Address at the 2023 Kochi University and Graduate School Entrance Ceremony
To all those who have been admitted to Kochi University, congratulations on your admission. On behalf of the current students, faculty, and staff, I extend our warmest congratulations and a heartfelt welcome.
Congratulations to all the families. Amid the ongoing hardships of daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic, I offer my heartfelt congratulations on the successful graduation of your children as college and graduate students.
Starting today, you have become part of Kochi University—in other words, members of “Team Kochi University.” Everyone in Team Kochi University is both a friend and family, encouraging one another and striving together to improve.
Kochi University aims to become a “Super Regional University”—an institution that supports and transforms the local community. A key element of this vision is the cultivation of outstanding DX talent. Education focused on basic literacy is provided through the general education curriculum, while initiatives for foundational specialized education are already underway in each faculty. These are the minimum competencies required of future professionals. I strongly encourage you to master them thoroughly.
One of the representative works by Masashi Kawai—a writer and journalist who serves as a member of our university’s Management Council and as a visiting professor—is the “Chronicle of the Future” series. In this series, he states that for a regional university, strengthening the agricultural infrastructure is of paramount importance, and that this has now become a national priority.Currently, we are implementing the Cabinet Office’s Regional University Regional Industry Revitalization Grant Program, specifically the project titled “IoP-Led Next-Generation Protected Horticulture.” This initiative aims to build upon and expand one of Kochi Prefecture’s greatest strengths—protected horticulture, which boasts the highest production value per unit area of greenhouse space in Japan—to ensure it remains a competitive advantage for the next 10 to 20 years.Furthermore, in the field of medical science, a project is underway in which the university and local government are collaborating to attract businesses, halt the collapse of regional healthcare, and promote the health of the entire community. Other initiatives include the development of treatments for cerebral palsy using umbilical cord blood and the establishment of photodynamic therapy that selectively illuminates and removes cancer cells. Numerous initiatives are currently underway, originating from Kochi Prefecture and reaching across Japan and the world.
Society will continue to evolve and develop, with digital transformation at its core. To all of you who will play a leading role in this new era, I have one request. The world is engaged in a wide range of initiatives aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While pursuing your studies at this university, I encourage you to broaden and deepen your global perspective. And I hope you will find a way of life that suits you best.
Please look forward to the continued growth of Kochi University.
And right in the thick of it, make sure to hone your skills.
Let me say it again.
Congratulations on your admission.
Welcome to Super Regional University.
April 3, 2023
Katsutoshi Sakurai, President, Kochi University