Fall 2026 Graduation Ceremony : President’s Address

Today, we have conferred degrees upon a total of 111 graduates from both our Shizuoka and Hamamatsu campuses. It is my great pleasure to celebrate this achievement with you. And on behalf of Shizuoka University, to all of you receiving your bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees today, I offer my warmest congratulations.

Joining us at today's ceremony, alongside our Japanese students, are international students from countries across Asia, such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, as well as from Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific and Tanzania in East Africa, representing many countries and regions.

Those of you completing your bachelor's, master's, or doctoral studies have learned and grown together at Shizuoka University, crossing boundaries of nationality, culture, and language, while encouraging and inspiring one another along the way. I imagine each of you have faced your own struggles while on this journey. Our international students, in particular, have overcome many challenges, both academic and personal, while adapting to a new language and new culture far from home. I hold the deepest respect for what you have accomplished.

Your families, friends, along with the faculty and staff who have supported and guided you are, I am certain, celebrating your graduation with equal joy today. Please remember that you could not have reached this milestone without their support.

Among today's graduates, I believe that many of you have studied through the Asia Bridge Program (ABP), an initiative unique to Shizuoka University. Because many companies based in Shizuoka Prefecture operate across various Asian countries, this program was established to cultivate talent capable of bridging local communities and regional businesses. With generous support from a number of partner companies, the university has, through this program, welcomed a wonderfully diverse group of students and built the rich, internationally minded educational and research environment we have today. Those of you who have studied through the ABP have also been a part of the diversity that Shizuoka University has cultivated, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

We now live in an era in which it is genuinely difficult to foresee what lies ahead. Armed conflicts continue across various parts of the world, causing tremendous suffering. Extreme weather and natural disasters, likely intensified by climate change, cast a growing shadow over our daily lives. And technologies such as generative AI, which have advanced with remarkable speed in just the past few years, are poised to transform how we work, how we learn, and indeed the very shape of our society. It is into this world of rapid, unpredictable change that you are about to step.

Yet, even in times like these, I believe there is no reason for pessimism. I find great hope in the fact that young people like you, with your flexible and innovative thinking, will soon become a driving force in our society.

I would like to say a few words about generative AI. Generative AI will continue to evolve, and its role in our daily lives and work will only grow. Tasks centered on simple memorization, routines, and repetitive work will increasingly fall within the domains where AI excels. Because of this, I believe the abilities that will matter most for people in the years ahead are the ability to identify which questions truly matter, the ability to understand diverse values and perspectives and empathize with others, and the ability to think, judge, and act responsibly using one's own words. I hope each of you will not be afraid of AI, but instead use it wisely as a tool, while cherishing the roles that only human beings can fulfill.

To meet the challenges of such a complex and rapidly changing era, expertise in a single field is no longer enough. I believe that what we might call “integrative wisdom” — the ability to view issues from multiple angles by drawing together knowledge from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences — matters more today than ever before. I hope you will continue to learn throughout your lives, building on your specialized expertise while broadening your perspective and cultivating the ability to see things from many angles.

During your time at Shizuoka University, I believe you have cultivated a broad perspective and a proactive, practice-oriented approach to learning. Wherever your paths may lead, this mindset will surely become the strength that enables you to think for yourselves, act with initiative, and empathize with others as you help shape the future.
From here, each of you will walk your own path in different places across the world. Wherever that place may be, I sincerely hope that you will become a source of light and hope to those around you.

Finally, I would like to remind you that Shizuoka University will always be your alma mater, and we hope to remain connected with you in the years ahead. Please feel free to return and visit us whenever you wish. With all of my heart, I look forward to the day when we can meet again as you make your mark in the world.

Once again, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to each and every one of you, and conclude by wishing you and your families continued health and happiness.

Thank you very much.