Congratulatory Address

First, let me express my heartfelt congratulations on your graduation from the prestigious Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

I also want to congratulate your families, who showered you with love and watched you grow, and express my gratitude to President Deguchi and all of APU's faculty and staff who provided you with steadfast guidance.

Since its founding in April 2000 on the basic ideals of Freedom, Peace and Humanity, International Mutual Understanding, and the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific region, APU has produced numerous outstanding talents who continue to contribute to global society. The university’s efforts have gained praise far and wide, as evidenced by its internationally accredited business and tourism programs, and it shines brightly as a leader of global education in Japan. APU is also open to the community. By assisting with the teaching of intercultural understanding and English at elementary and junior high schools throughout the prefecture and participating in local events, APU has been a strong partner in the internationalization and revitalization of Oita Prefecture.

On APU’s multicultural campus, where students from approximately 90 countries and regions live and learn together, you studied hard to become people who can assume leading roles in the global arena. This past year, which has been the final stage of your student life, was full of unexpected circumstances stemming from restrictions on various activities due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, you have taken a positive approach to the social transformations we are undergoing, and you successfully overcame adversity by adapting to new learning formats, educational settings, and ways of living. I am convinced that these experiences will serve to sustain you in these ever-changing times and provide you with the ability to forge ahead in this new era.

Now that you have graduated, I sincerely hope that you utilize the knowledge, experiences, and networks you have gained at APU to contribute greatly to the development of the Asia Pacific region in the various fields you have each chosen to enter.

Finally, I hope that you will always feel affection for Oita as a place full of fond memories. I also hope you will serve to bridge the gap between different countries, regions, and people as well as between Oita and the wider world. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors while praying for the continued advancement of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

On behalf of the citizens of Beppu, please allow me to express my warmest congratulations to the graduating class of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and also to your families.

I wonder how you are all feeling on your graduation day. This past year, you faced numerous changes and restrictions to your studies, student lives, and financial situations, and even I am left with extremely mixed feelings when I think about everyone who spent this year stricken by anxiety and confusion.

On the other hand, I would like to express my sincerest respect to the faculty and staff who worked hard to keep classes in session by moving them online while providing the students with support, and to you, the graduating class, for the diligence and perseverance you displayed amid these difficult times to continue your studies and reach this day.

With the massive decline in tourist numbers, Beppu continues to face both an economic crisis and an employment crisis. I think some of you also lost your part-time jobs due to the pandemic. We must continue struggling until a light reveals itself at the end of this dark tunnel, but for now, there appears to be no end in sight.

Amid this backdrop, the bonds of trust among the people of Beppu, City Hall, and APU have been strengthened even further by student support efforts, including the donation drive undertaken by a group of alumni called APU Hands and the Gakusei Yell Project launched by Beppu City. That the residents of Beppu were able to help each other during times of trouble regardless of race, nationality, or other differences is proof that the seeds APU and its students have sown over the last 20 years have blossomed.

I hope you will continue sowing these seeds of peace throughout the world, and I wish you all the best in your lives to come. In closing, I sincerely hope we can meet again someday in Beppu.

I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to all students who graduate or receive their degrees from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. On behalf of the Ritsumeikan Trust, I commend each and every one of you.

Let me begin by expressing my respect for how you have worked to the utmost of your abilities in both learning and research activities in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has been sweeping the world in the spring of last year. The novel coronavirus and other infectious diseases work to restrict mobility and communication—cornerstones of the civilization built by humankind—and to tear people apart from one another. I expect that the pandemic has made it difficult for you to meet with your supervisors in person, and to learn through discussion with your peers. It has also affected your study abroad and job-hunting activities. This may have constrained your ability to complete your studies and to think about the next steps in your life. At the same time, however, it was surely an important opportunity to reflect on what you have done and consider what you really want to do next.

