Reiwa 3rd year entrance ceremony speech
This is the speech at the 2021 entrance ceremony.
Opening speech by President
Congratulations to all the new students on your enrollment. I am very happy to be able to meet you in person today and offer my congratulations. Normally, we would celebrate with a performance of the university's celebratory overture and university song by our senior students from the orchestra and TUAT GLEE Club, but due to these difficult times, we have decided to scale back the event. However, all of our senior students and faculty and staff are truly looking forward to welcoming you to the university.
In addition, I think you all had a really hard time, especially since the preparation for the exams over the past year coincided with the difficult time of the spread of the coronavirus. I believe that it is undoubtedly thanks to your efforts and the support of your families, friends, and teachers that you overcame such great difficulties and were able to meet here today. Once again, we would like to express our gratitude.
Now, as all humanity faces these great difficulties, I have something to reconsider. That is, throughout human history, humanity has always faced the severe challenges posed by the Earth, used its wisdom to create new ideas and technologies one after another, and made great progress by conducting scientific research. When the hunter-gatherer society changed to an agricultural society about 10,000 years ago, agriculture began to be practiced in various places, making it easier for humans to secure food to survive. However, this did not reach everyone, and many conflicts arose, but at the same time, solidarity among friends also strengthened. After that, in modern times, we developed into an industrial society and an information society, and the science and technology that supports it developed dramatically, forming a more prosperous society. However, as a result, the population exploded, and it is also true that many of the current problems that you are well aware of have arisen.
However, what I want you to understand here is that the philosophy and mission of our university, which are the characters for "Agriculture" and "Engineering" in the very name of our university, are particularly important not only for humanity, but also for the future of the natural world and the entire planet. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology of Agriculture and Technology bears a great responsibility for supporting the sustainability of this planet. And I want you to be fully aware that you yourself will play a leading role in this.
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology University of Agriculture and Technology has a high level of research capability and is highly regarded internationally, but what is important is where to direct that high level of research capability and research results, and how to transform it into a force for building the future. You will now have the opportunity to meet new friends and faculty members, be greatly inspired, and discover the diverse talents that lie within yourself that you have not yet discovered. What is it that most of you have not yet encountered and can be passionate about? Each person has their own desires, such as wanting to protect this rich natural environment, wanting to invent excellent science and technology with their own hands, becoming a world-class researcher who thoroughly explores fundamental science, or wanting to do work that is truly useful to the world while connecting with people. Our hope is that these desires will begin to take shape within you with confidence and responsibility. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology University of Agriculture and Technology is where you will begin to shine as the main players.
I would like to conclude my remarks by heartily congratulating all of you new students on this bright start to your studies.
Congratulations today.
April 2, 2021
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Head Kazuhiro Chiba
Congratulations by the President
Congratulations to all new students for enrollment. I'm really happy to meet you in person today and congratulate you. Originally, we would like to celebrate with the performance of the Academic Festival Overture and the university song by the students of the orchestra club and the glee club who are seniors, but in this difficult time, we will refrain from reducing the scale as a part. However, all seniors and faculty members are really looking forward to welcoming you to the university.
In addition, I think that it was really hard for you to prepare for the exam for more than a year, especially because it was a difficult time for the spread of coronavirus infection. I am sure that it is thanks to everyone's efforts and the family , friends, and teachers who supported it that you overcame that great difficulty and led to the encounter here today. Once again, we would like to express our gratitude.
Now, as all humankind encounters such great difficulties, I have to reconsider. It means that human beings have made great progress in their long history by confronting the tough challenges that are constantly posed by the earth, using their wisdom to generate new ideas and technologies one after another, and conducting scientific inquiry. When the hunter-gatherer society changed to the agricultural society about 10,000 years ago, agriculture began to be practiced in various places, and it became easier for human beings to secure food for living. However, it did not reach all people, and at the same time many conflicts arose, the unity of peers became stronger. After that, in modern times, it developed as an industrial society and an information society, and the science and technology that supports it developed dramatically , and a richer society was formed. But as a result, the population has exploded, and many of the problems you are familiar with today are occurring.
However, what I would like you to understand here is that the philosophy and mission, which are the name of the university itself, "agriculture" and "technology", are especially important not only for humankind but also for the "future" of the natural world and the entire planet. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has a great responsibility to support the sustainability of this earth. And I would like you to firmly recognize that you are the one who will play the leading role.
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has high research ability and is highly evaluated internationally, but what is important is to change its high-level research ability and research results into the ability to direct and how to create the future. From now on, you will finally meet new friends and faculty members, and while being greatly inspired, you will have the opportunity to discover various talents hidden in yourself that you have not yet discovered. What does it mean to be absorbed in what most of you haven't met yet ? You may want to protect this abundant nature, invent excellent science and technology with your own hands, become a global researcher who thoroughly explores basic science, or do work that is really useful to the world while connecting with people. It is our hope that each person will have your own desires, but that feeling will begin to move firmly within you with confidence and responsibility. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology is where you start to flourish as the protagonist.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the new students for this radiant start.
Congratulations on today.
April 2, 2021
CHIBA Kazuhiro, President