Commencement Address for the 2011 Graduation Ceremony at Kochi University
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you who have earned your bachelor’s degrees and successfully graduated.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the family members in attendance on this special day for your children as they graduate from Kochi University; we are sure this occasion is particularly meaningful for you.
On behalf of Kochi University, I would like to express my gratitude to all the distinguished guests and attendees here today.
As we bid farewell to today’s graduates, we, the faculty and staff, hope that you will use the knowledge and skills you have acquired at Kochi University to actively participate in creating a completely new paradigm for civil society in the 21st century—a society in which you are the driving force.
As you are about to embark on your journey, the job market for young people today is extremely challenging. Yet, at the same time, there has never been an era in which the shortage of skilled workers has been so widely discussed. This peculiar phenomenon is not limited to Japan alone. In my view, it clearly demonstrates that the value systems of the 20th century cannot serve as the norms for the global society of the 21st century.
The creation of a new era for all of you—a new paradigm for 21st-century society—will only be possible through the combination of the skills you have acquired at Kochi University—namely, the ability to identify challenges, devise and implement plans to solve problems, analyze the results from a contemporary perspective, present these findings to the world, and actively seek feedback—and your youthful energy.
With this in mind, I offer these words as a parting gift to all of you who are setting out on your journey: “Fear not the dark night; hold aloft a single lamp and walk through it.”
Please take good care of your health, and wherever you may be in the world, I earnestly hope that you will play an active role in shaping your own 21st century with your own hands. With these words, I conclude my address as president.
Congratulations on your graduation.
March 23, 2012
Kochi University (National University Corporation)
President Yusuke Sagara