To all students enrolled at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in 2011

To everyone who enrolled in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Welcome to Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology for all of you who have enrolled in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. It is very unfortunate that the entrance ceremony was canceled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake. I would like to express my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the earthquake. We would also like to express our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected.

This year, there are a total of 990 new students, including 332 Faculty of Agriculture and 658 Faculty of Engineering. The Graduate School welcomes new students at Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Agriculture, Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, and United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, and together with the Cooperative Major in Advanced Health Science established in collaboration with Waseda University in Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, which is in its second year of operation, there are 658 students in the master's program (master's and Specialist degrees) and 125 students in the doctoral (doctoral) program. The total number of new students in the undergraduate and graduate schools is 1,773, including 83 international students from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. It is the greatest joy of our faculty and staff to see these 1,773 students grow freely and play an active role as the young and fresh power of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. You may be filled with anxiety and anticipation about your dreams for the future and encountering unknown things and people in your new life, or you may already have clear goals and are eager to live your university life at our university to realize them. It is no exaggeration to say that the attitude you have for your studies and university life in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology will determine your future. Please take care of yourself.

First of all, I would like you to recognize that education at a university is very different from education up to high school. Up until high school, there was a lot of one-way education in which students should absorb and understand the knowledge taught by Faculty Member-- 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. A university is a place of learning. The word "learning" contains the word "question." As Einstein said:
"Learn from the past, live for the present, and be hopeful for the future. (Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not stop questioning.)』
When you come up with something, you ask yourself, "Why is this problem happening?" and then "How can I solve it?" It's important to keep thinking about it. These questions and thoughts will not arise unless you feel uncomfortable or aware of the problem. And in order to correctly recognize and understand them, you need the underlying knowledge. I would like all of you who enroll in the undergraduate program to acquire a wide range of general and specialized knowledge through classes and experiments. And, of course, it is also during these four years that we will develop the human power to spread our wings as members of society. In Campus Life, there may be things that seem "meaningless." Even if you try, you may fail. However, even if it does not make sense to you as young as you think now, it may be an experience that you will need in a few years or decades. Rather, you can attach meaning to it yourself. Someday, everything will become a line and be connected meaningfully. By all means, do not shy away from anything, and spend your Campus Life independently and actively.

For those of you who are entering graduate school, you should already understand this attitude of "academics." The next important thing is how to grow as a more specialized researcher. Currently, the earth is facing various problems. It is an issue related to the survival of living things on earth, such as environmental, energy, and food problems. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that we scientists have a major role to play in the recent Great East Japan Earthquake, in order to reconstruct the disaster, to prevent disasters that may occur elsewhere on the planet in the future, or to minimize damage. In order to become human resources who contribute to the peace of the world and the advancement of science and technology in harmony with society and the natural environment, which is the basic philosophy of our university, I would like you to have an international perspective and aim to "create completely new values" or "create dreams." In order to do so, we need to turn the knowledge we have cultivated so far into a deeper and broader expertise. The word "specialty" may sound like a local concentration, but in today's complex intertwining of various phenomena, it is necessary to have a wide range of knowledge so that we can think about things from various angles. And in order to make use of that expertise for society, communication skills are indispensable. If you are not able to express your individuality and opinions, cooperate and cooperate with others with different values, and proceed smoothly, you will not be able to expand your research and contribute to society both domestically and internationally. If research cannot be connected to people and society through communication, research will lose its original meaning. The university has academic exchange agreements with 88 universities around the world, and is actively striving to International Exchange by establishing overseas bases to promote collaboration with leading overseas universities and companies, accepting outstanding international students and researchers from overseas, and dispatching them from here, and creating a system to nurture researchers who are active on the global stage. In addition, our university has a long history and tradition that will soon be 140 years old, and it has been evaluated for its achievements in agriculture and engineering, which are the backbone of industry, and in the fields of their fusion, especially in practical areas. Since we have focused on the importance of industry-academia collaboration from an early stage, Faculty Member The number and amount of joint research per person has always been the top 5 in the Japan. This is also a manifestation of the fact that companies highly value the university's research and want to utilize the results of their research in their commercialization. In addition, one of the competitive funds that all university Faculty Member are competing for is the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Winning this award indicates that the research capabilities of the Faculty Member have been highly evaluated, but Faculty Member In terms of the amount of money earned per capita, our university has always been around 10th among Japan universities. International Exchange We hope that you will become high-quality researchers and engineers who will make effective use of the characteristics of our university, which is recognized for its high research capabilities, 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 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 I would like to send a message to those who are entering the university by once again welcoming you to become a member of our university.

April 7, 2011