Today it is my great honor to present doctoral degrees to 10 students from Hiroshima University. Congratulations to each and every one of you. On the occasion of this 176th doctoral award ceremony I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulation on behalf of Hiroshima University.

The diligent hard work each of you has given to receive this degree is something you should all be proud of. In Addition, I’m sure you are very grateful for the love and support that your family, friends and teachers have given you. So, please take the time to thank these people in your own way.

I want you to keep in mind that the doctoral degree you receive today shouldn’t be your life-time goal. You are only standing at the starting line to your career as an independent scholar. Of course, you need a certain level of knowledge to obtain a degree in medicine, natural science or literature, but a doctorate in the true sense demands other qualifications.

You may know that in English the abbreviation of the doctoral degree is “PhD”. It means “Doctor of Philosophy” and shows that this academic degree has its roots in liberal arts. I believe that a doctorate includes “moral responsibility toward the object of research”.

I think that the absence of moral responsibility is one of the reasons for a number of recent instances of misconduct and unethical behavior within the research community. Therefore I wish you to study not only your field of specialization, but also in liberal arts, to cultivate a broad mind and international perspective.

As you know, Hiroshima University has been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as one of 22 institutes of the “Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities” in August 2013. And in September last year, our university has been selected by MEXT for the “Top Global University Project” as one of Japan’s top 13 universities, providing a world-class research and education (Type A). We are truly proud that Hiroshima University was recognized as “one of the world-class universities that has the potential to be ranked in the top 100 in world university ranking within 10 years”, and became on par with the former Imperial Universities. With this honor comes great responsibility.

Our goal is to become a “University of World-wide Repute and Splendor for Years into the Future” and to cooperate with you, who will expand your activities to every region and spread your wings around the world with the purpose of increasing our research and educational ability. Hiroshima University has a particular system of rewarding excellent professors with the title “Distinguished Professor” (DR) and supreme young teachers with the title of “Distinguished Researcher” and offers them the perfect environment for focusing on research. I wish you to take up this challenge.

I would like to conclude; may the roads ahead lead you to bright futures, filled with promise and hope.

July 21st, 2015

Mitsuo Ochi
President, Hiroshima University