2023 Spring Entrance Ceremony

Congratulations to all of you who are beginning your studies at the magnificent Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. I would like to take a moment to extend to you a warm welcome to our prefecture, both to those of you from within Japan and those of you from other countries and regions around the world.
I would also like to say that it gives me great pleasure to see families of the new students here on this fine day.

Since its opening in April 2000, APU has produced numerous talented individuals who have contributed to the international community, and in November of last year APU signed an agreement with JETRO on international academic research and industry-academia collaboration, continuing to lead the globalization of higher education in Japan. APU is rated highly by international higher education evaluation organizations, such as Quacquarelli Symonds, which ranked APU the #5 private university in Japan in their World University Rankings, as well as Times Higher Education, which declared APU #1 for Environment in Japan for 2 years in a row in their Japan University Rankings. Such achievements make the university a center of knowledge both in title and in reality that Oita can be proud of both domestically and abroad.
As a university open to the local community, APU is also constantly contributing to the internationalization of Oita Prefecture and the revitalization of the local community through events that expose students to the diversity of the world and by providing support for English language learning in elementary and junior high schools.

In addition, the College of Sustainability and Tourism, the only one of its kind in Japan, will open today in a new building made with wood from the prefecture, where students can study both sustainability and tourism. We expect that this will contribute greatly to the promotion of tourism in the prefecture.
You have been admitted to APU, a global yet locally oriented university where students from about 100 countries and regions study together on a multicultural campus, and where you will constantly feel the currents of the world, form invaluable friendships, and learn many things. The diverse learning and encounters you will have at APU will help you grow as a person and nurture your ability to open up a path to the future.
Our prefecture is blessed with a rich natural environment, history and culture, and delicious food. I hope that while you are here you will be able to experience the charms of Oita Prefecture and deepen your connections through active interactions with people from all over the prefecture. I also hope that you will make Oita your second home, and that you will become a bridge between people, between regions, and between Oita and the world.

In closing, I would like to extend my best wishes for your future endeavors and the further development of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

April 1, 2023

Katsusada Hirose
Governor
Oita Prefecture

Congratulations to all new students on your enrollment in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. On behalf of the citizens of Beppu, I would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations.

Since it opened in the year 2000, APU has earned an excellent reputation as an international university open to the local community and has produced many highly talented graduates through the development of a unique “Global Learning Community” designed to nurture global citizens who will build a free and peaceful world.
Those who of us who experience difficulty are able to develop the ability to take on new challenges and to change perspective flexibly. I am confident that the campus life you all are about to begin will be full of bright prospects.

Based on the APU 2030 Vision established in 2015, APU has built an environment where students can acquire the qualities required of future leaders. Beppu, as an international city of tourism and hot springs culture, has great expectations for the College of Sustainability and Tourism, which was newly established this year. Humanity still faces many challenges, but I believe that APU, with its rich diversity, will provide students with the ability to talk through and implement solutions to these challenges.

It is in the nature of Beppu City to gladly accept visitors from far and wide, and to support those who work hard. In recent years the number of graduates who stay in Beppu after graduation or choose to use Beppu as a base for their business has gradually increased. We need your youthful power and creativity to keep updating Beppu while preserving its fine traditions. I would be happy to work with you as we strive to grow into a city that attracts people from all over the world.
Additionally, from today, the first to the third of April, we are celebrating the Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival, one of the city's major festivals, and next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the city’s founding. I hope that all of you will venture into Beppu, a city that has regained its energy and prosperity, and experience its vibrancy.

In closing, I would like to offer my best wishes for the further growth of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and for the health and happiness of its students and all its stakeholders.

April 1, 2023

Yasuhiro Nagano
Mayor
Beppu City