Address at the 2012 Graduate School
To all incoming students: Congratulations on your admission Graduate School of Integrated Arts and SciencesGraduate School.
You have all received a higher education at university and have now Graduate School to pursue cutting-edge research.
Research is the process of formulating hypotheses about unresolved areas based on existing knowledge and then proving those hypotheses. To conduct research, one must possess a rich imagination and creativity, research skills and the ability to take action, as well as the writing skills necessary to synthesize findings and produce a paper. Furthermore, to ensure the success of research, it is essential to acquire the extensive knowledge required to carry out the research and to master advanced techniques.
Thanks to the remarkable advancements in the natural sciences, we researchers are on the verge of entering the realm of the divine. This means that a single misstep carries the risk of bringing about the destruction of humanity and the world. While we humans may be able to draw closer to the divine, we cannot become divine ourselves, nor is such a thing ever permissible. Graduate School, you are guaranteed the freedom to conduct research based on your own creative ideas. However, the results of your research must be made public and evaluated by the public and society. I want you to firmly keep in mind that research which does not test its true value against society, nor undergoes societal scrutiny, is nothing more than self-satisfaction and may even cause harm to society in some cases.I expect you to acquire a broader education, better judgment, and greater self-discipline than you had as undergraduates. With the knowledge and education you will gain from now on, and with the support of your advisors, I hope you will choose research topics that can contribute to the prosperous development of society in the 21st century and beyond. I expect you to approach your studies with even greater sincerity than before.
Kochi University considers contributing to the development of Kochi through collaboration with the local community to be one of its key missions. Industry-academia collaboration, community engagement, and the resulting social and regional contributions are also central to the research mission Graduate School. We strongly hope that your learning and research will bear fruit through your creativity and ingenuity across a wide range of fields, from basic research to research that can be applied directly in local settings.
April 3, 2012
Hiroshi Wakiguchi, President, Kochi University (National University Corporation)