Congratulations, new graduates from the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science and the United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences. Today, a total of twenty eight students receive your graduate school degree from Gifu University.

As to this year 2020, it is quite unfortunate that the coronavirus crisis brought about such an unordinary style of ceremony. Thus, I would like to send my congratulations to all graduates and thank the instructors and all concerned for their kind and sincere support.

Particularly in recent years, graduation ceremonies of our united graduate schools have been characterized by the presence of many international students. Actually seven of today's graduates are overseas students, and thus, I would like to address my message in English.
Allow me to introduce their mother countries that reflect the global strength and diversity of this program. The following seven international students are 4 from China, and 1 from Vietnam, Thailand, and Ghana, respectively.

Our graduate schools are also characterized by a large number of students from various sectors of society; they come from government offices, academic institutions, and private sector companies in various countries. Such students account for 20 out of 28 this year.

Looking around in this hall, you may have noticed the attendance of many families and relatives of the graduates. Such presence of diverse graduates and their families gives us a warm feeling, and attest to the global reach of the united graduate schools of Gifu University.

Up until now, both united graduate schools have more than twenty years of history, and many of our graduates have begun serving as top government officers, university presidents and private sector CEOs. Of course, as fresh graduates, you will have a long road to attain such high positions, but any time you face a challenging task, I hope you will remember the hard efforts you had demonstrated during your graduate school days which have brought you here. This will help your take on new challenges in any fields in the future.
Finally, I recommend you to maintain close contact with your teachers and fellow graduates, because they will be valuable sources of support and help both in public and private.

I am looking forward to seeing you and hearing about your activities in the near future in Japan and anywhere in the world.

Congratulations once again and all the best in your future.

Thank you.

March 13, 2020
Hisataka Moriwaki, MD, PhD
President, Gifu University