Congratulations to all of you on your graduation. Looking back, many of you entered the university in 2020, when the global coronavirus pandemic made online classes the norm and imposed many restrictions on student life. You all must have felt a great deal of confusion and anxiety. It was also an unprecedentedly difficult situation for the University of Tokyo. I am truly delighted that you have overcome those challenges together with your peers and now stand on the threshold of graduation, ready to take a new step forward.
Today, I would like to share with you some thoughts on creating the world and society of the future, using examples related to the ocean, a topic that interested me when I was a student here. I hope that you can connect these ideas not only to the ocean but also more broadly to the actions you will take in the future.
From now on, whether you enter the world of work or pursue further education, you will be interacting with new people. Unlike the life you had here at the University of Tokyo, where you could study with peace of mind in a somewhat special environment, you are now setting sail into a sea swirling with challenges. At times, you may find yourselves in sharp conflict with people who think differently from you. That is because the world is filled with a diversity of values.
When you hear the words “a good ocean,” what do you imagine? If you are fond of scuba diving, you might imagine a crystal-clear blue sea with colorful coral reefs. However, clear water indicates a lack of nutrients, which may not be desirable for marine life. Professional fishers in Tokyo Bay say that the fish and shellfish taste better when the sea is a little murky. The Seto Inland Sea, which was once so polluted that it was called a “dying sea,” has now become too “clean” due to reduced nutrients, negatively impacting the fishery industries. If you belong to an environmental protection group, you might think that a sea inhabited by sea turtles, dugongs, and other rare species is desirable and worth protecting. On the other hand, if you are trying to pursue carbon neutrality by building offshore wind power generation facilities, you might prefer a sea that can tolerate the building of structures robust enough to withstand minor typhoons and disasters without any damage. Thus, the sea can be seen as desirable in diverse ways, depending on the benefits it provides. Utilization or protection that is desirable from one point of view might be regarded as development or restriction that should be opposed from other standpoints. In some cases, such as the issue of marine plastics, global pollution gets worse without anyone desiring such an outcome.
I hope that all of you graduating today will not turn away from the reality that serious conflicts and complex contradictions exist in our society. In the search for answers, respecting diversity is crucial. Uniform solutions imposed by force may unfairly sacrifice the socially vulnerable and those whose voices cannot be heard. Even if sharp disagreements seem to make it impossible to foster mutual understanding and trust, please stay committed to engagement and continue to strive to create opportunities for dialogue. Especially now, as the world becomes more divided, the ambition to explore possibilities through dialogue open to such diversity is more important than ever.
We now face many global-scale challenges, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, pandemics, problems related to energy resources, food shortages, rapid progress in information technology and artificial intelligence, and increasing geopolitical instability in places like Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. As graduates of the University of Tokyo, I hope that each of you will play a role in uncovering insights and solving those problems from your own unique perspectives.
Earlier, when I was talking about diverse ways of viewing a desirable ocean, I mentioned fisheries. Asia, including Japan, accounts for 70% of the world’s fishery production and is the center of the global industry. However, our region still has many illegal fishery operations and much overexploitation of marine resources. More than half of the world’s megacities with populations over 10 million are also in Asia. Marine pollution, especially by the plastics I mentioned earlier, is most severe here, too. Collaboration among Asian countries, including Japan, to solve those marine resource and pollution problems will contribute directly to the sustainability of the world’s oceans.
Also important for solutions are legal frameworks. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, often called the “constitution of the oceans,” defines rights and obligations for the use of the world’s seas. The Convention on Biological Diversity and the Washington Convention are also key for the protection of species that move and are traded across borders and for the conservation of diverse ecosystems. Interpretations of these international laws vary by country, but it has long been pointed out that the interpretations are biased in favor of the West.
Regarding offshore wind power generation, fixed-bottom technology, where the base of the turbine is driven into the seabed, has been common in Western countries, while Japan is developing methods that allow turbines to operate while floating on the sea. Fixed-bottom turbines can be installed only in shallow waters, while floating turbines can be used in deep-sea areas. Even if struck by typhoons or tsunamis, the floating turbines have enough “play” to respond to vertical and horizontal motion, protecting the turbines from collapse or drifting. Increased use of offshore wind power generation that is resistant to marine disasters may promote global carbon neutrality.
There are significant cultural differences on whether to regard the sea as a place for food production or as a nature sanctuary. In fact, in 2018 Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). However, the whaling issue cannot be settled by a binary opposition of utilization versus protection. Until the discussion advances to a point where livelihoods and industries can be sustained while regulations and protected areas are established to safeguard life and the environment, a compromise will not be found.
Of course, different regions of the world have different situations, and even within Asia there are diverse countries and regions. It is extremely important for Japan, the only non-Western country in the G7, to remember the perspectives of non-Western areas and to take the lead in international dialogue. As you come to play active roles globally in the years ahead, I hope that each of you, from your own position and location, will contribute creatively to the global public interest, applying your individuality and strengths from a worldwide perspective.
My final message today is about the relationship between you and the University of Tokyo going forward.
In recent years, the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has been emphasized in the development of science and technology. This is the idea of consciously clarifying the desirable visions and values of society, involving stakeholders from various positions from the early stages of research, and incorporating the needs, problem awareness, and values of society to develop science and technology responsibly and in a socially desirable direction.
Regarding the oceans, various new technologies and large-scale experiments have been proposed in recent years. Ideas have been put forward for technologies to mitigate climate change, such as spreading large amounts of iron in the ocean to promote the growth of phytoplankton and increase CO2 absorption rates, capturing CO2 generated from facilities such as thermal power plants and injecting it into the deep sea or seabed, and generating large amounts of clouds from seawater to regulate the amount of sunlight reaching the ground. For typhoons that might cause major disasters, control technologies such as using aircraft to disperse water or dry ice into the typhoon’s warm core to weaken the storm’s energy are also being considered.
While these plans offer new possibilities, they also raise significant uncertainties. For example, in the case of typhoon control technology, meteorological phenomena can be predicted to some extent using state-of-the-art observations and fluid dynamics simulations. However, at this time, no one can predict how attempts to control typhoons might affect crops, fishery production, and ecosystems in the region.
Even if something is technically possible and interesting as research, it is important to show the broader society the risks and possible impacts of unexpected effects, continue to hold dialogue responsibly and with sincerity, and foster understanding and trust among diverse stakeholders. For the University of Tokyo to strongly promote education and research that take responsibility for technological development and innovation, we need to hear the voices of all of you who will be playing active roles in society. Please keep in contact with UTokyo and let us know what you have to say as you tackle the many challenges ahead of you.
Once again, let me express my respect and pride to all of you for the dedication and tremendous efforts you have shown while overcoming the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning today, you all become alumni of the University of Tokyo. I hope that, by building on the strengths and knowledge you have cultivated at this university and on your ties with your friends and mentors, you will take on new challenges and contribute to the future of the Earth and of human society.
May your future be filled with happiness.
Congratulations on your graduation.
FUJII Teruo
President
The University of Tokyo
March 22, 2023
