Address at the 2024 Graduate School
本日、高知大学に入学された皆さん、ご入学、誠におめでとうございます。ご列席のご来賓の皆さま、本学の理事、学部長をはじめとする高知大学教職員とともに、皆さんのご入学を心よりお祝い申し上げます。ご入学に至るまでの皆さんのご努力に、敬意を表しますと共に、皆さんをこれまで支えてこられました、ご家族や関係者の方々にお祝い申し上げます。
Now, you are about to become students at Kochi University. Up until now, in your schooling from elementary through high school, you have been learning established “knowledge” with the aim of deriving predetermined answers to predetermined questions. In contrast, learning at the university is entirely different from learning in school; its purpose is to generate “knowledge” that no one has ever seen before.The true significance of studying at the university lies in cultivating the ability to proactively acquire the “knowledge” necessary for this purpose—in other words, the “driving force of learning.” I have high hopes that all of you studying here will fully grasp this significance and become creative leaders who not only adapt to the existing society but also lead the way in shaping the future of society and the world.
Kochi University, where you have enrolled, is a comprehensive university—a community of scholars comprising nearly 600 faculty members who specialize in diverse academic fields and are constantly taking on new challenges. I urge you to take full advantage of this rich intellectual environment and eagerly acquire not only expertise in your own field but also a broad general education.As you know, in today’s society, humanity faces complex crises—such as the COVID-19 pandemic, drastic changes in the international community, and the problem of fake news in the digital age—that cannot be addressed by a single specialized field alone. In light of these circumstances, there has never been a time when collaboration across different disciplines has been more essential.Please leverage the strengths of our comprehensive university and actively pursue the “integration of knowledge” during your time here. Strive to acquire a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills that will serve as a foundation for sound judgment when facing various challenges.
“Sustainability” is the key concept for the future that you will all help shape. It must be said that, among all nations, Japan is particularly vulnerable in terms of sustainability. This vulnerability stems from our high dependence on foreign sources for food, resources, and energy, compounded by powerful pressures that will determine our nation’s future—including a declining birthrate, an aging population, global warming, and natural disasters.How we confront these pressures—while keeping in mind the tectonic shifts in the international community and the “digital revolution” that has shaped our globalized world—will be the key to forging a path forward. Meanwhile, Kochi Prefecture, home to Kochi University, serves as a microcosm of the pressures facing Japan as a whole.It is often referred to as a “pioneering region for challenges,” facing the most pronounced population decline in the country, an aging rate far exceeding the national average, and the anticipated onset of devastating earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters. Furthermore, since similar challenges are likely to arise in the not-too-distant future in China, other Asian nations, and countries around the world, Kochi Prefecture can be viewed as a global leader that is anticipating the future when considering global sustainability.From this perspective, Kochi University, which champions the concept of a “Super Regional University (SRU),” aims to be a “core university for the region” capable of supporting and transforming the local community, while also striving to be a university that “connects the region with the world and transforms both” through world-class research capabilities. Please engage in your studies at the university with the constant awareness that the “region” is seamlessly connected to the “world.”
さて、皆さんが入学した高知大学は、この2024年に、創立75周年の節目を迎えます。本学はこれまでに、約６万人の学部卒業生、大学院修了生を輩出してきました。私たちのかけがえのない人的資産である卒業生、修了生は、国内の各地域や社会を支え、我が国の発展を支えてこられました。国境を越えてグローバルな立場で、各界のリーダーとして活躍しておられる方々も、大勢いらっしゃいます。高知大学の前身は、今から102年前に開設された、旧制高知高等学校です。初代校長・江部淳夫先生は、その第１回目の入学式式辞において、開口一番、「感激あれ若人、感激なき人生は空虚なり」と述べられました。旧制高校１期生の心に突き刺さる、とても熱いメッセージであったと語り継がれています。私たちは、旧制高知高等学校から受け継がれるこの精神を、本日、高知大学に入学された皆さんに、しっかりと継承していきたいと考えています。そして、「感激」を味わうための基盤となる、豊富で深い人間関係を醸成していけるよう、全力を挙げて、皆さんの大学生活をサポートしてまいります。本日入学された皆さんが、ＶＵＣＡの時代と言われる先行きの見通せない未来を創造していく中核人材として、立派に成長されることを期待し、学長告辞と致します。
Congratulations on your admission.
April 3, 2024
Hiroyuki Uchida, President, Kochi University
(References)
- Yuichiro Anzai, *The Future of Education: Surviving the Century of Transformation* (Chuko Shinsho, 2022)
- Juichi Yamagiwa, *Thoughts of a Gorilla Scholar in the Jungle That Is Kyoto University* (Asahi Shinsho, 2021)
- Yōjirō Ishii, *Commencement Addresses at the University of Tokyo: Words of Wisdom from Past Presidents* (Shinchosha, 2023)