Reiwa 2 Graduation and Completion Ceremony Speech

This is the speech at the 2020 graduation and completion ceremony.

Speech President

Congratulations to all of you who have graduated and completed your studies today. I am truly pleased that we are all able to celebrate this auspicious day together.
In addition, I would like to congratulate all of you in person, including all of you who have completed your studies, your families and friends, in a gathering, but since the COVID-19 pandemic is still unpredictable, I would like to ask for your understanding that I will be greeting most of you through a screen or in writing. For over a year now, we have been facing the serious problem of the spread of the coronavirus. Its impact is enormous, and it weighs heavily and seriously on all people on the planet. You must have been no exception to this. I believe that you have been forced to endure various inconveniences, from your daily lectures, practical training, research activities, and other university activities leading up to graduation and completion, to your daily lives. It is truly the result of your efforts that you have overcome such difficulties and reached a major milestone. At the same time, please also cherish your feelings of gratitude to Faculty Member, friends, and family who have supported your research activities so far. Furthermore, it is especially important that you take this time as an opportunity to think carefully about your own new way of life.
Now, along with various experiences at university, you have been engaged in academic research based on your respective specialties. When you think about the essence of this academic pursuit, the answer may be to look deeply into natural and social phenomena and uncover their truth. However, it does not stop there. I believe that this activity leads to clearly determining what the world will be like in the future while looking closely at your true self. I believe that this is the meaning of seriously engaging in academics. In other words, academics are not just for becoming a scientist, but for you to obtain important guidelines to maximize your own abilities and connect with the world. In academic activities and in various other jobs in the world, the real goal should not simply be to claim that you are right and think about winning, but to find what is truly important and a new world, to give the people around you an opportunity to move in that direction, and as a result, to move the world in a better direction. And no matter what path you take, you are not always right, and by acknowledging your own shortcomings and imperfections and acknowledging the superior ideas of others, you will actually notice what is truly important, and you will gain the courage to accomplish something significant with confidence. I believe that people who have this kind of courage also have the strength to live freely.
It is my hope that all of you graduating and completing your studies on this bright day today will use your learning at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology as a stepping stone to become people who will play a role in moving people's hearts around the world.
I would like to conclude my remarks by wishing you all the best in your future endeavors and success. Congratulations on your success today.

March 25, 2021
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Kazuhiro Chiba

Notification of the President

Congratulations to all graduates today. We are delighted to have had this brilliant day together.
In addition, normally, all graduates, family and friends should meet together and congratulate them directly, but the problem of the new coronavirus infection is still unpredictable, so I would like to forgive most of you for greetings through the screen or in writing. Already for over a year now, we have faced this serious problem of the spread of coronavirus infections. Its influence is enormous and weighs heavily and seriously on all people on the planet. This should have been no exception for you. I think that I have been forced to be inconvenienced in various ways, from daily lectures, practical training, research activities, and other activities at the university that lead to graduation and completion. It is the result of your efforts that you have overcome such difficulties and have reached a major milestone. At the same time, please also value your gratitude to the faculty members, friends, and family who have supported your research activities. Furthermore, it is important to give this opportunity to think about a new way of life for yourself.
By the way, everyone has been engaged in academic research based on their respective specialties, along with various experiences at the university. When you wonder what the essence of this scholarly inquiry is, it may be the answer to dig deeper into natural and social phenomena and reveal their truths. But it doesn't stop there. I think that this activity will lead to a firm look at what you really are, to clarify what the world will be like, and to clearly decide what you should do. I think this is the meaning of taking academics seriously. In other words, scholarship is not just about becoming a scientist, but about getting important guidelines for you to maximize your potential and connect with the world. In academic activities and in various other jobs in the world, instead of simply claiming to be right and thinking about winning, you discover what is really important and a new world, and the people around you go there. The real goal should be to give an opportunity and, as a result, change the world in a more positive direction. And by admitting that you are not always right on every path, admitting that you are imperfect, beyond your reach, and admitting the For others, good ideas are important, and you realize that with confidence. It also gives you the courage to accomplish something of great significance. I think that those who have such courage have the power to live freely.
To all the graduates who have celebrated this wonderful day today through your studies at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, I hope you will play a role in moving people's hearts in the world.

I would like to extend my greetings with my sincere prayers for your future success and development. Congratulations on your graduation today.

March 25, 2021
CHIBA Kazuhiro
President, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology