As President of Hiroshima University, and also as one of its alumni, it is my great honor and heartfelt delight to welcome 389 new students as valued members of our university today. On this memorable occasion, I invite you to reflect, with gratitude, on the families and all those who have supported you on your journey to this day.

Many of you have come to Hiroshima from overseas with great aspirations. While you may be filled with excitement and anticipation, some of you may also feel anxious about beginning life in an unfamiliar place. Having studied abroad myself when I was young, I understand how you may feel. The faculty and staff of Hiroshima University are fully committed to supporting you so that you can pursue your studies with confidence and take on new challenges.

Hiroshima University has a history spanning more than 150 years, tracing its earliest roots to the Hakushima School, founded in 1874. On 6th August 1945, a single atomic bomb devastated the city of Hiroshima. Our predecessor schools were also severely affected, and many precious lives were lost, including those of university students—among them international students—as well as pupils, faculty, and staff.

Four years later, in 1949, Hiroshima University was founded here in Hiroshima, a city that had been reduced to ashes. Since then, ‘the pursuit of peace’ has been passed down from generation to generation as an integral part of our University’s DNA. I sincerely hope that you, too, will take this spirit to heart.

Today, Hiroshima University has grown into a comprehensive research university comprising 12 schools, four graduate schools, and one research institute, with approximately 16,000 students. In recent years, the University has been selected for a succession of major national research initiatives and continues to advance world-class research and education. Our contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals have also received international recognition. In the Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, published by the UK higher education magazine Times Higher Education, Hiroshima University was ranked 77th in the world and second in Japan.

Across our three campuses, 1,933 international students from 92 countries and regions are currently studying at Hiroshima University, meaning that approximately one in every eight of our students is from overseas. With this growing diversity, we will continue our efforts to provide an environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can learn together.

Furthermore, this August, the University of Idaho Hiroshima Campus opened on our Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, with the aim of developing highly skilled professionals for the semiconductor industry. As it is the first ever campus of a foreign university in Japan to specialize in engineering, we anticipate significant synergies with Hiroshima University’s own semiconductor research hub, one of the leading centers of its kind in Japan.

As we look at the world today, there is still no end in sight to the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, while the potential threat of nuclear weapons is growing. At the same time, scientific and technological advances, particularly in artificial intelligence, are progressing so rapidly that our ability as human beings to adapt to them is being put to the test. It is precisely in such an age that I hope all of you studying at Hiroshima University will not only deepen your expertise in your chosen fields, but also cultivate a broad and well-rounded education.

The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne argued that we should value developing the ability to think for ourselves, make sound judgments, and engage actively with the world around us, rather than simply accumulating knowledge. A university is precisely the place where we cultivate such abilities. Here, in this open and vibrant community of learning, I encourage you always to keep asking “Why?”

In closing, I sincerely hope that your studies and experiences at Hiroshima University will be fruitful and fulfilling.

Once again, congratulations to each and every one of you on your admission to Hiroshima University.

1 October 2026 (Reiwa 8)
Mitsuo Ochi
President, Hiroshima University