Congratulatory Address

Let me begin by congratulating all of you who are graduating and receiving your academic degrees from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University today.

I would like to express my deep respect to President Deguchi and the university’s entire faculty and staff for their commitment to instructing and guiding today’s graduates. I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to all family members who have warmly watched over the graduates and showered them in love and support.

Since opening in April 2000, APU has fostered many outstanding individuals to contribute to the international community. In June this year, APU was listed for the first time in the World University Rankings published by the international higher education evaluation body QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), and it ranked fifth among all private universities in Japan. These are some examples of how APU is held in high regard both within Japan and internationally.

Moreover, APU plans to open the new College of Sustainability and Tourism in April 2023. I anticipate that this will not only expand learning opportunities but also enable APU graduates to flourish in new fields of activity.

All of you graduating today have studied together on a multicultural campus alongside students from 94 different countries and regions, preparing yourselves for careers in international society. I expect that some of you were unable to experience the kind of student life you had originally expected for a whole range of reasons, including the global COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, you found ways to overcome various adverse conditions, adapting flexibly to new learning styles and educational environments. I am confident that these experiences will serve you well in these times of great change and will help you to forge a pathway forward into a new era.

I anticipate that after completing your degrees, you will make full use of the global mindsets and personal networks you have developed thus far, play active roles in your respective fields, and contribute greatly to the advancement of the Asia Pacific region.

Finally, I want to express my hope that you will always retain a special affection for Oita as your adopted home full of happy memories, and that you will build bridges between countries, between regions, and between Oita and the world. I wish you all the very best in your careers and pray for the continued success of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

May I begin by saying congratulations to all of you who are graduating Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University today. On behalf of the citizens of Beppu, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you and your families.

On this glorious day, I am sure that all of you graduates are thinking about many events that took place during your time at APU. I believe that the friendships and trust you have built up with your peers from around the world and the times you have spent together in Beppu City will be engraved in your hearts as a treasure for a lifetime.

This is the third year of our fight with COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, we have experienced the unexpected: some of us have not been able to meet with family and friends in person, and some of us have struggled to find work. However, we have learned a great deal from these experiences, devising new ways to move forward.

Hot spring steam in Beppu caused by the heat of the hot spring, soars high into the sky, and then falls to the ground again as blessed rain, transforming itself into a hot spring over the years. All the precious experiences you have had while at the college will come back to you like the hot springs of Beppu, and will become your flesh and blood.

I hope that all of you who are leaving Beppu today will take the many encounters you have had in Beppu with you and fly high into the sky toward a bright future. And we hope that you will always remember Beppu as a second home to you, proud of the diverse cultures you have experienced and overcome.

Please continue to lend your wisdom and strength after graduation so that many people from around the world will visit Beppu again and the city will continue to grow as a multicultural city where various cultures and ethnic groups can coexist.

In closing, I would like to offer my sincere wishes for your bright future endeavors and hope to see you again here in Beppu. Thank you for your kind attention. Shape your world!

Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Be proud of yourself and be hopeful for what the future brings.

I was recently reminded by how much courage it takes for a person to study and live at a place that is different from what you are used to. APU is different. It is far from ordinary. You went out of your comfort zone when you chose to study at APU. You challenged yourself. You took the courage to be in a place where people speak a language that is unfamiliar to you and have values and perspectives that challenge you to think critically and act differently. It’s because you had that courage in you that you had so much to learn. You got connected to people whom you will cherish throughout your life journey.

Please remember that you have that courage in you and that courage would take you to places where more possibilities are yet to explore, and your potentials continue to grow.

Stay courageous, stay driven and stay connected! Congratulations!

Congratulations on an important milestone of your life-long journey.

This day marks your achievement and accomplishment at APU, where you and your peers lived, studied, and nurtured friendships. The hardships you have experienced in your life as a student will be bitter-sweet memories, forming the bones and muscles to carry you forward.

You had to endure two and a half years of your student life under the Covid-19 Pandemic, and your life considerably differed from a normal student life as all our courses had to be delivered online for some time. But, you all overcame the hardship and met the expectations of the university, which on its part was trying to offer the best it could under the circumstance.

The knowledge and skills you have acquired will guide you in your next journey, whatever that might be. The change maker that you have become will carry the APU label wherever you go. The network of friends you built globally will be your ears, your eyes, and your brain, collectively informing your decisions. Strive to create positive changes, small or large, in today's increasingly complex society.