A drastically scaled-down 2019 Hiroshima University Graduate School Commencement Ceremony was held in response to the on-going COVID-19 public health crisis that is posing widespread health threats around the world.  A total of 81 graduate students of the Graduate School of Biosphere Science (75 Master's graduates, six Doctoral graduates) received their diplomas during simple but meaningful ceremonies attended by key school officials.  Bachelor's graduates were excluded from the actual ceremony for the first time.  Instead, they received their diplomas directly from their research supervisors.  After the ceremony, a commemorative photo was taken of graduates in small batches to observe safe social distancing.

Earlier in the day, the general university-wide Commencement Ceremony was held at the Satake Memorial Hall attended by three selected graduates, each one representing all graduates at the Doctoral, Masteral and Undergraduate levels of all academic units, and presided by HU President Dr Mitsuo Ochi.

Degree awarded from Dean

Graduate School of Biosphere Science, a congratulatory letter

from Dean Yoshihiro SAMBONGI

Congratulations on your graduation.  I am very pleased to know that 75 master degree and 6 PhD degree holders are newly born in the the Graduate School of Biosphere Science on 23rd of March, 2020.  I would like to congratulate all of you on behalf of the graduate school. 

I understand that all of you are going to step forward to your new stages.  Some of you will join industrial company, some of you will work as civil servants, some of you will continue academic research, and some of you may want to retreat yourself without organizational affiliation.  Whatever the case, you may definitely realize your big changes soon. 

All the academic staff here including myself experienced big changes after completing master and PhD degrees.

Now I think, it was good, I changed myself when I completed my degrees.  However, as you may realize like I do, we cannot evaluate a future effect of our change at the time when we are changing.  And we do not know whether our skill so far acquired are useful or not at a coming new stage.  You may worry about your new stage, but I would like to send you my advice.

My advice for you is that you should be always positive.  Of course, you may be pushed to the corner in your new work or private life.  But, if you are knocked down, please stand up again.  Your experiences in writing up your theses here are your important food for the mind.

My advice here is almost the same as my speech at graduation ceremony last year, I am afraid.  But, I would like to send my message, "You should be always positive" this year again.  After the ceremony last year, one of graduate students told me, "I will make effort in my future, always looking forward, your speech hit my mind".  I was pleased to hear this response.  Believe yourself what you have done here.  Graduate School of Biosphere Science is vanishing in a couple of years, but the fact that you are here remains the same.  

Because of novel coronavirus, you worried whether graduation ceremony is held or not.  I understand that graduation ceremony is your important turning point in your life.  But in fact, the ceremony was simplified, and thus I sincerely would like to convey my congratulation to you in this letter. 

Good luck and thank you very much.