Introduction

Graduate School Entrance Ceremony for 2017

First of all, I would like to express my sincere congratulations on your admission to Gifu University Graduate School. It is our utmost pleasure to have 611 newly-enrolled graduate school students today for 2017, and on behalf of the Gifu University faculty members, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend our congratulations and express our appreciation to your parents and senior students who have supported you up until your entry into graduate school.

At Gifu University, our graduate schools offer four Master's Programs, one Professional Degree Program and two Doctoral Programs. In addition, we have three United Graduate Schools led by Gifu University. Among the United Graduate Schools, newly-enrolled students at the United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences--which is composed of Gifu University and Gifu Pharmaceutical University--are attending this event today, together with members of society who have enrolled at the Graduate School for Teaching Profession. As such, President of Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Takashi Inagaki is also here with us today. I would like to note that the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, which has just opened this April, offers a Master's Program which integrates engineering, applied biological sciences and regenerative medicine. In particular, what adds value to this program is design thinking education, forming the core feature of Gifu University's education for the future. The Graduate School for Teaching Profession will be expanded also from this April onwards, a particularly noteworthy characteristic of which is the enhancement of school managerial education.

Gifu University bills itself as a place where people gather to grow. From our perspective, it is a place for human resources development. What kind of human resources are we seeking to develop at graduate school? The answer is: People who are capable of "Learning, Exploring, and Contributing". The keyword that we would especially like to emphasize is contribution. The word "regional contribution" may immediately come to mind. However, in the context of our ideals at Gifu University, "regional contribution" is not limited to, say, the prefecture, city, or Chubu region as a matter of course, as our scope includes national and even global contribution. Large proportion of students who enrolled at graduate school had done so in response to some kinds of requests made by private companies, local governments or other organizations. These people in particular are expected, from the start, to finish graduate school as highly advanced professionals who can make contributions to meet the demands in the respective areas where they belong. As graduate school entrants are required to fulfill advanced functions that are different from university graduates, the goals for "Learning and Exploring" should be orderly determined.

Then, it is quite rare that you will be able to demonstrate the fruits of study at graduate school immediately after the completion of your program. Be fully prepared that from the time you finish graduate school and get a success, it may take about a total of 20 years for you to generate returns in the form of social contribution. On top of this, in order to survive the competition as a highly advanced professional during those years, you are encouraged to thoroughly examine what you want to gain at graduate school. All of our faculty members at the Gifu University are prepared to lend an ear and give advice to help you in this process at all times.

On the other hand, after the completion of a Master's Program, moving on to a Doctoral Program may be an extremely attractive academic path. This especially applies to individuals who want to get a research job. The fact is that many Nobel Prize research achievements have been made by researchers just around their 30s. Regardless of field, dreamy ideas serve as the driving force of researchers. Such dreams have given rise to breakthroughs in various fields of natural science, human science and social science. While some of you may think this statement does not agree with what I have said earlier, persistence is strength whatever you are studying. One of the sources of motivation that translate into persistence is holding a dream. We hope you enjoy and utilize Gifu University, whether as a graduate student who has a clear vision for his/her future as a highly advanced professional, or as a graduate student aspiring to become a researcher while firmly holding on to his/her dreams.

Let me conclude my speech by saying that I am really looking forward to our university life with all of you starting today.

Thank you for your attention today, and congratulations once again.

April 7, 2017, 2017

Hisataka Moriwaki
President of Gifu University

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