平成24年度秋季入学式総長式辞

| 東京大学歴代総長メッセージ集(第29代)インデックスへ |

式辞・告辞集 平成24年度秋季入学式総長式辞

Address of the President of the University of Tokyo
at the Fall-Semester Matriculation Ceremony 2012
 

Welcome to the University of Tokyo. On behalf of all the staff of the University, I would like to welcome you and extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of you who have entered the University. I sincerely hope that you will lead a fulfilling life in the world of academia―a source of personal growth and inspiration. I would also like to express my congratulations and gratitude to your families who supported you, both financially and with affection, on the journey that brought you here today.

The total number of students entering our graduate schools this autumn is 488. Of which, there are 219 in master's courses, 233 in doctor's courses, and 36 in professional degree courses. In addition, we are joined by students taking part in a new scheme called PEAK―Programs in English at Komaba. This is the first undergraduate degree program of the University of Tokyo to be taught entirely in English. We have selected PEAK students from among exceptional applicants worldwide using the Admissions Office examination method, and offered courses to 27 students during the first year of the program. As a result, there are 374 international students, who account for more than 70% of the total.

The autumn entrance ceremony, therefore, offers an international atmosphere that differs from the spring ceremony, and symbolizes our globalization initiative. Education at the University of Tokyo has always been pursued to the highest intellectual standards. In recent years, the University has also focused on the concept and policy outlined "Promoting globalization, intellectual toughness, and personal resilience." We advocate this policy because we believe that developing a global vision and encouraging toughness and resilience stimulates students, and helps them better demonstrate their intellectual strengths in society, while also creating a virtuous circle that assures continuous improvements in every aspect.
I believe that all of you present here today are well qualified to act with a global vision and to be intellectually tough. While studying and researching at the University, you are expected to become conscious of the meaning of self-expression and its associated responsibilities. Today, I would like to show you the important concepts underlying self-expression, about which I talked also to the new students who attended the spring entrance ceremony for the graduate schools this year. Those of you entering a graduate school will, no doubt, become aware of your responsibilities when presenting papers and research results. Those of you entering an undergraduate course might have been accustomed to a passive approach to learning, but at the University, you will have many opportunities to think and express yourself more proactively. I believe that the starting point of your studies at the University is to remain conscious of the meaning of self-expression, and the responsibility it brings.

What does expressing yourself mean? The first thing that comes to mind is to communicate something to others. That is correct. However, underlying the action of expressing yourself is self-realization. I have been researching freedom of expression issues and theories for many years. In that context, the term self-realization is used as one of the key functions of free expression. In other words, expressing yourself will actualize your potentiality as a human being through the mental action of extracting your inner self. This in turn becomes instrumental in forming your personal qualities. An action of expression serves as a catalyst for activating your feelings and thoughts. If, for example, you were allowed to undertake as much research as you wished, but were told not to publicize the results, many of you would cease to grow not only as researchers but also as human beings. That is why freedom of expression is, among various other freedoms, deemed particularly important to us. Expressing yourself, therefore, is closely related to the personal qualities that are the essence of a human being. By understanding such basic implications of the action of expressing yourself, you will find clues to learning what rules and manners expression should follow.
First of all, your expression must be sincere. When you try to express something through a form such as a research thesis, you must struggle to find your own words and sentences, rather than taking the easy path of borrowing words from others. Moreover, you must sweat blood to collect reference materials and data that convincingly support what you want to express. The many great academics who came before us together accumulated an enormous store of accomplishments. I would like you to explore, through your own words and efforts, what your personal qualities can add to those accomplishments. Since expression is closely linked to personal qualities, it is sincerity of expression that represents sincerity of personal qualities. Through the process of struggling in an action of expression, that is, only through the tough process of struggling to find the right words, frame sentences, and collect reference materials and data, can you achieve self-development.

When you think about the significance of expression, you will notice that expression has a personal function, that is self-realization, and at the same time it has a social function, that is a means to access the truth. Those who have experience of undertaking research should be familiar with this sense. Saying a "truth" may sound like an exaggeration, but we can take a broader interpretation of truth encompassing not only objective recognition and proof in terms of natural sciences, but also the best standards for pursuing knowledge effectively and rationally. It is the destiny of people who engage in studies and research to work their fingers to the bone to reach the truth or the best result, or to get as close to them as possible.

In the process of seeking a truth, you must prepare yourself to understand that what you had believed to be an unshakable fact or theory is often only a tentative truth-one that has the possibility of being supplanted by others. Self-expression is a form of personal behavior described as self-realization, and at the same time, it is a form of social behavior. You must, therefore, keep in mind that what you express may provoke dispute or criticism. I would say that placing yourself within the process of dispute or criticism is the essence of engaging in academic activities.

Speaking about the social function of expression, I would like you to bear in mind that what you express will not remain the expression of an average person. It will often become the expression of a specialist. It is no surprise that expression based on specialized research on a specific theme will be treated with more weight by society than the expressions of a layperson, even if it stems from the research results of a student. When expressing yourself, both personal responsibility and responsibility to society request a sincere expression following serious verification.

From now, you will undertake activities in which you will express yourself in a variety of forms, producing an enormous volume of expression. Under the pressure of limited time available to write many papers or to prepare for presentations, you might fail to act responsibly as to their content and expression, or might neglect to verify their veracity. Such dangers always lie before us. So, always be aware of the tensions that should underlie an act of self-expression. I believe this awareness will lead you to become a mature specialist and intellectual.

The University of Tokyo offers a warm welcome to all of you who join us as colleagues to challenge academic boundaries. I very much look forward to learning of your achievements and wish you all the best of luck.
 

Junichi Hamada
President
The University of Tokyo

 

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