NEWS
POSTED
2026.03.25
DIVISION
TAG
TITLE
The 2025 Academic Year University and Graduate School Degree Conferment Ceremony will be held.
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the 2025 Academic Year Graduation Ceremony and the University and Graduate School Degree Conferment Ceremony were held at Aoyama Campus. Approximately 4,800 students, including undergraduate and graduate students, embarked on a new chapter in their lives. This year, the ceremony was again conducted in three parts, separate for undergraduate and graduate students. The ceremony was also live-streamed online for parents and other family members to watch.
Address by President INAZUMI Hiroshige: To all graduates of the university and graduate school.
Congratulations to everyone who has graduated or completed their studies today. We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to your families and all those who have supported you throughout this time.
The past few years you have spent at university and graduate school have also been a time when society as a whole has had to confront uncertainty about the future. The pandemic, the continuing tensions of international affairs with ongoing wars and massacres, and rapid social and economic changes such as the weak yen and inflation—we have all experienced the reality that our daily lives and values can change suddenly. In the midst of all this, some of you may have progressed smoothly, while others may have stopped, taken detours, and walked paths different from those they had envisioned. However, all of these are your own time and invaluable experiences. Not a single moment has been wasted. And today, you are marking the end of your time as "students."
However, that doesn't mean anything is complete. That's why what will be needed in society going forward is not "knowing the right answer," but the ability to keep thinking according to the situation. Please, don't be afraid of being imperfect. It's okay to move forward even if you don't have enough confidence. It's okay to start walking even if you're not fully prepared. There's no need to be afraid of getting lost, because that's proof that you're thinking. Prioritize satisfaction over speed. Value the path you choose yourself more than the answer that's given to you.
There's one more thing I'd like to tell you all. For example, imagine someone sitting next to you in class mutters, "There seems to be something unnatural about this problem. But maybe it's okay to just leave it as is." Many of you would probably think, "Shouldn't that be pointed out?" However, in real life, there are many situations where people feel something is wrong but don't put it into words. And then, after the problem has surfaced, it's often said, "Actually, someone had noticed it all along."
Why couldn't they speak up at that time? It wasn't simply because they were indifferent or because they thought it wouldn't benefit them. Rather, it was often due to consideration for others, hesitation, or uncertainty about their own judgment.
However, what we should truly be wary of in society is not the failure itself, but the lack of shared doubt. When no one voices their unease, organizations and societies can quietly but surely decline or head in the wrong direction. What is important here is to distinguish between "criticism" and "blame." Blame targets people and can sometimes hurt them. Criticism, on the other hand, targets things and is an effort to make them better.
I sincerely hope that you will cherish your feelings of unease and be able to express them effectively and communicate them constructively. This will not only help you grow personally, but will also empower you to guide those around you and society in a better direction. Similarly, once you are no longer students, opportunities to receive criticism—that is, unpleasant feedback—will drastically decrease. Criticism directed at you is for your own growth, and the person giving it gains nothing from it. That is why you should cherish those who sincerely offer you such words without any ulterior motives or self-interest. Such relationships will be incredibly valuable to you.
Finally, the time you have spent traveling this far is undeniably yours. No matter how much society changes, that fact will never be lost. Let today be not an end, but a new beginning, and move forward on your respective paths. I believe in and have high expectations for your future. Congratulations on this special day.