We welcome you to Japan and the 2012 Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics. This school provides participants with opportunities to study and work together. Globally, an increasing number of research projects in high-energy physics (HEP) are being conducted. The project size of HEP projects is getting larger and larger, the project time span is getting longer and longer, and the project cost is getting higher and higher. Given these recent trends, it is necessary to avoid duplication or overlap in the technological activities, financial expenses, and human resources among the world HEP community. To this end and to advance HEP projects, cooperation and coordination with relevant international institutes and organizations are essential. Institutions and organizations should not only promote their own research activities but also share the responsibility of organizing international HEP projects. What is key for successful HEP projects in the era of globalization is not centralization but collaborative decentralization and not a single-CPU organization but a multi-CPU organization, which is established through the sharing of rich infrastructure by each organization.
I hope you that you will actively join various programs that foster cooperation and partnership, which this school aims to inculcate in you. Furthermore, I hope this school provides valuable opportunities to improve your research activities, stimulate new ideas for joint research, and make new friendships and acquaintances.
I wish you an enjoyable stay at the beautiful Japanese resort.
