Although the graduate commencement ceremony for the 2019 academic year was cancelled due to the situation regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), the graduate diploma conferment ceremony was held at the new Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall on Thursday, March 26 and broadcast via video feed.
The ceremony, which was held without the participation of the students who had completed their degree programs, began with Provost Tojiro Aoyama's Graduating Class Report.
The conferral of diplomas and an address by President Akira Haseyama followed. In his speech, President Haseyama spoke of the worldwide spread of COVID-19, the need for cooperation across borders and academic fields in today's globalized world, and the importance of comprehending the essence of issues and empirically reaching conclusions. He also expressed his hope that the graduates will make judgements and take responsibilities for these, even in difficult situations, and contribute to society through learning.
Next, Professor Hirokazu Kono of the Graduate School of Business Administration gave a congratulatory address on behalf of the faculty and staff members, and the ceremony came to a conclusion with the singing of Alma Mater, "The Juku-ka."
This year, a total of 1,613 students from the 14 graduate schools were conferred degrees (206 doctoral degrees, 1,269 master's degree, and 138 professional degrees).