Commencement Address for the 2023 Academic Year
To everyone celebrating their graduation or completion of studies today, congratulations!
I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to your family.
Especially given that the past few years have been marked by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I imagine this moment is particularly poignant for you all. With a mix of emotions in your hearts, you are setting sail today toward your respective new horizons—whether that be starting a career or pursuing higher education. There is no doubt that you, the younger generation, will be the captains of the coming era.
I’d like to share with all of you some thoughts I hope you’ll consider now, with an eye toward the future. With the widespread adoption of IT and generative AI, knowledge-based societies around the world are undergoing a major transformation. When we ask a question, generative AI can easily provide a plausible answer. This is where a major pitfall lies. Even though we’re fully aware that we mustn’t stop thinking for ourselves, it’s only natural that we end up relying on it.My greatest fear is that our imagination and creativity will wither away in the blink of an eye. If we rely solely on AI, we will end up acquiring only the skills to perform tasks without personal growth. The nature of society is also changing by the minute. Wars in distant countries can even affect our daily lives tomorrow. To survive in such a society, we must constantly strive to acquire new knowledge and skills and develop the resilience to thrive.
I am sure you have all gone through the experience of struggling, wrestling with doubts, and enduring hardships to complete your undergraduate theses, master’s theses, or doctoral dissertations. That experience is particularly valuable. It is the very proof of your graduation or completion of your degree program, and it is an experience that is hard to come by elsewhere. People grow significantly through such experiences. Having overcome the massive wave of change brought by the COVID-19 pandemic to reach this day, I am confident that you will continue to refine yourselves in the years to come.I urge you to take a bold step forward, carrying with you the academic and research skills you have cultivated at Kochi University, as well as the bonds you have formed with your peers and faculty members.
Kochi University is currently evolving with the goal of becoming a “Super Regional University”—an institution that supports and transforms the local community. Against this backdrop, we are celebrating our 75th anniversary this year. As part of our commemorative initiatives, we established the Kochi University Alumni Association last November. We would like to welcome not only graduates, current students, and faculty and staff, but also everyone who has been involved with Kochi University in any capacity to join the Alumni Association as supporters.First and foremost, under the concept of “Every Prefectural Resident as a ‘Kochi University Student,’” we hope that everyone in Kochi Prefecture will become a supporter of Kochi University and help energize the Alumni Association. To this end, we are asking alumni currently employed by the 34 municipalities within the prefecture to serve as branch presidents and lead their respective regional branches. Furthermore, we are currently working to expand this network to areas outside the prefecture and overseas.We are working to establish systems that allow you to remember Kochi University and foster a network, no matter where you are in Japan or abroad.
To all of you graduating today, as well as your families, I sincerely ask that you continue to serve as members of the Alumni Association and remain Kochi University’s greatest supporters for years to come. Please take pride in Kochi University, a Super Regional University, for many years to come, and let us walk this path together.
My term as president will come to an end this March, and I will be leaving Kochi University. Going forward, I look forward to supporting Kochi University alongside all of you as a member of the Alumni Association.
Let me say it again: Congratulations on your graduation and completion of your studies.
March 22, 2024
Katsutoshi Sakurai, President, Kochi University