NEWS
2022 Spring Matriculation Ceremony
Update: April 1, 2022
On friday, April 1st 2022, with cherry blossoms in full bloom, ICU welcomed a total of about 627 new undergraduate, graduate students from within and outside Japan and exchange students from universities which have exchange student agreements with ICU at the Matriculation ceremony held in the University Chapel.
As per the tradition that has been followed for over 60 years since the founding of the University in 1953, the students' names were announced individually and all new students signed the written pledge to uphold the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their student lives.
And president Shoichiro Iwakiri gave words of encouragement to the newly gathered new students during the corona pandemic.
To prevent corona infection, the ceremony was divided into two sessions, morning and afternoon and only new students attended the ceremony.
2022 Spring Matriculation Address by Shoichiro Iwakiri, President
Scripture Reading: John 8:31-32
A warm welcome to all of you who are entering our College of Liberal Arts and our MA and PhD programs. At the same time, I extend my warmest regards to all your family members and friends.
For the past two years, in the global viral situation, ICU has continued teaching and research, first entirely online, then gradually integrating in person courses using primarily the hybrid modality. As of this April, we will finally return to face-to-face teaching, with the exception of a few large classes.
This does not mean that we will return to the same mode as before COVID-19; we will explore a new style of learning appropriate to our times, while incorporating the benefits of acquired computer technology.
As you all know, our university was founded about 70 years ago, reflecting on World War II, with the goal of educating and sending out into the world people who would help build peace. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started suddenly a month ago, makes us understand once again, when we see these people, who until recently had led a peaceful life, fleeing their country with only a few personal belongings, or left behind in a destroyed town, or taking up arms to face the enemy, what we must fight, protect and cherish in order to create peace.
We have the right to enjoy freedom and live happily. We cannot give in to anything that threatens it, that controls us unjustly, that deprives us of the joy of living. Through our studies and academic research, we will ask ourselves and discover how to create a world full of dialogue and diversity, and how to further secure what gives us joy in life.
At the entrance ceremony, each of you signs the Student Pledge. It states that you will uphold the law "in accordance with the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
Today, a book is placed in your hands. It is a book entitled "Illustrated Trilingual Edition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: in Japanese, English and French".
It is a book that ICU students created for you last year in the constraining situation of the coronavirus.
Traditionally, all new students have signed the Student Pledge. However, few have nowadays actually read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and know what it says and what principles it reflects.
The book was originally written in French and translated into Japanese. Since ICU is a bilingual university, we took it upon ourselves to translate it into English, which was lacking, so that the book could be read by all students matriculated in April and September to help them better understand human rights. It is a gift from the current students to all of you. Please love it and use it as a reference when thinking about peace and human rights.
No one knows how the world will change in the future. But whatever the changes, the principles of the liberal arts at ICU - pursuing peace, loving others as neighbors, seeking truth, and valuing dialogue, diversity, and critical thinking - will always remain our mission.
As the Bible reading said earlier, truth sets us free.
The search for truth is not always comfortable. Sometimes it can be difficult. A French poet, drawing on a Greek proverb, said, "What is difficult is beautiful." As a student with a lot of time on your hands, I hope you will take the time to tackle the hard stuff.
This year will see the completion of a new student restaurant and a new building integrating the arts and sciences. I am very pleased to welcome you to this new addition.
I hope you enjoy a rich student life on this beautiful campus, connecting to truth through learning and releasing yourself into the infinity of the universe. Let's learn in a way that tomorrow we will understand the world more deeply than today.