Notes from the President

New students, welcome to Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University! You are beginning an exciting new chapter of your life filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and discovery. At APU, we pride ourselves on providing a diverse and dynamic academic environment that will challenge and inspire you.

As I welcome you as APU president, I am reminded of myself as a freshman at Tokyo University 47 years ago. I had vague hopes for myself, but I was clueless about what I wanted to do. I was shy. I struggled to make friends. However, in a few years, I found myself aspiring to major in the history of the United States. I had the opportunity to study at UCLA for one year, which truly opened my path for an international academic career, which, in a way, leads to where I am today.

Compared to my college years, APU is an environment with many more resources at your fingertips. Throughout your campus life, you will encounter diverse cultures and values. When you walk across campus, you’ll hear conversations in dozens of languages. In the dormitory, your everyday life is a frontline of cultural negotiations and intercultural discoveries. You may have disagreements, but remember that every minor trouble will teach you how to understand others, how to decipher different values and unspoken assumptions, and how to understand yourself in a new light. You will deepen your knowledge about the world as you develop your personality and form friendships that will last a lifetime. The people of Beppu City and Oita Prefecture keep a kind, watchful eye over you, APU students, so remember to cherish Beppu, as it will become your home away from home. I also want to offer my warm greetings to the family members of new students, inviting you to enjoy the city of Beppu, built upon a unique culture of therapeutic hot spring bathing.

As you begin your APU journey, the world faces significant challenges to international cooperation—the very values upon which APU was built. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1945. World War II led to humanity turning against each other, devastating cities, and inflicting unprecedented horrors of war on many millions of people. To prevent such conflicts, nations have established international organizations like the United Nations and have created mechanisms through dialogue and collaboration, not only to avert conflict but also to foster interdependence through expanded trade, while working to eliminate hunger, poverty, and infectious diseases. Although cumbersome and costly, this intricate system has enhanced the overall prosperity and well-being of humanity.

However, an increasing number of world leaders are rejecting international cooperation, claiming that what benefits their own countries is sufficient and that resolving conflicts through force is unavoidable. This poses a significant danger to humanity, which makes your generation’s role as future leaders even more crucial. I want APU to be a beacon of hope for a peaceful world. Our mission is to foster world-class leaders who can contribute to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific region and beyond. We are committed to our ideals of “freedom, peace, and humanity; international mutual understanding; and the future shape of the Asia Pacific region.” This mission is reflected in everything we do, from academic programs to campus activities.

The key players at a university are you, the students. We, the university, support your learning. Take full advantage of APU’s resources—the classes, faculty members, extracurricular activities, Green Commons, Self Access Learning Center, the library, to name just a few. Never just accumulate 124 credits with good grades and graduate. If a topic in a class fascinates you, take it as a sign that you have stumbled upon a jewel of your life. Ask questions in class, visit your professor during office hours, and discuss your further studies. Cherish your everyday at APU. Keep engaging with new ideas and trying new things. Make the best use of our study abroad programs, on-campus and off-campus research projects, directed collaborative studies, and the experience of our uniquely diverse faculty coming from over 25 countries.

By the time you graduate, you will have become an individual “who possesses the power to change the world.” You will collaborate with like-minded individuals worldwide to create a better future for humanity and our planet—your growth as APU students and as future leaders begins today. Here’s your first challenge: introduce yourself to someone from a different country before you leave this ceremony today.

Thank you, and once again, welcome to Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University!

YONEYAMA Hiroshi
President
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
September 26, 2025