2012 Entrance Ceremony

April 6, 24
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Cho Matsunaga Kore

Congratulations to all of you who have enrolled in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I would like to congratulate you. I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to my family and all those involved who have supported me so far. We hope that you will continue to warmly watch over them as they continue to experience and grow as students of our university.

This year, there are 320 new students in the Faculty of Agriculture and 620 in the Faculty of Engineering, for a total of 940 students. The Graduate School consists of five departments: Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Agriculture, Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, and the Graduate School of Technology Management, and if you include the Cooperative Major in Advanced Health Science in collaboration with Waseda University, which is established in the Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, there will be 673 students in the master's and master's programs and 116 in the doctoral program. Faculty & Graduate Schools The total number of new students is 1,729, including 87 international students from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. These 1,729 people will spread their leaves, bloom, and become seeds as new sprouts of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and will take root and grow again. The days you spend at our university will have a great deal to do with what kind of tree you will become in your future. We sincerely hope that you will play an active role in your activities.

As you know, with the progress of science and technology, modern society has come to face many global crisis problems related to the survival of humankind, including problems such as the environment, energy, food, health, safety and security, and disasters. In addition, since the earthquake and nuclear accident last year, there has been a growing desire to phase out nuclear power, and the role of science and technology in society is becoming increasingly important in the future. Under such circumstances, what kind of university will you spend your time Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology? The basic philosophy of our university is to "contribute to the progress of science and technology in harmony with world peace and society and the natural environment, and to strive for the development of human resources who will be responsible for solving problems and realizing them, and for the creation of knowledge," and since 1874, when the foundation of our university was established, we have continued to evolve to produce scientists who will contribute to the modernization and internationalization of Japan in various aspects. Even now, we are doing our utmost to conduct research and develop human resources with the goals of "realizing a sustainable society" and "building a recycling-oriented society." It is our role to help you become a driving force for a better future for humanity. Therefore, I would like to talk a little bit about what kind of mindset I would like you to have in the future.

First of all, I would like you to recognize that education at a university is very different from education up to high school. Until high school, education was one-way, in which students should absorb and understand the knowledge taught by Faculty Member, that is, the knowledge of their predecessors, but at university, students are required to take the initiative in thinking independently, accumulating and applying knowledge, and creating new knowledge. From the way you have been accustomed to studying, which is to learn and memorize from textbooks and reference books, it is necessary to cultivate an attitude of criticizing and looking at the big picture, and using your own eyes, hands, feet, and mind to pursue truth and falsehood.
"If you believe in the book, you will not have the book."
(盡書信、則不如無書)
Mencius famously said, and it can be said that this attitude is the most important thing for a scientist. I would like you to acquire this knowledge in your undergraduate studies. In addition, this attitude will be useful when you go out into the world. If you can identify for yourself what you should do and what you can do at any given time, and find your way forward, it will be your strongest ally in life. It is also during these four years that we will develop the human power to spread our wings as a member of society. Someday, every experience will have meaning in life. Please don't shy away from anything, and spend your Campus Life voluntarily and actively.

To all of you who are enrolling in graduate school, you must go one step further and improve your skills so that you can become a more specialized researcher. I think you all know that the various problems facing the earth today are extremely complex and cannot be solved by a single research field, but our university, which has always challenged not only the two pillars of agriculture and engineering, but also the interdismal fields of agriculture and engineering, has always been challenging and promoting research globally. It can be said that it is the best environment for fostering opinion leaders who can propose and implement effective measures to solve these problems. In addition, the University actively collaborates with other institutions and universities, as well as joint research with private companies, and always promotes research activities that are open to the outside world. We accept researchers who have worked in the private sector, actively promote tenure-track systems and gender equality, and place importance on diversity among the Faculty Member and researchers to which we belong. In addition to having academic exchange agreements with more than 80 universities around the world, we are also promoting the internationalization of our researchers by establishing overseas bases and collaborating with leading universities, research institutes, and companies, and accepting and dispatching outstanding students and researchers. I would like you to make effective use of these characteristics of our university and have a wide range of experiences. Flexible thinking, absorption, multifaceted perspectives, objectivity, a challenging attitude, an indomitable mind, and a highly sensitive sensibility are all things that you can acquire while you are in this graduate school, and they will be treasures for you in the future. Just like undergraduate students, please be aware of seeing things with your own eyes, and proceed positively and with enthusiasm. I would also like you to become high-quality researchers who will play a central role in solving global problems and make a significant contribution to the construction of a recycling-oriented society and a sustainable society.

Finally, there is one more thing that seems obvious, but very important. Research can be mentally and physically demanding at times. Without a healthy mind and body, you will not be able to continue your academic career. In particular, people who come from rural areas or overseas may be worried about various things in an unfamiliar place. Please take good care of your health and have a fruitful university life. Of course, we are not satisfied with the current situation. We will always do our utmost to further develop and support you even more strongly. I would like to conclude my remarks by expressing my hope that all of you gathered here today will not forget your feelings today and will grow greatly as members of society who will lead tomorrow, and that I would like to welcome you once again as members of our university.