversary of this contest, and to the organizers and supporters of this great contest. I sincerely hope that many students will continue to study foreign languages and play a very active role in the future society. So, once again, congratulations. Thank you very much.