2017 Commencement Ceremony Speech from the President

29.03.2018 Update

Today, 215 people will receive their master’s degrees and 40 will receive their doctoral degrees. On behalf of all Ochanomizu University faculties, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to you all. I would also like to congratulate all of the family members and others who have encouraged and supported these graduates. Finally, to everyone who has taken time out of their busy lives to be here and celebrate together with us today, thank you. It is my hope that you will continue to watch over these program graduates in the years to come.

This morning I happened to see program graduates taking pictures in front of the new gate at the main entrance. The old gate had to be given to the military during World War II, and a temporary gate had been in place ever since. Last year, however, the wishes of graduates and faculty members were granted, and the gate was given its old form.

Those who were graduating just as the old gate was being removed told us that the restored gate made them so happy that they cried. We, too, were overjoyed to have the gate restored. You will be the first to graduate since its installation.

Among the 255 people receiving a master’s or doctoral degree today, 34 have come to Japan from China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine, and Nepal to conduct research at our university. The flags of these countries are hanging here in the Auditorium Kiindo alongside the flag of Japan. It is joyful for the faculty that so many students across national borders every year to study with us in our graduate courses, and that we are able to send out into the world people who have engaged in distinctive learning and research activities here.

For international students such as yourselves, the different environment and customs in Japan must have made things difficult at times. Congratulations, truly, on making it to the commencement today.

Since Ochanomizu University was established in 1875 as the first institution of higher learning for women in Japan, we have engaged in a wide variety of academic research and education, created distinctive courses of study, and contributed to the development of a peaceful and fair society.

Beginning in an era when it was difficult for women to even engage in academic research, over the years Ochanomizu University graduates have gone to places in Japan and around the world to pursue activities in the fields of research and education. Numerous pioneering women of excellence have gone through the halls of Ochanomizu University as researchers and educators. They include Kono Yasui, a biologist who was the first of female scientists in Japan to become a doctor of science, and Chika Kuroda, who after becoming the first female student at an Imperial university went on to become a doctor of science and a chemist. Toshiko Yuasa worked as an international nuclear physicist under Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie in France during the pre- and post-World War II period, which was harsh time to work abroad, and built bridges between Japanese and French reserchers.

Then there was also Michiyo Tsujimura, who began working as an unpaid assistant at an Imperial university that at the time did not accept female students. She later became the first agricultural scientist in Japan after researching for many years. Tetsu Yasui studied abroad extensively and engaged in women’s studies in Siam (now Thailand) before becoming the second president at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. And Ikuko Koizumi drew on her experience of studying in the United States to advocate for greater women’s rights through social action, engaged in education and cultural exchange between Japan and China, and played a role in establishing and developing J. F. Oberlin University. All of these women have taught at Ochanomizu University and have contributed to the education of successive generations.

Through the Ochanomizu University awards ceremony, we confer awards named after these five esteemed predecessors on graduates working in various fields of research. The Kono Yasui Award this year went to Miho Yanagisawa, a specially appointed associate professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. RIKEN researcher Hisako Akiyama and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Emiko Uchikawa, received the Chika Kuroda Award. The Michiyo Tsujimura and Ikuko Koizumi awards, respectively, went to Yuka Mitsuhata, the president of the renowned nursing clothing development firm Mo-House, and Nihon University Professor Yukiko Sato. Sadly, there were no candidates for the Toshiko Yuasa Award this year.

All the award winners this year are motivated and marvelous researchers or entrepreneur. In the near future, I hope to hear of these awards being won by those receiving a degree here today.

Ochanomizu University graduates work in a diverse range of domains, not only in academics or research but also the corporate world, government, and media, whether their academic disciplines are in the humanities or the sciences. I meet many women working in various places, and I am often surprised to hear how many hold degrees from this university. As role models, our senior alumnae are energetic and provide a strong tailwind for those who come after.

Ochanomizu University Alumnae Association, Ouinkai have built an international network through which our wonderful senior Alumnae support Ochanomizu University graduates and degree holders through a variety of means.

The degree you received today is proof that you have acquired a rich and extensive education, along with deep and extensive specialized knowledge. It is also a testament to having the foundation that will help you in your future efforts to contribute to greater social stability and development. In addition, it means that you have taken on the responsibility for using the knowledge you have acquired as an asset to improve the society that you will join.

Many changes are taking place now in the society that you will become a part of, and there are serious issues we must face on a global scale. These include catastrophic natural disasters around the world; issues related to peace and security, poverty, discrimination, and the degradation of the environment; the depletion of energy sources, food, and other resources; ethnic conflicts, immigration problems, and population aging; and the global spread of infectious diseases.

