Hiroshima University (HU) held its 2023 Commencement Ceremony at the Higashi-Hiroshima Sports Park Gymnasium on March 23, 2024.

This year's graduates included 2,343 undergraduate students, 13 advanced course students, and 1,345 graduate students, a total of 3,701 individuals (including 283 international students).

Despite the rainy weather in the morning, the venue was filled with smiling students and their families in traditional attire, celebrating the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. The event was also live-streamed on YouTube.

During his speech, HU President Mitsuo Ochi referred to the challenges facing the world today and the role of universities in the future. “Currently, the future of the world looks uncertain as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been continuing for more than two years and the war between Israel and Hamas has been going on for almost six months. At such times, universities should be considered to be the greatest masterpieces in human history for showing the way forward,” he said.

“I am convinced that the role of universities will become increasingly important in the future. Especially for this university, which was established in Hiroshima, the world’s first city to suffer an atomic bombing, there is a constant need to explore what can be done towards achieving peace in the world.”

President Ochi ended his speech by reflecting on his own experiences as a student. “The experience of studying and talking with friends at the university will become something you can treasure for the rest of your life,” he said. 

“I hope that you will take pride in having studied at this highly prestigious university […] and that this experience empowers you to embrace all future challenges which you may encounter.”

As a representative of the international students, Jialun Li, a Chinese doctoral student from the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering (majoring in advanced science and engineering), offered a speech congratulating all fellow graduates. “Hiroshima University is a place where diverse cultures come together to learn, providing an international education environment. Together, as we learn, grow, laugh, and share moments, we international students have formed bonds like those of a big family. Graduates and alumni of Hiroshima University will work towards the goal of becoming contributors to the future society,” said Li. 

Following the ceremony, President Ochi conferred diplomas to each doctoral degree recipient.

In the afternoon, each school/graduate school organized a diploma-awarding ceremony for the graduates.

President's full Ceremonial Speech (English)

*Photos of the Commencement Ceremony will be released on HU's official social media.