Autumn Term Commencement Ceremony 2024.9.20
On this auspicious occasion of the Autumn Term Commencement Ceremony 2024, on behalf of Hiroshima University, I would like to extend my deepest and most sincere congratulations to all the 312 students who are graduating today.
In particular, I would like to celebrate the international students here today. Indeed, you have come all the way to Japan to study, coping with a different culture, language and lifestyle upon your arrival. I would like to express my deepest respect, and I applaud your efforts. At the same time, the invaluable contribution and support of family, friends, and other significant people in your lives, should never be forgotten, as often they are the ones who encouraged you to study at our university.
Perhaps now, all the memories of your days at Hiroshima University are coming back to you in a rapid succession of images. You may also have been heartbroken by the global situation, with Russia's invasion into Ukraine and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima University’s founding and the 150th anniversary since the establishment of its oldest predecessor school, the Hakushima School. The university opened in 1949, four years after the devastating atomic bombing that caused extensive damage to its nine predecessor institutions. Since then, it has grown into one of the leading comprehensive research universities in the Chugoku-Shikoku region.
Last month, on 6 August, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, the University Presidents for Peace Conference was held for the first time, inviting presidents or the representatives of ten universities from seven countries and regions to Hiroshima. The reason behind organizing such conference is because I strongly believe that universities have a responsibility to cultivate individuals who can contribute to world peace by addressing challenges such as conflict and the Sustainable Development Goals through reason and constructive dialogue.
At the end of the conference, the twenty-two participants, including presidents or the representatives from the United States, Sweden, Italy, India, Indonesia and Taiwan, adopted the University Presidents for Peace Declaration, pledging ‘to promote international exchange and foster people-to-people connections through our programs and educational offerings’. In the future, we would like to give opportunities for many students and educators of the participating universities to visit Hiroshima and become witnesses to the reality of nuclear bombing.
As you have become one of the alumni of Hiroshima University today, I hope that you will continue to pass on the knowledge and wisdom you have gained at our university to as many people as possible in your home countries and regions, contributing to lasting peace in the world. At present, there are more than 250,000 alumni of Hiroshima University, including those of its predecessor schools. With the establishment of an alumni organization in Indonesia last year and plans for a satellite campus for agricultural sciences in Vietnam this year, the university will continue to strive to become ‘the university chosen by the world and loved by the region’.
The 18th century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said in his work Emile: ‘To live is not to breathe but to act.’ He goes on to say, ‘It is to make use of our organs, our senses, our faculties, of all the parts of ourselves which give us the sentiment of our existence.’ In other words, Rousseau suggests that to truly live is to engage with our environment by activating all our senses in response to the external stimuli.
If you find yourself at a critical juncture or facing a new challenge, I am convinced that the knowledge, education and experience you have gained at Hiroshima University will help you. If you make full use of them and think for yourselves, rather than just accepting what others tell you, you will surely find a way forward.
Finally, I would like to conclude my remarks by pledging that our university will continue to be fully committed to work hand in hand with all of you as you take new steps forward, aiming to be a ‘University of World-Wide Repute and Splendor for Years into the Future’.
20th September 2024 (Reiwa 6)
Mitsuo Ochi
President, Hiroshima University