NEWS

2017 Spring Commencement Ceremony

Update: March 24, 2017

559 undergraduate students and 19 graduate students graduated from ICU at its spring commencement ceremony held at the University Chapel on Thursday, 23 March.

At the ceremony, each student's name was read out in keeping with tradition that has continued since the first commencement ceremony. Students whose names were called received their diplomas - the fruit of four years of learning - on stage and shook hands with President Junko Hibiya.

During the ceremony, the Friends of ICU Award was presented to two graduats, Ms. Yukari Ishida (Class of 2014) and Ms. Ayane Kato (Calss of 2011), in recognition of their exemplary contribution to fulfilling ICU's mission.

Ms. Ishida started to improve the plight of visually-impaired persons in the Philippines while enrolled at ICU. After completing postgraduate studies, she became the first intern for the NGO Internship program run by Japanʼs Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked for an NGO in the Philippines. Ms. Ishida makes good use of her experiences and continues her activities,

as a responsible global citizen, including improvement of the learning environment at The Philippine National School for the Blind as a member of Free The Children Japan. These activities set an example for the ICU community and are deserving of recognition.

Ms. Kato greatly contributed to the launch and development of the ICU Junior Campus Camp based on Liberal Arts Education, one of the ICU's fundamental educational principles. She not only established the program but also enhanced the growth of ICU students who were trained as camp leaders. Furthermore, she established another camping program with local citizens and companies for children who had suffered from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Ms. Kato has shared ICU's philosophy with society through activities that perfectly embody ICU's holistic education and which are deserving of recognition.

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