March 24, 2025

Spring 2025 Graduation Ceremony, President Address

　Congratulations to all of you who are receiving your degrees and graduating from SOKENDAI today. I deeply admire the tremendous effort you have made, and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the faculty members who have guided you, as well as to your families who have supported you along the way.

　Throughout your time in the graduate program at SOKENDAI, you have acquired specialized knowledge and skills, and developed the ability to confront and solve complex, unexplored problems. As you leave SOKENDAI today and embark on your respective paths, I am confident that the expertise and experiences you have gained here will empower you to shape your future endeavors, no matter where your careers may take you.

　There is one message I want to convey to all of you on this momentous occasion:

　What I mean is not merely that you should take pride in having earned your doctorate. Rather, I encourage you to reflect on your journey—on the circumstances that led you to SOKENDAI and the path you have taken as a graduate student. While each of you may have had unique reasons and motivations for joining SOKENDAI, there is a common thread that binds you all: you chose to step out of your familiar surroundings and enter an entirely new environment at SOKENDAI, where you pursued your thesis research in a setting unlike any you had previously encountered.

　The willingness to change your environment to pursue your goals, and the ability to remain true to your purpose without losing sight of it in a new and challenging context, are both significant abilities. Be confident that you are here today because of these abilities, and be proud of it.

　Looking at the world today, we face a series of unprecedented challenges that threaten the global community, including climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and inequality, and political conflicts. Moreover, with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, it is even harder to imagine what society will look like in a decade. In this uncertain and rapidly changing era, I hope you will take great pride in yourselves, trust in your abilities, and move forward with confidence to shape the future.

　With this in mind, I hope you will leave SOKENDAI with high spirits and a sense of purpose.

　Once again, congratulations on your remarkable achievements. I look forward to seeing your continued success in the future.

March 24, 2025
Takashi Nagata, President
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI