I am truly delighted to celebrate the Degree Conferment Ceremony for the 2022 academic year. In particular, it gives me no end of joy to see so many family members attending today’s ceremony along with our graduates. To our new graduates, I extend my sincere congratulations. I commend you for your hard work along your journey to this important day. I also extend my gratitude and felicitations to the families present today for their understanding and support along the way. On their path to today’s conferment ceremony, our new graduates have developed human power and academic knowledge through their day-to-day efforts to improve themselves at Kanazawa University. I applaud those efforts and offer my boundless congratulations. That you are able to be here today is thanks to the warm encouragement of your friends, families and teachers who have shared your aspirations. This ceremony is a valuable opportunity to engrave that fact once more in your heart and to thank all those people for their support and guidance.
In today’s society, there are many challenges of a global scale that must be addressed, such as climate change, energy, political and economic issues, food and hunger issues, health, and international peace. The spread of COVID-19 also had a massive impact on society both here in Japan and overseas. Our graduates continued and accomplished their studies amid the various restrictions imposed by the three-year pandemic. I salute you all wholeheartedly for the remarkable achievement of obtaining your degrees today. Your studies will have given you the realization that solutions to the many issues facing society will require gathering the wisdom of each and every individual and addressing those issues with patience and an awareness of sustainability under great ideals. Society is changing with the advancement of the fourth industrial revolution, such as AI and robotics, and digital transformation. Your persistent pursuit of your studies at Kanazawa University at such a time of great change in the social structure and values is sure to become an invaluable asset and guidepost for your future. I am confident that you will carry the present and the future of society mightily on your shoulders. You are the ones who will build a new society in Japan and the world.
After assuming the position of President of Kanazawa University in April 2022, in May that year, I announced the Future Vision of Kanazawa University: Kokorozashi (aspirations). Kokorozashi is a clear statement of the unwavering vision for the future that Kanazawa University aspires to attain, that is, for all of Kanazawa University to work as one, contributing to society by creating “future-oriented intelligence,” under the basic philosophy declared in the Charter of Kanazawa University. “Future-oriented intelligence” refers to the wisdom to explore future issues and help overcome them. Future-oriented intelligence will lead to the creation of future value. To achieve this, it is important that we travel between the two perspectives of local and global. Kokorozashi also states clearly that each and every student, alumnus, faculty, and staff member is treasured as an asset of Kanazawa University and that we will strive to follow an “all Kanazawa University” approach to the attainment of our vision for the future. After today, you will begin your new lives in the workforce or as graduate students. All of you will continue to be valued members of “all Kanazawa University.” I hope that you will hold everything that you have learned at your alma mater in your heart and that, as graduates of Kanazawa University, you will fly out into the world toward your goals with pride, confidence, and energy.
You are about to set sail into a society that is in the midst of a turbulent change. To help you on your way, as my parting gift, I would like to present you with three words of advice.
The first is to "cherish encounters with others, refine one's character, and grow as a person.
People learn a lot from others. It is important to meet people with enthusiasm. In the society and world that lies ahead, please be widely exposed to the "ideas," "knowledge," and "passion" of the people you encounter. Please try to communicate with various people with sincere interest. It is important that you take an interest in yourself as well as the people you meet. Please make the most of the learning you gain through these encounters and continue to refine your own qualities and abilities. I believe that there is always something to be gained by looking at your attitude toward life and the way you think. I have great expectations that you will continue to refine your humanity and grow as a person.
My second word of advice is to maintain a panoramic, whole-picture view of issues from compound perspectives and to keep trying to overcome them. Your new journey of lifelong learning in the real world, where there are no right answers or model responses, is about to begin. Kanazawa University, where you have just completed your studies, is a comprehensive university. Typically of a comprehensive university, you will have met students and lecturers with diverse ways of thinking and enjoyed the benefits to be found in such encounters. The current and future issues you will confront going forward contain many elements that no-one has ever experienced before, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They will require “future-oriented intelligence,” the wisdom to explore current and future issues and overcome them, which is described in Kokorozashi (aspirations), the Future Vision of Kanazawa University. When you encounter those issues, I urge you to maintain a panoramic, whole-picture view of issues from compound perspectives. I want you to boldly take on the challenges of exploring and overcoming a variety of issues without fear of failure. This means holding firmly to a passion to succeed. Develop a clear picture what the future should look like and keep thinking about what should be done and what you will do in response. A multifaceted approach is also crucial to the achievement of your goals. It is my heartfelt wish that you will maintain a panoramic, whole-picture view of issues from compound perspectives as you create innovations and contribute to the growth and prosperity of society both in Japan and abroad.
My third word of advice is to keep learning throughout your entire lives through a relentless drive for self-improvement. I am reminded of the poem “Youth” by the poet, Samuel Ullman. It says that youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. That people grow old by deserting their ideals. I urge you to work relentlessly to improve yourselves and to keep learning throughout your entire lives, with your ideals intact, as you progress toward your major future goals. It is my belief that, even as we age, we can change ourselves and the future.
To our new graduates, I once again extend my sincere congratulations. Be aware of yourself as a member of society and spend the days ahead in many wonderful, meaningful ways. I would like to conclude my address with the strong wish that you will flourish on the local and world stage with pride as graduates of Kanazawa University, that you will contribute to society, and that you will lead long and happy lives.
March 22, 2023
Takashi Wada, President of Kanazawa University
PAGE TOP