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 Yoneyama and all of APU's faculty and staff who provided you with steadfast guidance.

Since opening in April 2000, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University has chalked up a stellar track record as a leader in the globalization of higher education in Japan, including the acquisition of several international accreditations.

Last year, APU concluded a three-party cooperation agreement with the Kyushu Institute of Technology and Iizuka City, and the partners are proactively working to develop human resources and solve social issues, transcending organizations, regions, and fields. Amid the increasingly severe situation that universities throughout Japan find themselves in, APU continues to take on these kinds of ambitious initiatives and develop as a center of knowledge that Oita Prefecture can be proud of both at home and abroad.

As a university that is open to the local community, in addition to promoting the internationalization of Oita Prefecture, APU has consistently contributed to regional revitalization by implementing a wide range exchange programs for elementary, junior high, and high school students, holding sessions to learn about disaster prevention together with local residents, and engaging in industry-university collaboration aimed at solving local issues.

On APU’s multicultural campus, where students from 111 countries and regions live and learn together, you, the members of the graduating class, devoted yourselves to your studies to become people who can play an active role in the international community. During your time at APU, the global spread of COVID-19 made it difficult for a time to study on campus. However, you were able to overcome this and many other adversities with your creativity and ingenuity by adapting to new learning and educational environments. I am convinced that these experiences will sustain you and give you the power you need to pioneer a new era in these times of constant change.

Now that you have graduated, I sincerely hope that you will utilize the global mindset and networks you have developed 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 your “home away from home” and 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 world, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors while praying for the continued advancement of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

Kiichiro Sato
Governor of Oita Prefecture
March 14, 2025

On behalf of the citizens of Beppu, please allow me to express my warmest congratulations to you, the graduating class of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and to your families. I would also like to express my gratitude and well wishes to your families who have supported you along the way.

When you entered the university, the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in a start to your campus life that you had not imagined. However, by making use of online classes while valuing the connections with your friends, I believe that you developed the resilience that is needed to live through a crisis as well as the fortitude to enjoy and overcome any situation. I would like to express my sincerest respect and appreciation to the graduating class for holding out hope for a return to normalcy and demonstrating ingenuity and hard work with an eye to a bright future, as well as to the stakeholders and faculty and staff who supported you.

Conflicts and natural disasters around the world have resulted in massive damage. Amid this backdrop, there are students from over 100 countries and regions enrolled at APU who are learning and growing together as one team. This is very reassuring and gives us all hope. The fact that you will head out into the world following your respective paths is sure to be a great source of strength for Beppu in the future. What’s more, you must not forget that you now have a vast global network of alumni and friends to support you.

Beppu City recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of its incorporation, and we find ourselves at a turning point where we look back at the last 100 years while also looking ahead to the next 100 years. With this in mind, our actions as people living in the present day are bound to change. This 101st year marks a new start for Beppu. The way you cherish the present while envisioning and shaping the future is also a profound expression of love for Beppu.

Always remember that Beppu is your home, and we will always wait for the day when you can come back to the home that you hold dear in your hearts.

In closing, I sincerely hope that you will cherish and maintain respect for the friends you have studied with at APU as you go on to play active roles as the leaders pioneering the next generation, and I look forward to seeing you again in Beppu someday.

NAGANO Yasuhiro
Mayor of Beppu
March 14, 2025