Significantly lower levels of mobility for both people and goods have hindered global collaboration and solidarity in the economic sphere and all other aspects of our lives. The pandemic might also be seen as a reason for the growing need to re-calibrate the relationship between humans and the natural environment. In this context, the idea of “resilient and sustainable societies” has come to the fore. In 2015, the United Nations formulated the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, a set of globally-shared societal challenges in areas such as climate change, energy, hunger, and diversity. The principles of the SDGs give shape to the ideal of promoting “peace, democracy and sustainable development in Japan and throughout the world” in The Ritsumeikan Charter. The APU2030 Vision states: “APU graduates will pursue freedom and peace with a deep respect for human dignity. By acting for the sake of both individuals and society, they can change the world.” The era that lies ahead will demand “glocal” (global + local) approaches to recognizing a globally shared awareness of problems and working to solve local issues. While leading the globalization of universities in Japan, APU has cherished its locality in the form of partnerships in Kyushu, Oita Prefecture, and Beppu City. APU has provided you with experience in formulating questions from global and diverse perspectives, and in leveraging local experiences within global contexts. I hope that after graduating you will make the most of these experiences as you continue to tackle challenges shared by all humanity as well as those within international organizations, national and local governments, companies, NPOs, and entrepreneurial settings.

It is said that we now live in the era of the 100-year lifespan. It is crucial that you continue learning in order to develop the knowledge and experience you have gained at APU. Please do think carefully about the career value of delving deeper into novel topics of study as you continue to learn at graduate school or in other types of programs.

Precisely because we live in uncertain, insecure times, I encourage you to have the courage to tackle new challenges without fear of failure. Be somebody who changes the world. Uncertainty is also opportunity. Keep challenging yourself. I am confident that this free spirit of challenge will open up pathways to success in life.

Let me conclude by once again congratulating all of you who graduate and complete your degrees.

Congratulations to everyone in the Class of Spring 2021 on your graduation. In a typical year, I would be on stage in my academic robes presenting your diplomas to you in person, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are many students who cannot attend the ceremony, so please allow me to deliver this greeting to you as the Dean of APM and GSM.

First, I would like to express my appreciation to you for working hard to adjust to online classes in your final year before graduation. For many of you, your final year was filled with uncertainty. Perhaps you were not able to enter Japan, or you struggled with an unstable internet connection, or your job search did not go as planned. When you look back on your time at APU, you may remember the beautiful view of Beppu Bay from Jumonjibaru on a clear day, but you may also remember dealing with the wind, rain, and snow. In this natural setting, as you studied together with students from all over the world, I am sure you experienced many joys and difficulties like this, but all of those experiences will form the foundation for your lives going forward.

The College of International Management and the Graduate School of Management obtained international accreditation from AACSB in 2016, after which it established its own chapter of BGS, the honor society for AACSB-accredited institutions. In addition, the Graduate School of Management earned international accreditation from AMBA this year. Thanks to the efforts of our faculty and staff and our students, we are making steady progress toward closing the gap with renowned business schools around the world, and APU’s reputation as a unique university is gaining more recognition in the global arena. I hope you will take pride in these achievements, and I fully expect you to succeed as agents of change wherever you go, be it Japan, Asia, or another part of the world, as intellectuals equipped with a global perspective and the ability to adapt to multicultural settings, which is the mission of the College of International Management and the Graduate School of Management.

As the Dean, I would like to congratulate you again on your graduation, and I wish you all success in whatever you may do.

Congratulations everyone on your graduation, and congratulations to your families as well!

Due to the pandemic, this year’s ceremony is unusually quiet since we are unable to gather at B-Con Plaza with your family and friends, celebrate together, and share emotional goodbyes. Naturally, you may feel down, but I hope you will realize that you are a special group of graduates. Let's take this opportunity to do something we cannot normally do.

First, I would like to ask you to look back over your photos, journals, and class notes from the last four years. It was of your own will that you chose to leave your hometowns and loving families to come to this campus on the top of a mountain. I am certain you have many fond memories of AP House, the amazing Multicultural Weeks, and the events that you joined with the local citizens, but you may have also experienced isolation, homesickness, pressure from your classes and homework, and worries about your future career paths. Be sure to save a space deep in your heart for all these memories.

Next, let's take this opportunity to think about the skills you were able to develop, and those you were not, here at APU. I expect you all learned to understand other cultures, honed your communication skills, and gained expertise in a specific field. Try to analyze where you grew the most as well as the reasons you were not able to meet some of your goals. Now give yourself a big round of applause! Based on the experiences you have had and the lessons you have learned, the next step is to paint a picture of your life after graduation.

Finally, be sure to remember all of people who supported you along the way and thank them in your heart.

We, the faculty and staff of APU, take pride in having been able to cultivate students like you! I am sure that you will all overcome whatever difficulties you may encounter and lead wonderful lives after graduation.

Once again, you are a special group of graduates. Please think about what this means as you head out into the world and work hard so that someday, when we meet again, we can talk about this with pride. I wish you all success as alumni of APU!