NEWS

2016 Autumn Matriculation Congratulatory Message by Kakutaro Kitashiro, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Update: September 05, 2016

Good morning. As Chair of ICU's Board of Trustees, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you entering ICU.

We should appreciate the peace we are enjoying today in Japan, yet the worst thing we can do is to be indifferent to the incidents, disputes and terrorism in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and other areas. I hope you will expand your worldview and learn more about these problems while you study in ICU.

Now, as I reflect on my time as a university student and then on my career in business, I remember three important things I want to share with you today.

The first is the idea of "making a difference to the world." God has given unique gifts to each of you. I encourage you to ask yourself how you can use your gifts and how you will be able to make a difference to the world. Your life as a student is an important time to reflect on which path will lead you to the best use of your talents and to have an impact on the well-being of humankind. I encourage you to seek out and discover for yourself which path that may be.

Secondly, I urge you to "be courageous in choosing the difficult path, the difficult task." In your studies, in your research, and in your work, you will be faced with a choice. That choice will be between "the easy path, which is the path that many have taken," or "the difficult path, which is the path that few have taken."

When you face such a choice, I encourage you to choose "the difficult path" that will test you and help you reach your full potential.

Thirdly, in your life, you will likely confront times of hardship and discouragement. I, too, have worked in difficult situations in my career at IBM. I was able to work hard and meet these difficulties. I encourage you to be positive and remember the spirit of, "I can do it." No matter the situation, I hope you will enjoy your life and act positively. In Japanese I would say this as "akaruku" (cheerfully), "tanoshiku" (happily), and "mae-muki ni" (positively). The first letters of these makes the acronym "ATM." So whenever you encounter difficulty, just remember "ATM." I particularly like the word "ATM" since my team and I installed the first ATM in a convenience store in Japan.

In conclusion, I want to remind you of these three important ideas.

Make a difference to the world.

Take the difficult path.

Be positive.

These three ideas have sustained me in my life. I believe that if you do these three things, you will have a great educational experience at ICU and ultimately will be cultivated into superlative individuals who serve both God and humankind.

Congratulations on your entrance into ICU.