2014 Entrance Ceremony

April 8, 26
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Cho Matsunaga Kore

Congratulations to all of you who have enrolled in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations. I would also like to express my sincere congratulations to my family and all those involved who have supported me so far. We ask that you continue to watch over them as they grow step by step.

This year's new students are 324 in Faculty of Agriculture and 627 in Faculty of Engineering for a total of 951 in the undergraduate program, and the graduate school consists of four groups: Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Agriculture, Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, and Cooperative Major in Advanced Health Science Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering United Graduate School of Agricultural Science. There will be 668 students in the master's, master's, and Specialist degree programs, and 117 students in the doctoral program. There are a total of 73 international students from Asia, the Middle East, Central America, and other parts of the world, bringing the total number of new students to Faculty & Graduate Schools 1,736. These 1,736 people will become friends who will help each other and work hard for their respective futures.

Right now, you may be full of anxiety and anticipation about your dreams for the future and meeting people in your new life, or you may already have clear goals and are eager to spend the next Campus Life to achieve them. Of course, we, the faculty and staff, sincerely pray and support you so that your days are smooth and meaningful without any problems. However, the path of learning that you are about to take is quite difficult, and you may sometimes lose sight of the direction you are going. Eventually, you may not know who you are or what to do, and you may find yourself searching for answers with pain. But is it really something that you look for and find? Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright and Nobel Prize winner in literature, wrote "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” I have left the words. Bernard Shaw, who is a man of action and a rebellious spirit, is a phrase unique to Bernard Shaw, but his attitude of "creating yourself" is very important and I think we should all take it to heart. In other words, "finding yourself" means that there is already something that you have created somewhere, and you will find it. However, it is difficult to get a sense of security that this is the true self forever, and you cannot be satisfied from the bottom of your heart. On the other hand, "creating yourself" is about setting goals such as "I want to be like this, I want to be like that, and that's why I'm going to do this now," and actively building yourself up, and moving forward with a strong feeling. Therefore, even if you encounter difficulties, you will be able to develop a strategy to overcome them, and you will be able to live a more fulfilling life.

This attitude of "create" will also lead to the path of science and technology that you will pursue in the future. The situation on the earth in which we live today is by no means healthy and secure. Many problems such as the environment, resources, disasters, and health that have arisen with the evolution of mankind and the development of science and technology and the economy are acting together in a complex manner, and are threatening the survival of humanity and the entire planet at an accelerated pace. What is needed to change that vector and solve problems is innovation. Don't look for a solution somewhere. Even if there is nothing, we create a new solution. And it is our mission as those of us involved in science and technology to be the driving force for such innovation. Please be aware that you will be one of these responsible scientists. And in order to do so, I would like you to have a good understanding of the attitude of studying at university.

First of all, I would like you to recognize that education at a university is very different from education up to high school. Until high school, I think it was a one-way education from Faculty Member to students, absorbing and understanding the knowledge taught by Faculty Member. However, at universities, students are required to think independently and take the initiative to create new knowledge by making full use of the knowledge they have. The university helps students grow, and it is the students themselves who make the effort to grow. By firmly cultivating this attitude while at our university, each and every one of you will become a useful human resource who can conduct highly effective research and development that connects unknown exploration to innovation, and will be able to play an active role in any career path, such as going on to higher education or finding a job after completing your four years at the university.

Those of you who enroll in graduate school will enter the path of more in-depth and specialized research with this basic attitude firmly acquired. However, in order to master expertise, paradoxical as it may sound, it is necessary to value a bird's-eye view, a broad perspective, and a wide variety of perspectives. If you do not actively learn and take into account knowledge and ways of thinking in other fields, historical backgrounds, social factors, international affairs, and everything else, you will not be able to overcome the barriers that will stand in front of you again and again in the future and conduct research that will benefit many people.

In addition to the two fields of agriculture and engineering, which are the backbone of industry, our university has also developed fields into interdismal fields that are possible because we combine the two, and we have been doing our utmost to conduct research and human resource development with the goals of "realizing a sustainable society" and "building a recycling-oriented society." The attitude of being flexible and willing to take on new challenges with conviction and conviction in order to achieve our goals and mission is not only a characteristic but also a strength of our university, and it is manifested in various initiatives. For example, there is the Leading Graduate School Program, which is a five-year integrated doctoral education program in practical sciences that supports green and clean food production, and was introduced ahead of the rest of the country with the aim of creating an environment more suitable for the development of research personnel who will be able to work immediately after completion. Even now, we are planning and evolving various new initiatives to promote global innovation, such as the establishment of a new research institute and organizational reforms. In addition, we are actively engaged in collaboration with other institutions and universities, joint research with private companies, and exchanges with other countries, while at the same time focusing on the tenure-track system and the enhancement of Women's Future Development Organization functions, we are always conscious of the diversity and public nature of our research and educational activities. I hope that all of you who study at our university will inherit the unique attitude of our university, which is the flexibility and mobility to boldly incorporate such advanced initiatives, and the strong spirit to take on challenges with conviction.

Finally, I would like to add one more thing that seems obvious, but very important. The path of academic research can be mentally and physically demanding at times. You can't continue without a healthy mind and body. In particular, I think that people who come from rural areas and overseas often have various anxieties in an unfamiliar place. Please take good care of your health and have a fruitful university life. We will continue to do our utmost in all aspects so that we can provide even stronger support to you. I would like to conclude my remarks by expressing my hope that all of you who are enrolling today will not forget your feelings today and will grow greatly toward your dreams, and that you will once again welcome all of you to become members of our university.