2013 Entrance Ceremony

April 5, 2013
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tadashi Matsunaga, Director

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Congratulations to all of you who have enrolled in the new school. On behalf of the entire faculty and staff, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the families and other people who have supported you behind the scenes and in the sun. I am sure that you must be deeply moved to see yourselves climbing up one more step in your lives on this day of entrance into the university. I hope that you will continue to warmly watch over them as they grow and develop through their various experiences as students of this university.

This year, the number of new undergraduate students is 941, including 328 in Faculty of Agriculture and 613 in Faculty of Engineering. The Graduate School consists of Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Agriculture, Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, and United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, and the Graduate School in collaboration with Waseda University, Cooperative Major in Advanced Health Science, which is located in Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, will have 660 students in the Master's, Master's, and Specialist degree programs and 109 in the Doctoral program. Faculty & Graduate Schools The total number of new students is 1710, including 72 international students from Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. These 1,710 students will become our comrades, so to speak, as they work hard to achieve their dreams. I sincerely hope that you will make every effort to be a positive influence on each other, and that you will spread your wings even further in the years to come.

First of all, I would like to tell you a little bit about Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, where you will be spending your time. If you are aware of what kind of university we are and what kind of features we have, you will be able to spend your time at Campus Life in a more meaningful way, so please listen to me. Since its foundation in 1874, the university has continued to evolve in order to produce scientists who will contribute to the modernization and internationalization of Japan in various aspects, based on the basic philosophy of "contributing to world peace and the advancement of science and technology in harmony with society and the natural environment, while striving to create knowledge and cultivate human resources who can solve problems and realize them. Since its foundation in 1874, the university has continued to evolve in order to produce scientists who will contribute to the modernization and internationalization of Japan. In addition to the two fields of agriculture and engineering, which are the backbone of all industries, we have also developed our fields into fusion areas that are possible because we have both of these fields, and we are doing our best to conduct research and develop human resources with the goal of "creating a society that is capable of sustainable development" and "building a recycling-based society. Our flexible and faithful approach to taking on new challenges without being bound by preconceived ideas or frameworks in order to achieve our goals and mission is not only a characteristic of our university, but also one of its strengths, which is reflected in the various initiatives we have implemented. For example, there is the Leading Graduate School program. This is an educational program that promotes doctoral education in practical science supporting green and clean food production through a five-year integrated program that integrates agriculture and engineering. We are also actively engaged in collaboration with other institutions and universities, joint research with private companies, and exchange with foreign countries. At the same time, we are always conscious of the diversity and public nature of our own research and educational activities and promote them, for example by focusing on the tenure-track system and enhancing the functions of Women's Future Development Organization. By boldly adopting such advanced approaches, we promote research that can truly contribute to society, and at the same time, we help you to become a driving force in creating a better future for mankind.

Therefore, I would like to say a few words to all of you who will study at our university. If you study and do not think, you will fail. If you think and do not learn, you will be defeated. You are all familiar with the words of Confucius, "If you don't think about it, you will fail. To those of you who have enrolled in undergraduate studies, university education differs greatly from the education you received up until high school. You should not wait to be told the answers to your questions as you have been doing up until now. You must think independently, make repeated trial-and-error attempts, devise, challenge, and experience, learn from these experiences, and further your own exploration. If you only receive instruction and do not try to think for yourself, you will not be able to acquire true knowledge and become a bright person in the field. The student is the main subject, and that is what a university is all about. Student-centered does not mean that students are allowed to be customers who do nothing. It means that the university is to help students grow, and that it is the students themselves who must make the effort to grow. At the same time, if students only think and learn on their own, they will become self-righteous and dangerous. By cultivating this attitude during your time at the university, you will become a useful human resource with both knowledge and the ability to take action, and you will be able to play an active role in any career path, whether it be higher education or employment after completing your four years at the university.

Those of you who enter graduate school will have acquired this basic attitude, and will be entering the path of deeper and more specialized research. However, you should not become so focused on what you are doing that you shut out the outside world. You must listen more than ever to the advice of Faculty Member, your peers and seniors, and those around you, as well as learn about and incorporate knowledge and ideas from other fields, historical backgrounds, social factors, international affairs, and everything else you can think of, or you will be unable to overcome the obstacles that will confront you time and again in the future. Please remember the characteristics of our university that I mentioned earlier. I would like all of you who study at this university to acquire the ability to be flexible and to take on challenges with conviction.

You are the future of humanity. The situation in which the earth finds itself today is by no means healthy and secure. The many problems that have arisen as a result of human evolution and the development of science, technology, and economics, such as the environment, resources, energy, food, disasters, and health, have interacted in complex ways and are endangering the survival of humanity and the entire planet at an accelerating rate. How can we change this vector and solve these problems? For this purpose, the power of science and technology, the creation of new knowledge produced by our scientists, or innovation, is indispensable. Of course, it will not be an overnight solution. However, we must do our utmost to contribute to the creation of a society in which humankind can develop beautifully and abundantly in harmony with the natural environment and with consideration for others, and we must pass on this responsibility to the young people of the future. Those of you who have chosen to enter the university and pursue a career in science have a great responsibility to contribute to the realization of a peaceful and sustainable society, in other words, to create the future. Your future efforts will lead to the happiness of each of your lives and of humanity as a whole. I wish you the best of luck.

Finally, I would like to add one more thing that may seem obvious but is very important. The path of academic research is sometimes mentally and physically demanding. You need to have a healthy mind and body to continue. In particular, those of you who have come from rural areas or overseas may be anxious about many things in an unfamiliar place. Please take good care of your health and enjoy a fruitful university life. We will continue to do our utmost to support you in every way we can. I would like to conclude my address by expressing my hope that all of you who are entering the university today will not forget the feelings you have experienced today and that you will grow and develop toward your dreams, and by welcoming you once again to be a part of this university.