Reiwa 5th Graduate School United Graduate School of Agricultural Science Graduation Ceremony Announcement

Reiwa 5th year graduate school United Graduate School of Agricultural Science graduation ceremony announcement.

Speech President

Congratulations to all of you who have completed the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Graduate United Graduate School of Agricultural Science and received your doctoral degree today. In the meantime, you must have spent a lot of quality time striving for research, and at the same time, you must have faced many difficulties that you could not have imagined. It is truly wonderful that you overcame these obstacles, devoted yourself to your daily research, and as a result, opened up a new world of academia.

I believe that obtaining this degree will be a great help to you as you continue to study and pave new paths. As you know, the world today is in the midst of upheaval, and various social risks continue to increase along with increasingly complex international relations. Climate change and natural disasters are on the rise, biodiversity is being lost, and social anxiety about food supply is also growing. It is precisely at times like these that we must accurately grasp the society and environment that are changing from the present to the future, take a bird's-eye view of the various challenges that we face, and act with a strong will to resolve them. The source of this power is nothing other than the enthusiasm to pursue research activities supported by a strong curiosity. As people meet and deepen their connections, the international community will need people who can respect the individuality of others and demonstrate their own originality, and I believe that this is what is expected of you who have now obtained your doctorate.

At the same time, you must not forget to be grateful to those close to you who always support you, and to society at large. In order to become a doctor, the support of Supervisor, laboratory members, academic societies, family, and friends must have been invaluable. Furthermore, the fact that you were given the precious opportunity to immerse yourself in research activities is only possible thanks to the support of many invisible people. It also leads to understanding the feelings of people facing various difficulties and trying to help them as much as possible. In this environment, you should have the strong driving force to attract people and involve many people, and be able to courageously face the important things that really need to be done. This is what a truly powerful doctor is, and I hope that you will be who you are from today onwards. I believe that a doctor is someone who can clearly see the world of the past and the world of the future, and who can fulfill his or her role with conviction and responsibility for the important things that the world needs.

It is my sincere hope that all of you, who have now become doctorates and hold the diplomas in front of you, will go on to demonstrate even greater abilities that you yourself are not yet aware of, and will play an active role as indispensable people for the future.

We offer our heartfelt congratulations and great expectations for you all.
Congratulations today.

March 15, Reiwa 6
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology President Kazuhiro Chiba

Ceremonial Address

Congratulations to all of you who have completed your studies at the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and have been awarded your doctoral degrees today. I am sure that you must have spent a lot of time fulfilling your research and faced many unimaginable difficulties during the period leading up to this point. It is truly wonderful that you overcame these difficulties, devoted yourself to your daily research, and as a result, opened up a new part of the academic world.

I am sure that this degree will be a great source of strength for you as you continue to pursue your studies and open up new paths in the future. As you know, today's world is in a whirlpool of upheaval, with increasingly complex international relations and an ever-increasing variety of social risks. Climate change, increased natural disasters, loss of biodiversity, and growing social unrest over food supplies are all contributing to the situation. It is precisely in times such as these that we believe it is essential to accurately grasp the ever-changing society and environment from the present into the future, to take a bird's-eye view of the various challenges that face us, and to practice with a strong will to resolve them. The source of your strength is your enthusiasm to pursue exploration activities supported by our vigorous curiosity. As people meet and deepen their connections with each other, those who respect the individuality of others and can demonstrate their own originality will be in demand in the international society of the future, and I believe this is what is expected of those who have now earned their doctoral degrees.

At the same time, you must not forget to maintain a sense of gratitude toward those who are close to us and constantly support you, and toward a large society. In order to become a doctoral student, the support of your advisors, the people in your laboratories and academic societies, and your family and friends must have been invaluable. Furthermore, the fact that you were given the precious opportunity to immerse yourself in research activities is due to the support of many people who were not visible to you. It also leads us to understand the feelings of those who are facing various difficulties and to take action to extend a helping hand as much as possible. This will help you to attract people, and with the strong impetus to involve many people, you will be able to face the important things that really need to be done with courage. This is what a truly powerful doctor looks like, and I hope it is what you will look like from this day forward. I believe that a doctor is a person who has a firm grasp of the world that has existed and will exist in the future, who has conviction and responsibility for the important things that the world needs, and who is able to fulfill your role in the world.

I sincerely hope that all of you who have received your doctoral degrees will demonstrate even greater abilities that you are not yet aware of, and that you will become indispensable members of society for the future.

With great expectations for all of you, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations.

March 15, 2024
Kazuhiro Chiba
President of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology