NEWS

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

Update:

Your university days are an important time when you will discover your own path in life. Every one of you has been blessed with a gift from God. The Bible says, "Whatever gift each of you may have received, use it in service to one another, like good stewards dispensing the grace of God in its varied forms." How do you plan to make use of your gift to contribute to society?

I found my calling through my research for my senior thesis, which led me to a job with IBM Japan. After that I worked in the business world, serving as President of IBM Japan and Chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives. I firmly believe this path has enabled me to make the most of my abilities. Most of you will work for forty years, from your twenties to sixties. It would be wonderful if your work becomes a place where you can fully optimize your talent. Our world today is a place where no one knows what will happen. Many issues have arisen worldwide -- the gap between rich and poor, refugees, conflict, terrorism, epidemics, and global warming, to list a few. The advancement in information technology such as internet and smart-phones as well as globalization will continue further. We live in a world where it has become extremely difficult to foresee our future. At such times, merely studying knowledge from the past is not enough to open a new avenue for the future. Each individual is required to have the abilities to make a good judgment, to create something new, to understand diversity and to communicate with others, by learning broadly in both the sciences and humanities and in depth in a specialized field. The world needs the very individuals who studied in the ICU's liberal arts education.

I trust that through your studies at ICU, you will all find the path that helps you make the best use of your gifts.

Finally, let me add that I know you will face difficulties during your days as a student. You may feel helpless and discouraged. In times like that, please remember my favorite phrase: Be happy (akaruku), enjoy yourself (tanoshiku), and be positive (maemuki ni). In Japanese, the acronym is 'ATM.' The company I worked for was the first to introduce ATM machines in convenience stores. This acronym has a special meaning for me.

I trust that you will spend your days at ICU meaningfully and that you will grow to become wonderful person serving God and humankind - those that ICU aspires to cultivate. Welcome to ICU.