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Message for the 2025 Fall Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations to all the graduating undergraduate and graduate students. On behalf of Niigata University, I would like to express our heartfelt greetings to you all.

Last year, Niigata University celebrated its 75th anniversary of its establishment. Since its foundation in 1949, approximately 160,000 students have graduated from our university. All of you graduating today are joining the family tree of Niigata University. I hope that you will leave Niigata University with pride in this heritage.

Niigata University’s philosophy is “Autonomy and Creativity ”. I mentioned this philosophy to you when you first entered Niigata University. I would like to take this opportunity to refer to it again as you graduate. “Autonomy” is to act according to the norms which you, yourself, have set, and “Creativity” is to create something new. In other words, it is to maintain the habit of carefully observing and listening to matters without imitating others, ascertain the facts with your own eyes, make an accurate judgement, and act on it. Moreover, like the branches of the willow tree, which is the symbol of Niigata City, it leads to developing a supple yet unbreakable “true strength”. I believe that all of you here today have succeeded in fostering within yourselves our university’s philosophy of “Autonomy and Creativity”, as well as suppleness and “true and genuine strength”.

The society in which you will be actively participating faces further globalization, and a steadily declining birthrate and aging population. Along with the rapid development of new technology such as generative AI, I believe that the current situation will lead to an unforeseeable future where cyberspace and the real physical world merge together in our daily lives.
Furthermore, it can be surmised that we will repeatedly encounter unexpected large-scale events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, disasters including earthquakes, and natural disasters from climate change. The international situation is also changing. The world faces various conflicts and challenges, and the international frameworks of our societies are increasingly in a state of constant flux. Thus, our environment is continuously changing and filled with unexpected events.

We are facing daily changes in our society, the world, and the universe, and it is difficult to predict the future with any accuracy. However, if we are to succeed in paving the way towards the future under these circumstances, I believe that it will be through “science” and “learning”. Learning allows us to increase our accuracy when making predictions for the future. In order to confront the future, it is also extremely important to “endeavor to make predictions.” I hope that you will not forget to do so and will always continue to learn while facing the future.

Niigata University defines its current mission as “becoming a front-runner of future life innovation.” The life innovation which we refer to is not just limited to medical care, health, and welfare, but also includes “existence”, “whole life”, “way of living”, “ideal society”, and “involvement with the environment” for people living in the 21st century. Furthermore, it refers to the innovation required towards creating new values and meanings for “the earth” and “nature” which form the basis of these elements. In other words, the life innovation which Niigata University is striving to achieve is an innovation which provides happiness for humanity. I sincerely hope that all of you will actively participate as frontrunners of future life innovation with us even after you graduate from Niigata University.

Niigata University is your alma mater and your home. With the pride of having studied at Niigata University, please step into your future. Niigata University will always be here for you all. We also hope that our university’s philosophy will continue to form the basis of all your future successful endeavors after graduation.
Please continue to be the frontrunners of future life innovation by cherishing the joy and importance of ceaselessly learning, maintaining intellectual curiosity, not forgetting to study, and preserving your bond with Niigata University wherever you happen to be.

In closing, I once again wish your future happiness and success. Congratulations to you all.

September 22, 2025
USHIKI Tatsuo, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Niigata University

2025年秋季毕业典礼致辞