Header start

Content start

AY 2022 September Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony Address

September 20, 2022

Professor Kohei Itoh
President, Keio University

Congratulations to all of you who are celebrating your graduation here today. I would like to extend my warm wishes also to all the family members of the graduates. On the occasion of your graduation, I ask that you cast your minds back and recall why you chose Keio University from among the many other options. While I imagine that you each have various reasons, I think it is safe to assume that what you will all have in common is sharing in "the Mission of Keio University." In the words of our founder Fukuzawa Yukichi:
"Keio Gijuku is not merely a place for academic pursuit. Its mission is to be a constant source of honorable character and a paragon of intellect and morals for the entire nation and for each member to apply this spirit to elucidate the essence of family, society, and nation. They will not only articulate this essence in words, but also demonstrate it in their actions, and by so doing make Keio a leader of society."

These words well express the reason each of you has diligently applied yourselves to your studies, poured your heart into extracurricular activities, and met lifelong friends at Keio University —namely; you aspire to become the "leaders of society." The word "Gijuku" of Keio Gijuku is a translation of the British model of the "public school." This school is precisely that, a place where students with high aspirations for furthering the public sphere converge.

Maintaining such high aspirations, and persisting in the pursuit of ideals, is no easy matter. You must first observe and understand society, and then determine your personal reason for being within it. While the significance of each person's existence is unique, individual aspirations, and a sense of self-worth and dignity, are your most precious assets. This is the Keio spirit of independence and self-respect. It will serve you well in maintaining your personal integrity, and ensuring that you aspire and commit yourselves to ever greater heights.

This spirit is also precisely why you esteem the dignity of your peers and strive alongside them to further society. Each person respects the other while remaining independent. An ideal family is one in which each individual is distinct, yet acknowledges the value of other members. This is also true for local communities, countries, and the world. Recognizing differences yet working together is directly tied to making society and the world a better place.

Throughout your lives you will be told that "your graduation year was the year of the crisis in Ukraine." This crisis comes after two years in which you had your paths dictated by the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taken together, these events mean that you will leave university and set out on your next journey at a profound turning point in history.

I myself graduated (from Keio) some 33 years ago, in 1989. That year was witness to the Tiananmen Square Massacre and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Tiananmen Square massacre represented the democracy movement in China being halted in its tracks by the authorities. Meanwhile, the fall of the Berlin Wall would ultimately herald the end of the former Soviet Union and the independence and advent of democracy in countries of Eastern Europe. In its final days, the former Soviet Union established a self-governing commonwealth system for countries sharing borders with Russia, including Belarus and Ukraine. But, with Ukraine holding a referendum and declaring independence with overwhelming public support, this system was brought to an end. It signaled an end to the Cold War, instantly expanding the power of democracy. Just 30+ years onward, however, this year, Russia is attempting to turn back the clock. It appears that a new Cold War has begun. While we hope that the war remains "cold", it is up to us, or more precisely, up to you and your generation, to turn the tide in the coming decades.

Keio University has a tradition to celebrate alumni who graduated 25 years ago by inviting them to a commencement ceremony held in March. This March, the Class of 1997 gathered here in this hall. 1997, now a quarter century ago, was the year Hong Kong was returned to China. It was the year we saw COP3, the third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopt the Kyoto Protocol as an international commitment to stop global warming. In other words, important events which alter the course of history will occur in virtually any given year.

That said, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis which all of you graduating today have lived through, are events that herald a turning point of truly epic proportions. Thus, the time has well and truly come for each of us to renew our awareness of our roles, and to put into action our responsibilities, as leaders. It is my hope that when you return here to celebrate 25 years since your graduation, you will be able to stand tall in the knowledge of the efforts you have undertaken and feel proud of the society that you have built together. To achieve this, I urge you, starting from the very moment you graduate, to remain steadfast against any wrong turns in the world at large and, as leaders, instead guide society along the right path.

So, challenge yourself and make your way in the world to become a leading light for others. It is my heartfelt wish that each and every one of you become luminaries of our society, exploring all the richness that life has to offer.

Congratulations to you all on your graduation. Thank you.

Navigation start