Dear new students,
On behalf of Niigata University, I would like to extend a warm welcome to each one of you and to congratulate you on your admission to Niigata University.
Every year, Niigata University Entrance Ceremony takes place on a grand scale with all gathering at Toki Messe. This year, however, we have regretfully decided to cancel the ceremony as a measure to prevent the global rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. I wish I could welcome you all in the warm spring weather to celebrate splendidly, and it is extremely unfortunate not to be able to hold the ceremony. There's no substitute for the ceremony, but to make up for it, we have prepared a special site on our official website so you can download some original cartoon frames to commemorate your enrollment and the map of photo spots is also available. I would like you to find ways to celebrate your enrollment at around time when guidance begins with taking preventive measures against infection. It's a pity that I can't meet you to give my congratulatory speech, and I am sending you my message through the website instead.
Our philosophy is "Autonomy and Creativity." "Autonomy" means to behave conforming to your own norms, and "Creativity" means to produce something new. At the start of your new life at Niigata University, I would like you to ponder the meaning of these words.
Do you know a story entitled "Learn to Walk in Handan (Kantan)" from the Zhuangzi, an ancient Chinese anecdotes? The story is about a young man who lived in a state called Yan in the old days. He was quite envious of the way people walked elegantly in Handan, the capital of the state of Zhao, then he went to the city to learn their way of walking. The story ends when he ended up learning nothing, and he finally even forgot how to walk, then crawled back home.
As Niigata University students, I encourage you not to imitate others, but to nurture the habit of establishing your own discipline and thinking on your own. In other words, I would like you to equip yourself with the ability to see and hear things on your own, see the facts with your own eyes and make judgement.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), first recognized in Wuhan, China at the end of last year, rapidly spread all around the world in less than six months, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global pandemic. Pandemics have recurred throughout human history. The most recent pandemic was by the novel influenza H1N1 virus in 2009, which was reduced to a relatively small-scale partly due to the advancement of science. The novel coronavirus we are experiencing, however, is far more serious, posing a great threat to human beings. It reminds us of the Spanish flu lasting from 1918 to 1920, about a century ago, which was the world's worst pandemic on record, killing tens of millions of people and infecting hundreds of millions of people.
Why is this pandemic happening in spite of all developments in science over the last 100 years? The remarkable progress in science of the 20th century unveiled the mystery of viruses, enabled us to identify viruses as well as develop vaccines and treatments. Now it is possible to distinguish between a common cold and a new virus infection like the novel coronavirus. It is essential to isolate infected areas in order to prevent the spread of infection as it takes time to develop vaccines and treatments. This kind of approach used to be able to control the infection. Accelerated globalization, however, allowed us to travel quickly and extensively, leading to the rapid global spread of infection. As a result, the infection has spread on a scale that we have never experienced before, causing a pandemic. That is to say, this pandemic of the novel coronavirus is a result of development in modern society.
Scientific knowledge by itself can't overcome this pandemic. Extensive knowledge is required to solve various societal issues posed by this spread of infection as our society has become more complex. Arts students need the ability to understand the basics of infection, and science students need to learn the structure of society. Also, knowledge of database science is vital for both arts and science students in this information society. You are expected to have interdisciplinary and flexible knowledge as well as the ability to utilize it.
Your future may be full of uncertainty; a lot of complex and unpredictable matters will be awaiting you. To survive in such a future, we will need to bring together human wisdom. I believe our mission as a university now is to cultivate students' intelligence to survive in the future.
The university is a repository of knowledge, and also is a free space of wisdom for students and faculty. A large-scale comprehensive university like Niigata University brings together experts from various academic fields. You should not confine yourself to your field of study and learn diverse things. You could participate in field work or may have a chance to study abroad. You will find that learning at university is not the same as high school in a way that there might not always be answers to issues. It's more likely that you will confront issues and problems which don't have correct answers. Sincerely facing these problems will cultivate the power to confront the future.
I encourage you to develop resilience with flexible mind by actively engaging in initiatives through diversified learning and encounter with new people on campus taking our philosophy, "Autonomy and Creativity" in the back of your mind. I believe the strength you will gain at Niigata University will be a great support when you go out into the world after graduation. I would like you to maximize your intellectual curiosity to learn a lot, and enrich your campus life. I look forward to finding you a full-fledged member of society when you graduate.
April, 2020
USHIKI Tatsuo, MD, PhD
President