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Congratulations to all of you! Today is your day! You have worked tirelessly on your studies and research to craft academic theses worthy of your degrees. Today, you will receive your doctoral or master's degrees. My warmest congratulations also go out to all the family members and guarantors who have offered their support and helped you to arrive at this important milestone.

I hope that, for all of you, Keio University will represent the “starting point for a virtuous cycle” in your life. You have studied and conducted research with some of the best scholars in the world. I believe you will especially value the academic excellence of research at Keio once you enter the workforce. From here on after, you will most likely be surrounded by the world's best researchers and top thinkers in your field. I am confident that you will do well among the best and the brightest. You will take on important positions as leaders of societies around the world as set forth in “The Mission of Keio University”.

Fellow leaders often elevate each other by working together in synergy. It is precisely this synergy that makes the Keio University network of alumni so strong. I look forward to seeing how your future accomplishments take shape to help make the world a more prosperous, peaceful, and meaningful place to live.

Over the past two years, your studies and research have been severely constrained by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of you have had to struggle to complete your degrees because you were unable to access the research environment you had envisioned. The situation for international students could not have been more severe. It is unfortunate that the strict border restrictions prevented new students from coming to Japan, and even those who were able to come before the pandemic had difficulty re-entering once they left the country. There are those today who are joining this commencement ceremony online from abroad. So, I applaud you wholeheartedly for the excellent work you have done and the degrees you have received under these harsh circumstances. Our hope is that Keio University will continue to deepen its ties and build constructive relationships with all of our graduates around the world. Following your graduation, please continue to take part in the development of our institution and stay connected with your alma mater. Make sure to subscribe to Keio's email newsletter and social networking services to stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Now, for those of you who have earned your doctoral degrees, you will now be addressed as “doctors”. If you are choosing to follow a career in research, this will mean that you will conduct a thorough and in-depth exploration of your areas of expertise. To explore the frontiers of academia, you will need to collaborate and compete with experts from around the world. If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be this. While you should obviously focus on your own curiosity when choosing a research theme, more than that, apply yourself to identify a topic that is imperative for “somebody” to tackle for the progress of academia. Research topics that are imperative, but no one has taken on yet are either of the following two types. 1) They are creative and extend beyond current norms, or 2) They are incredibly difficult. Your job is to engage with these challenges.

When I completed my doctorate, almost 30 years ago, my field of research was in semiconductor physics. I looked into a variety of fields, trying to decide how I wanted to contribute to academia as a scholar. The result of this exploration led me to quantum computing 24 years ago. Now Keio University is known to have one of the world’s best quantum computing centers, and that is because we have been working on a topic that was imperative for “someone” to take on. So, for those of you who will continue on your journey as researchers, I ask that you always take on the “bigger” challenges.

For many of you who have completed your master's degree and some of you receiving your doctorate here today, I know that you will go on to enter the professional world, dedicating yourselves to the development of the global society. To you, I ask that you imagine yourselves 30 years from now. While some of you may think of 30 years as an eternity away, assuming that world peace and the environment are preserved until then, you will still be in the prime of your lives. But the question is, what type of world will you be living in? The answer is - it will be one that you yourselves create from here; a society built by your daily determination; a future determined by your actions. The current crisis in Ukraine is sure to be a major turning point in world history. I hope that your endeavors, studies, ingenuity, and teamwork, culminate in a prosperous, peaceful, and meaningful place for everyone to live 30 years from now and beyond. The future of the world and our planet depend on you. I ask that you make it a good one. Go out and follow the Keio spirit. Devote your lives to becoming the luminaries of your society. And hold on to the bonds that you have created at Keio.

This day is your commencement. Congratulations.