September 28, 2026

2026 Autumn Graduation Ceremony, President Address

Distinguished graduates of SOKENDAI,
　It is my great pleasure to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all of you receiving your degrees today and graduating from SOKENDAI.

　I would also like to express my deepest respect for the dedication and perseverance that have brought you to this day. My sincere gratitude also goes to the faculty members who have guided you throughout your studies and research, and to your families and friends who have supported you along the way.

　During your time at SOKENDAI, you have acquired specialized knowledge and research skills. But, more importantly, you have developed the ability to confront the unknown, to define questions and problems for yourself, and to pursue answers with your own ideas and determination.

　Receiving your doctoral degree today means that you are ready to move forward as independent researchers. But being a researcher is not limited to pursuing academic research at a university or research institution. Wherever you work and whatever career you choose, I hope you will carry with you the mindset of a researcher: the curiosity to ask questions, the ability to think critically and independently, and the courage to keep challenging yourself.

　And as you leave SOKENDAI and step into the wider world, I have just one thing to ask of you:

Live your own life.

　Some of you may be thinking, “Of course I have been living my own life. Why say something so obvious?” But I mean something deeper.

　Today, we live in a world overflowing with knowledge and information. It is becoming easier to know what we should do, and what might be worth doing. With AI as our partner, we can ask for meaningful problems to tackle and even possible ways to solve them. But there is one question that is much more difficult—and, I believe, much more important: What do you really want to do?

　Do not simply follow the trends of society or your academic field. Do not blindly accept the values or conventional wisdom of others. Instead, listen carefully to your own inner voice. Look honestly within yourself and discover what you truly want to do. And when you find it, pursue it wholeheartedly—so wholeheartedly that you may even lose yourself in it. That is what it means to live your own life.

　So, as you begin the next chapter of your lives, please remember these four simple words: Live your own life.

　Congratulations once again. We are very proud of you, and we look forward with great anticipation to seeing all that you will accomplish in the years ahead.

September 28, 2026
Takashi Nagata, President
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI