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Message for the 2024 Fall Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations to all the graduating undergraduate and graduate students. I extend our heartfelt greetings on behalf of Niigata University.

On June 1, Niigata University commemorated the 75th anniversary of its establishment as a university. In fact, the university existed even before that. At its core were the National Niigata Medical University and the Niigata High School established under the prewar education system, and these were then joined by teachers’ schools, an agriculture and forestry special school, and a technology special school, and in 1949 we began as a national university under the new university system. In this respect, our university has a background dating back well over a century.

Boasting such a long history, Niigata University has grown into one of the nation’s largest leading universities with several faculties and graduate schools, turning out about 160,000 graduates in the 75 years since 1949. All the graduating students here today will be part of the family tree of the university’s alumni. I do hope that you will take pride in this as you graduate from the university.

Niigata University’s philosophy is "Autonomy and Creativity." I mentioned this philosophy at the time of your entrance. Now, on this occasion of your graduation, let me talk about it again. "Autonomy," as the word suggests, means to behave according to your own norms, and "Creativity" means to produce something new. To put it more simply, it means to not imitate other people but rather, to be in the habit of making your own observations, discerning the facts with your own eyes, and taking action based on correct judgments. This also means possessing the "genuine strength" of resilience and suppleness, just like the supple but unbreakable branches of a willow tree, which is the symbol of Niigata City. I believe that you will graduate from Niigata University armed with the philosophy of "Autonomy and Creativity" and "genuine strength" of resilience and suppleness.

Currently, there are about 12,000 students and more than 3,000 faculty and staff members at Niigata University. A university is truly a place where diverse people come together for learning. Your university days provided valuable time for you to meet such diverse people, influence each other and support your growth through communication, . In doing so, I hope you made the most of your intellectual curiosity and discovered an enriching experience that can only be enjoyed at this time.

You will be living in a society of a new ever-evolving world, created by combining the real, physical space with a cyber space that utilizes IoT, robots, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and other new technologies.

The globalization of society is also progressing and a greater focus is being put on the importance of combining knowledge in natural sciences and that in the humanities and social sciences. Moving forward, such social innovations will no doubt continue to take place, leading to the creation of a new future.

Meanwhile, we may be faced with more unexpected, significant incidents and natural disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred on New Year’s Day this year.

The international situation is also changing. As represented by global warming, changes in the global environment poses another major problem. With society, earth and even outer space changing day by day, it is difficult to accurately predict the future. Even in such circumstances, however, if there is something that could open up the future, I think it would be "Science." Science can help enhance the accuracy of future predictions. To face the future, it is extremely important to "make the effort to predict." I sincerely hope that you will remember this. Never forget to keep on learning and confront whatever might happen in the future.

A few years ago, Niigata University formulated its vision toward the near future of 2030, stating that the mission for the university to accomplish was to become "a front-runner of future life innovation."

"Life innovation" here is not confined to the fields of medical care, health and welfare, but is also innovation that creates new values and meanings of our "existence," "whole life," "way of living," "the ideal society," and "involvement with the environment" as well as the bases of these: the earth and nature as we live through the 21st century. In other words, Niigata University aims at "life innovation" that brings happiness to humanity.

This is something we can share with you, our graduating students. I would be very glad to see and it is my sincere wish that even after your graduation, you will continue to be active in society to become a front-runner of future life innovation.

To this end, please cherish your bond with your alma mater forever. Niigata University has a collection of various knowledge, offering a "space for learning" that is always open. With the era of reskilling just around the corner, you will have many opportunities in your life to relearn and learn new things. When such a time comes, please come to study at Niigata University.

Again, Niigata University is your alma mater and your home. Stride ahead with the pride that you have studied at this university. Niigata University will continue to watch over you, wishing your success after your graduation under the philosophy of Niigata University. I truly hope that you will always remember the joy and importance of learning, maintain intellectual curiosity, never forget to keep on learning, and cherish your bond with the university wherever you are as you play an active role as a front-runner of future life innovation.

Let me conclude my message by wishing you much happiness ahead. Congratulations, once again, on your graduation.

September 20, 2024
USHIKI Tatsuo, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Niigata University

2024年秋季毕业典礼致辞