Commencement Address for the Class of 2005, Kochi University
As we approach the 2005 graduation ceremony, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the graduates.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to all the family members in attendance; I imagine this special day marking your child’s university graduation must be particularly moving for you.
On behalf of Kochi University, I would like to express my gratitude to all the distinguished guests and attendees here today.
As you graduate today, if you reflect on the time when you first entered Kochi University, you will surely realize just how much knowledge and skill you have acquired. You will also recognize that the level of expertise you have attained would have been impossible without the excellent guidance of our faculty, staff, and senior students.
The faculty and staff would like to once again express their sincere appreciation for the efforts you have made during your time here.
On this graduation day, what we, the faculty and staff, expect of you now is that you will use the knowledge and skills you have acquired to identify the challenges involved in realizing a true civil society in the 21st century, analyze them, and continue to devise and propose solutions. We also hope that you will continue to seek feedback and maintain a spirit of striving for further progress.
When we look at the state of the world at large and the local communities where we live, we see that every moment passes amid great turmoil, all stemming from a single phrase: “competitive environment.” I believe the root cause of this turmoil lies in our failure to sincerely observe and reflect on events and our lack of resolve to overcome problems—a result of our overly superficial responses. The prevalence of empty rhetoric, coupled with a lack of genuine consideration for others and a failure to approach matters with humility, is a major contributing factor.
The essence of a competitive environment lies in how we ingeniously harness diversity to bring its full potential to fruition. The key lies in competitiveness. As I mentioned at the outset, the vast knowledge and technical skills you have acquired are your competitive edge. I firmly believe that by fully mobilizing the knowledge and skills you possess, you will not only overcome many challenges but also create your own 21st century with your own hands.
It is precisely where there are challenges to overcome that the future—tomorrow—awaits. Where there is a future, there are dreams. With that in mind, as a parting gift to all of you graduating today, I offer you the word “tomorrow.”
It could be five or ten years from today. It could be when you’ve achieved something. Or it could be when you’re weighed down by worries. I hope you will visit your alma mater, Kochi University. On the campus where you once spent your days, you are sure to find a version of your former self—the person you were just yesterday—in at least one of the students who have come after you. When you see and feel the youth, the spirit of adventure, and the dreams that these students possess, a new tomorrow and new dreams will surely be born in your hearts.Your alma mater will reflect the state of your hearts at that moment, welcoming you at times like a mother and at times like a father. And within you, fresh courage and hope will surely well up.
Please take good care of your health, and wherever you may be in the world, I strongly hope that you will play an active role in shaping your own 21st century. With these words, I conclude my address as president.
Congratulations on your graduation.
March 23, 2006
Kochi University, a National University Corporation, President Yusuke Sagara