On behalf of Hiroshima University, I would like to extend my congratulations to the 3,718 students who are graduating from Hiroshima University today, ready to face the world.

Looking back, many of you entered the university in 2022, when the world was still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The entrance ceremony that April was also held in this hall, attended only by the new students and conducted in two separate sessions. Classes, extracurricular activities, and daily life were all subject to various restrictions. I imagine that many of you began your university life with a sense of uncertainty.

We are very pleased to see that you overcame those challenges and are celebrating this special day together with all those gathered here today, including your families. I hope that you will always remember with gratitude everyone who has stood by you along the way.

The years you have spent pursuing your studies at Hiroshima University have also marked an important chapter in the history of our institution. In 2024, the university celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding, as well as the 150th anniversary of the Hakushima School, our oldest predecessor school. The following year, 2025, marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which claimed the lives of many students and pupils from our predecessor schools.

On these occasions, we held many peace-related events, including the reading of A-bomb-related poems by Sayuri Yoshinaga, the University Presidents for Peace Conference, a Peace Charity Concert by world-renowned opera singer Michie Nakamaru and others, and a lecture by historian and demographer Emmanuel Todd. Through these events, we renewed our determination to pass on to the next generation the mission of Hiroshima University as ‘a university dedicated to peace’.

At the same time, Hiroshima University made a substantial leap to enter a new phase as a comprehensive research university. In the 2023 academic year, we were selected as one of the first 12 universities by MEXT for the ‘Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities’. In the 2025 academic year, we were also chosen as one of six universities nationwide—and the only one in western Japan—for the program named ‘Future-Leading and Advanced Graduate-schools’. This multi-faceted recognition demonstrates the high regard for our research and educational excellence and sets us firmly on the path toward becoming ‘University of World-Wide Repute and Splendor for Years into the Future’. Hiroshima University, where you have pursued your studies, continues to stand out as a remarkable university, not just in the Chugoku–Shikoku region but also worldwide.

I hope you will always take great pride in being alumni of Hiroshima University, an institution distinguished by its strong founding philosophy and its outstanding achievements as a research university.

When we turn our eyes to the world, we see that conflict persists in many regions. At a time of growing division and confrontation, the ideals of peace and democracy face serious challenges. In such times, how should we respond?

There is no simple answer. However, the words of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, may offer some valuable insight into how we should respond: ‘If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.’ After 27 years in prison, Mandela chose dialogue with the minority white government he had long opposed, thus helping to bring apartheid to an end. It is for this reason that his words carry a profound truth.

Mandela also said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but rather to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” I firmly believe that the light of hope is kept alive not through the rhetoric of hatred or exclusion, but through the courage to build a shared future beyond differences in values and positions—and through a determination never to abandon dialogue, no matter the circumstances.

This spirit serves as an important guide, not only for issues between nations, but also for the world you are about to enter. Whenever you encounter difficulties in the workplace or in your relationships with others, please remember Mandela’s words.

In recent years, we have seen the rapid spread of artificial intelligence, especially generative AI. Many of you may have already benefited from these technologies. AI can indeed provide model answers instantly.

However, it is not AI but you who decides ‘what questions should be asked’. The ability to pose meaningful questions, to recognize what truly matters, and to collaborate with others in shaping the future—these are roles that only human beings can fulfill, no matter how advanced technology becomes. As you engage wisely with AI, please maintain the habit of thinking deeply for yourselves.

I believe that yours is also a generation that respects a diversity of values and perspectives. Rather than seeking success only for yourselves, recognize and support one another as you move forward. The knowledge that you have gained, and the friendships that you have formed at Hiroshima University, will remain a lasting foundation in your lives. With the extensive expertise, broad education, and pride that you have acquired here, I hope that you will boldly explore new frontiers and go forward from today as ‘peace-pursuing, cultured individuals with an international mindset and challenging spirit’.

Once again, my heartfelt congratulations on your graduation. I sincerely hope that your future will be bright and full of promise.
 

23rd March 2026 (Reiwa 8)
Mitsuo Ochi, President of Hiroshima University