Graduation address for the September 2020 academic year

Congratulations to all the graduates of September! We can only imagine the joy of the parents who have witnessed this special day. On behalf of Tohoku Gakuin University, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. Here today, we welcome 41 undergraduate graduates who have earned their bachelor's degrees.

Now, more than six months have passed since we entered a "crisis" brought about by the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. During this time, COVID-19 has infected approximately 32 million people worldwide, about 80,000 in Japan, and about 380 in Miyagi Prefecture. In order to prevent the spread of this terrifying infection that can lead to death, the government declared a state of emergency, which temporarily suspended economic functions. At Tohoku Gakuin University, online classes were implemented as the general rule from the end of the Golden Week holidays for the first semester, and on-campus classes only briefly resumed from July 6th. However, all of you graduating students have obtained the final credits required for graduation through online classes and are about to leave the university.

The pathogen causing COVID-19 originated from a pathogen that had long coexisted with bats. It then spread to humans, eventually becoming a host for the parasite, and spreading from person to person. Humans had developed the Industrial Revolution through science and technology, overcome nature, and boasted of being free from infectious diseases after eradicating smallpox, when they were struck by COVID-19.

A geological epoch called the "Anthropocene" is being proposed. "Anthropocene" means "new epoch," and in English it is called "Anthropocene." The impact of deforestation and climate change caused by humankind over the 200 years since the Industrial Revolution has been so great that it is argued that the current geological epoch, the "Holocene," which has been in place for a long time, should be replaced with the "Anthropocene." In this "Anthropocene" era, human power has become too strong against nature, resulting in frequent major disasters due to climate change, and humanity's expansion of development into every corner of nature has led to a severe backlash from "nature" in the form of unknown pathogens.

As you may already know, this summer, there was much talk about a bear appearing in the Hirose River, which flows near a residential area in Sendai. I think this incident symbolizes how urbanization has led to increased contact with wild animals and a higher risk of contracting pathogens. British environmentalist Kate Jones points out that "the transmission of diseases from wild animals to humans is a hidden cost of human economic growth." Animal-borne infectious diseases have always increased due to the raising of livestock. Measles originated in dogs, smallpox in cattle, and influenza in ducks, and these pathogens have long coexisted with these animals, eventually spreading to humans and using humans as hosts.

However, the future of COVID-19 remains uncertain. Many infectious diseases tend to have longer incubation periods and become less virulent as they spread among humans. Humans are important hosts for pathogenic viruses and bacteria. The death of the host means the death of the pathogen itself. Pathogens, in turn, evolve in a direction that aims for coexistence with humans. Conversely, the possibility of them becoming more virulent cannot be ruled out. The cause is unclear, but this was the case with the Spanish flu that spread from 1918 to 1920. The Spanish flu, which was thought to have subsided in the summer of 1918, resurfaced from autumn to winter, causing many more deaths until the winter of 1920. My respected social scientist, Max Weber, is also said to have died from the Spanish flu in 1920.

You are about to graduate from Tohoku Gakuin University amidst this "crisis." In fact, it was during this "crisis" that I reaffirmed the founding principles of Tohoku Gakuin University. When we decided to cancel the freshman orientation camp, which is usually held with an overnight stay at a hotel or inn after enrollment, and to conduct the first semester's classes primarily online, the deans of the six faculties unanimously said, "Not a single student will be lost." From these words, I was reminded of the biblical teaching of cherishing the "lost sheep." "Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray. Does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go and look for the lost one? Truly I tell you, when he finds it, he will be more pleased with that one than with the ninety-nine that did not go astray" (Matthew 18:12-13). This is a motto unique to Tohoku Gakuin, which proclaims individual dignity as a founding principle. In the context of the academy's school motto, LIFE LIGHT LOVE, LIFE refers to valuing life and individual dignity. While a "crisis" often exposes various unpleasant aspects, the Tohoku Gakuin University's slogan, "Without a single student wavering," expressed amidst this crisis, made me feel the spirit of the university's founding and the appreciation for "individual dignity" that has been cultivated over the academy's long 134-year tradition.

Currently, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, there is little we can do. As you know, in the medical field, when there is a shortage of ventilators, a choice must be made regarding "triage," which involves deciding whether to prioritize elderly severely ill patients or younger severely ill patients. Triage is occurring frequently in various parts of the world where ventilators are in short supply. The decision to give ventilators to young people is based on the idea that it is unavoidable to abandon the "weakest people," and if this becomes entrenched, it could lead to a lack of trust between people and a decline in morale. In this new lifestyle of living with COVID-19, we can slow the spread of infection by taking thorough infection prevention measures. This will prevent a surge in patients and create more ventilators available. Furthermore, we can expect a weakening effect on pathogens. This is because weakened pathogens that "cherish their hosts" have an advantage in situations where it is difficult to find new hosts.

The word "crisis" has several meanings, including "to divide," "to decide," "to distinguish," and "a turning point." Lifestyles in the post-COVID era will be vastly different from those of the past. Even if you have started working for a company, I think you will find that remote work will become more common, and you will no longer need to come to the office every day. In the midst of this "crisis," if we make every effort to understand the nature of infectious diseases and to cherish "individual dignity," I believe that the post-COVID era will be full of hope for all of humanity. Tohoku Gakuin University upholds the motto LIFE LIGHT LOVE, and you are its graduates. I sincerely hope that in your long lives ahead, you will not despair in the midst of this "crisis," but rather realize a post-COVID era full of hope.

I offer my heartfelt congratulations on your graduation, and with that, I conclude my remarks.

September 30, 2020

Haruki Onishi, President of Tohoku Gakuin University