Even in Japan, numerous people continue to live lives of hardship although recovery efforts continue in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which caused such unbearable sorrow for so many on the eleventh day of this month seven years ago. Japan was then hit by the Kumamoto Earthquake in April 2016. More than 200 dead and 2,700 injured were reported, and more than 42,000 homes were either partially or completely destroyed.

These disasters upended the calm everyday lives of their victims and forced them to part from the ones they loved, the objects they cherished, and the places where they had made memories. They also destroyed various social systems, crippling the normal functioning of society. A further result was that people lost faith in science, technology, and the people that were supposed to be leaders in japan. Now one might say that it is a very trying time for our modern society in the global perspective.

It would be unacceptable to run away from these difficulties, however, or to pretend they didn’t exist. It is precisely because of these difficult times that I hope all of you, after having studied hard and having built up a storehouse of knowledge, will fully commit to answering society’s needs and paving the road to a better future. As to our role, I want us to be an institution that works alongside you, giving you the courage needed to fulfill your responsibility to the future and realize a better tomorrow.

Among those receiving degrees today are many whose warm and heartfelt concern for people affected by a range of disasters led them to take part in relief and recovery efforts for the people and areas affected by these disasters. Some of you have used your vacation time to join university faculty in efforts to help children who lost one or both of parents because of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Some have helped disaster victims through repeated visits to disaster-struck areas, and others have actively supported efforts to educate children in these areas. I am indescribably moved and grateful for the efforts that so many students and faculty of the university have made and will continue to make. It is reassuring and inspiring to see you here today, ready to set out on your own after having been through these experiences and achieved so much.

In the coming days you will begin walking your own path, making the most of the specialized skills you developed here. Along the way, you will build your own lives as distinguished experts in a diversity of fields. Whether you choose the path of a researcher and master a particular academic field or use your acquired knowledge in a corporate workplace, I hope you continue to study throughout your life—to deepen your specialization, acquire the broad range of knowledge and techniques needed for success in your pursuits, and help solve the many problems in society.

I hope you will also keep in mind that educating yourself only in the narrow range of your specialization will limit your knowledge and imagination, but you will make unceasing efforts to overcome these limits.

As myriad social issues become evident and complex, the necessity of transcending individual specializations and collaborating with others is something often made clear in every corner of society. While it is vital to acquire new knowledge and techniques through interdisciplinary collaboration, it is even more essential to learn how you can look at and think about things from different perspectives, acquire new values and powers of imagination in the process, and expand your potential.

No matter where you are or what your situation is, please interact with people of various cultural backgrounds and different disciplines to expand your horizons and sphere of activity.

As you concentrate on your own areas of research and work, it may not be easy to find opportunities to interact with those in other fields. However, by constantly putting yourself in situations where you can learn new things in a wide range of fields, you will hone and strengthen your competence in your area of expertise. Doing so will also help you control and change yourself in response to however the world may change around you. Continuing to learn new things will further enrich your life.

Ochanomizu University pursues a variety of educational reforms to support your continuing education, offers programs that allow you to further educate yourself and investigate new fields of study, and reforms its curriculum to allow for cross-disciplinary learning. We also offers the Business Leader Development class for working women to advance their careers: Kiin Juku. In addition, we have extension courses, public symposiums, and other opportunities for the particularly busy people among you. Have a look at our website and take advantage of the wide-ranging opportunities available.

It has been thirty years since I started working at Ochanomizu University and saw off my first graduating class, and there is something that I have always said to everyone heading out into the world: “Do not let failure stop you.”

In the years ahead, there will be many moments you are in adversity, come up against roadblocks, and have things going wrong. There will likely be times when despite all your hopes, dreams, and valiant attempts the result will be failure. But challenging and then failing in new and difficult things are absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Failure makes you stronger, brings out new capabilities, and helps you better empathize and connect with others.

So do not let failure stop you, and never stop soaring high. Continuing to soar will help you grow and achieve a brighter future. You may be forced to fly low at times, but no matter how low you may fly, never touch down. The day will no doubt come when you can soar high once again, and please remember that overcoming adversity will give you more confidence and pride in yourself.

When you do run into trouble, don’t hesitate to ask others for help instead of taking everything on yourself. Please know that you are always welcome to come back to your alma mater, Ochanomizu University, to restore the strength of your wings. Visit any time, whether in times of trouble, joy, or sadness, or to learn something new again —we’ll be waiting to hear how everything is going. I hope you will remember, always and forever, that Ochanomizu University is your alma mater. Our doors are always open to you.

I hope bright futures are in store for you all. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations!

March 23, 2018
Kimiko Murofushi
President
Ochanomizu University