2021年度卒業式告辞

Congratulations to the 2,621 graduates of Tohoku Gakuin University and the 59 students completing Graduate Schools. I can only imagine the joy of the parents who have eagerly awaited this day. As president, I offer my heartfelt congratulations.

Furthermore, due to the arrival of the sixth wave of the Omicron strain and the recent earthquake, which has necessitated a change of venue, this year's graduation ceremony will be divided into two sessions, with attendance limited to representatives only. We regret to inform you that we are unable to allow parents to attend.

As of today, you have completed your respective academic studies and graduated from your alma mater, Tohoku Gakuin University, with some earning bachelor's degrees and others master's degrees. However, these past two years have not been easy. Due to the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19, classes were switched to remote learning, and you may not have been able to experience the campus life or job hunting you had hoped for. Despite these adversities, you have persevered in self-management and crisis management, earned the necessary credits for graduation, and your graduation theses or master's theses have been accepted, marking the end of your studies at the university or Graduate Schools. While we cannot celebrate loudly at this time, I believe your inner joy is all the greater.

Now, the future in which you will all live is by no means something to be optimistic about. As you know, there is climate change caused by global warming, the spread of the novel coronavirus that appeared in conjunction with it, and now Russia's military invasion of Ukraine as an act of disrupting the international order by force, and the temptation to use nuclear weapons. Who could have predicted these "crises" more than 30 years ago, when Japan was at the height of its economic prosperity?

The term "VUCA era" is a fitting description of these unpredictable times. VUCA is an acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, and it has been in use for about 10 years. Indeed, the present era can be described as a time of constant change, uncertainty, and ambiguity.

The reason we've entered an unpredictable era is due not only to climate change and globalization, but also to the dramatic advancements in communication technology, which are closely linked to globalization. The internet has connected the world, and the collapse in fiber optic cable prices has created a flat world that transcends ethnicity and national borders. Until then, there was an economic disparity and an insurmountable wall between developed countries like Japan in the G7 and countries like China and Russia in the BRICs. However, with the realization of a flat world, technology transfer and market expansion can proceed more rapidly by applying communication technology. And now, technological innovations such as 5G, which instantly transmits massive amounts of data, and IoT and AI, which imbue all things with intelligence, are driving the mass production and consumption at an accelerating pace. The renowned American journalist Thomas Friedman argues that the world is not only flatter, but also faster and smarter, and that in addition to traditional literacy and arithmetic, humans will need four Cs: Creativity, Cooperation, Community, and Coding (=programming). To achieve this, they must become "lifelong learners" and continuously improve their skills.

You probably never expected to be encouraged to continue your studies by the university president at your graduation ceremony. However, the future is clearly unpredictable, and one thing is certain: the development of information technology is ushering in a "flat, fast, and smart era." Unlike school education, lifelong learning takes many forms, and each person's learning style will be different. Some will be receiving thorough training in their skills at a company. Others will be reskilling or recurrently pursuing career advancement through obtaining qualifications at Graduate Schools for working professionals. And then there are those who are starting their own businesses. While each path is different, learning programming is an essential skill, to varying degrees.

At Tohoku Gakuin University, you have acquired the academic foundations and specialized knowledge necessary to prepare for future learning. Above all, you have received the teachings embodied in the school motto, LIFE, LIGHT, and LOVE, through character education based on Christian principles, which are the founding spirit of the university. This school motto is extremely important for two of Friedman's four Cs: Cooperation and Community. The Japanese character for "human being" is written with the characters for "between people," and LIFE means valuing the lives and personalities of others as much as your own. LIGHT means using the strengths gained through academics and extracurricular activities to illuminate others. LOVE means becoming a person who not only loves themselves but is also loved by others.

Finally, in American universities, graduation ceremonies are called Commencements. Commencement means "beginning," not "end." In these unpredictable times, I hope that by continuing your studies, you will embark on a happy life and a new future. Congratulations on your graduation.

March 24, 2022

Haruki Onishi, President of Tohoku Gakuin University