2022年度入学式告辞
Today, as we hold the 2022 entrance ceremony, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all 2,862 new students. I can only imagine the joy of their parents. Unfortunately, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we must apologize that we have had to ask guests and parents to refrain from attending, and that the ceremony will be held with only new students in attendance, and that it will be held separately by campus to maintain social distancing.
Today, all of you entering the university have completed your high school studies. This year, we had a large number of applicants, but you were selected and earned the right to enroll, becoming students of Tohoku Gakuin University. As a university, it is an immense joy to welcome you. We respect and accept each and every one of you as an irreplaceable individual, and we promise to support you with all our might for the next four years until your graduation.
Tohoku Gakuin University is the largest private comprehensive university in the Tohoku and Hokkaido region, with six faculties, six Graduate Schools, and a total of 11,000 students. Founded in Sendai in 1886 (Meiji 19) as Sendai Theological Seminary, it started with two teachers and six students, thanks to Masayoshi Oshikawa, who became a member of Japan's first Protestant church, and William Hoy, an American missionary who supported Oshikawa and played a key role in the establishment of the institution. This year marks its 136th anniversary. After about five years, Sendai Theological Seminary changed its name to Tohoku Gakuin (North Japan College), and developed under the leadership of missionary David Schneider, Hoy's successor, becoming a university in 1949, where it remains today. Since its founding, Tohoku Gakuin has produced a total of 200,000 graduates. These graduates are doing good work in Sendai, throughout Tohoku, and not only in the world, in all kinds of workplaces and homes.
First, the foundation of our university's educational philosophy, which we call the "founding spirit," is Christian-based character education. Article 1 of the university regulations states, "Tohoku Gakuin University aims to contribute to the creation of world culture and the welfare of humankind by imparting broad knowledge and deeply teaching and researching specialized academic disciplines, thereby developing intellectual, moral, and applied abilities, based on Christian-based character education." We explain this founding spirit as our school motto, LIFE LIGHT LOVE. This is a phrase that has been familiar to Tohoku Gakuin graduates for a long time. LIFE means valuing the lives and personalities of others as much as one's own (individual dignity), LIGHT means illuminating others brightly through achievements in academics, science, and club activities (contribution to society), and LOVE means not only loving oneself but also being loved by others (love for one's neighbor).
In accordance with this founding principle, the university's three campuses are currently under restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and worship services are held once a week in the early morning hours, albeit briefly. We hope that you will find peace of mind in the tranquil environment of the chapel, listen to the sound of the pipe organ, gaze upon the light streaming through the stained glass windows, read the Bible, listen to a message based on the Bible, and come to understand the core spirit of the institution.
Now, the era in which you will study and live at university is an "age of crisis." Climate change caused by global warming, the spread of the novel coronavirus that appeared in conjunction with it, Russia's military invasion of Ukraine as an act of disrupting the international order by force, and the temptation to use nuclear weapons. Humanity is now facing an "age of crisis," and we have reached a bottleneck where we cannot envision a hopeful future unless we overcome this crisis.
Humankind has faced "times of crisis" countless times throughout history, but has overcome them by learning from past experiences and pooling its wisdom. In today's problems, we are trying to overcome crises by promoting carbon neutrality to reduce the emission of CO2, a greenhouse gas, against global warming; by vaccinating against infectious diseases to curb the spread of viruses; and by working towards peace and economic sanctions against war and the use of nuclear weapons. Tohoku Gakuin University, where you will soon be enrolling, is a comprehensive university with six faculties—Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Liberal Arts and an outstanding faculty, making it a treasure trove where you can learn the knowledge and science and technology needed to overcome "crises." It is no exaggeration to say that whether or not humanity can overcome the crises it faces depends on the motivation of you, the new students.
And one more thing. There's a saying, "A crisis is an opportunity." Over the past 30 years, the dramatic advancements in communication technology, known as the "information revolution," and the resulting global integration have allowed us to exert a significant influence on human trends, as you can see from your smartphones, for example, through social media. 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication system), which instantly transmits massive amounts of data, and IoT (Internet of Things), which imbues all things with intelligence, are rapidly accelerating and increasing the mass production and consumption of goods. By learning foreign languages, AI (artificial intelligence), and data science, you have the potential to thrive in this flat, fast, and smart era. I hope you will leverage your specialized knowledge, master languages, and develop the ability to freely use the internet to confidently overcome this "age of crisis."
Under its medium- to long-term plan, TG GRAND VISION 150, created in preparation for its 150th anniversary, and guided by the slogan "Learning Richly, and Contributing to the Local Community and the World," Tohoku Gakuin University is currently undertaking three major transformations.
Firstly, we are focusing on the effective use of information technology and adapting to digital transformation. Since last year, our university has implemented BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), meaning that students are required to have their own PCs. In addition to using PCs for remote classes, from the end of this academic year we will be introducing the e-Portfolio "TGfolio" to visualize your "learning outcomes." This will allow you to see at a glance, on your PC, what the university's graduation requirements and your goals are, and to what extent you have achieved them. In this way, your PC will become an essential item, serving as a "compass" for your studies throughout your university life.
Secondly, although limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increase in opportunities for "active learning." Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, our university has actively encouraged courses that focus on learning about the local community. University classes are not limited to reading textbooks and classroom lectures. There are problem-solving courses that involve actually visiting the community, seeing and hearing things, investigating, thinking, and rigorously evaluating each other's work. To this end, Tohoku Gakuin University has prepared a learning commons in the Hoy Memorial Hall, equipped with the latest IT media facilities. While not part of the regular curriculum in terms of active learning, since the Great East Japan Earthquake 11 years ago, our university's disaster volunteer station has been a key station for university volunteer activities nationwide. Please participate in volunteer work, interact with local people, broaden your perspective, and develop the ability to judge what you can do to benefit society and others. Our university also values extracurricular activities such as athletic clubs, cultural organizations, and student circles, which are important for character development as stated in our founding principles. Join a club or circle at university and secure your place there as soon as possible.
Thirdly, there is the opening of the new campus next year. For one year, you will be studying separately at the Izumi and Tagajo campuses, but in a year, both Izumi and Tagajo students will gather at the single urban campus in Tsuchitoi / Itsutsubashi. At that time, you will experience the future Tohoku Gakuin, where, so to speak, three Tohoku Gakuin Universities become one in the heart of Sendai.
Well, today marks the start of your four years of university studies. You are now standing shoulder to shoulder with first-year university students in Japan, and indeed, around the world, on the same starting line. Now that you're free from the pressures of entrance exams, you should consider that four years as a university student is longer than three years as a high school student. Four years of university study will undoubtedly prepare you for future growth. Of course, the university will provide ample support, but it's no exaggeration to say that your future will depend on your motivation to learn.
Finally, I'd like to share a famous quote from the Bible: "Ask, and it will be given to you... Knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). "Now, let's begin." Congratulations on your admission!
April 5, 2022
Haruki Onishi, President of Tohoku Gakuin University