NEWS

Congratulatory Message by Kakutaro Kitashiro, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Update: March 24, 2017

Good morning. I am Kakutaro Kitashiro, chair of the Board of Trustees.
Congratulations on your graduation!

ICU was founded in order to cultivate people who will contribute to world peace out of remorse for World War II. I trust that you learned many things from your education at ICU in accordance with this founding spirit: from critical thinking, or proactively thinking critically and structuring your thoughts and not simply accepting information that is provided to you; from small group learning with a focus on dialogue; and from interactions with both Japanese and international faculty and students.

As chair of the Board of Trustees, I hear firsthand about the reputation of ICU students from persons affiliated with companies where ICU graduates work, university administrators, and executives of international organizations, and I hear that ICU students are very highly regarded. Several corporate executives mentioned that ICU alumni proactively express their thoughts, have leadership ability, are proficient in English, and are highly capable. At the same time, I also heard that they seek to express their views rather than listening to those of others. Though such examples may be few, with dialogue, it is important to communicate your thoughts after listening well to the other person's views. I would like you to become not only good speakers but also good listeners.

Furthermore, I would like you, graduates of ICU, to act with integrity. To have integrity is "to act honestly even where people are not watching." If persons who act honestly where people are watching but cheat where people are not watching become leaders of organizations, then those organizations will eventually collapse. Persons who are trusted in society are persons with integrity. Recent research shows that persons who succeed in society have self-discipline and carry matters through to the very end. In addition to these, I would like you to play an active role as leaders with integrity.

Moreover, when you face a problem, no matter how difficult, I would like you to believe that there definitely is a solution and make efforts toward that end. If you give up, no good ideas will come up. If you believe that you can resolve the problem, then new ideas will come up one right after the other. I have mentioned a few times that since filling a managerial position within a company, I never gave up and worked brightly, joyfully, and constructively, or "akaruku, tanoshiku, maemukini" in Japanese. The acronym of this phrase, when written using the Roman alphabet, is ATM. Since I was responsible for installing ATMs in convenience stores for the first time in Japan, I have a special feeling for the word ATM. I would like you to not get discouraged, believe that things will turn out fine, and challenge yourselves at all times.

Today, I discussed 3 points:

1. I would like you to become not only good speakers but also good listeners.
2. Integrity is an important quality that leaders of society should possess.
3. I would like you to lead your lives brightly, joyfully, and constructively ("akaruku, tanoshiku, maemukini") without becoming discouraged at all times.

Finally, ICU, from which you are graduating, was founded with donations from Christians and others in Japan and the United States following World War II. Your educations are not covered by tuition alone. A superior education was made possible with the donations of many people who came before you and with the management of ICU's endowment. The development of private education, or lack thereof, is determined by how deeply each and every one of you graduates regards your alma mater and supports it. When you start working, I ask you to support your alma mater in order to support those who come after you.

I pray that you will brightly, joyfully, and constructively ("akaruku, tanoshiku, maemukini") walk paths that harness your gifts from God.

Congratulations on your graduation!