Welcoming Ceremony for Spring 2020 and Spring 2021 students held

University News | April 08, 2021

President Kiyohiro Houkin


On April 6, 2021, a welcoming ceremony for Hokkaido University’s entering undergraduate students was held in Sapporo Convention Center, Sapporo City.


This year’s ceremony was attended not only by the entering class of 2021 but also by the entering class of 2020 for which the ceremony was cancelled last year due to the Coronavirus outbreak. This year’s ceremony was carried out by complying with the COVID-19 health protocols.


President Kiyohiro Houkin delivered  two congratulatory speeches addressed to each entering classes. The following speeches have been translated from its original language in Japanese:



The Entering Class of 2020 Congratulatory Address
The following speech has been translated from its original language in Japanese.


Hokkaido University Entrance Ceremony |

The Entering Class of 2020 Congratulatory Address by the President

April 6th, 2021



Belated congratulations to all of you who have entered Hokkaido University in April 2020.


Last year, we had to make a difficult decision to cancel the entrance ceremony due to the spread of COVID-19 not only in Hokkaido but also throughout Japan.


At this moment, we are still in the middle of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. We gave serious thought to whether we should hold the entrance ceremony this year in the current situation. However, we have decided to come together here today even one year late because we believe it is extremely valuable to have an opportunity to meet each other to learn and share our history and principles.


I had entered Hokkaido University in 1973. Unfortunately, we did not have an entrance ceremony that year due to the chaos and confusion caused by the student protests. At that time, I thought there was nothing we could do about it, came to the campus in April, started my courses, and finished my student life a few years later.


However, I now truly wish that there had been a ceremony at the start of my journey at the university. There was of course no internet at that time, and I missed the opportunity to formally hear the University’s history and principles as well as what was expected of us as students. Looking back now, it was not an ideal that my life as a university student had started just as an extension of my high school life with no clear distinction.


Although we are missing some of you because of the course schedule or other reasons, it is our greatest pleasure to have so many of you attend this ceremony either in person or online. It is one year late, but this will be remembered as a special moment when you look back later on in life.


Welcome messages are delivered at entrance ceremonies every year by university presidents, and they often draw public attention. In a message, a president, representing a university, welcomes incoming students and shares its history and principles. I believe this is extremely important. I also see it as a critical opportunity for a university to express its vision, mission and values  to the members of its community as well as to the society. For that reason, today I hope to accomplish both by first talking about our history and principles, and then sharing with you our aspirations and the direction we are headed for the future. 


Sapporo Agricultural College was founded in 1876, 145 years ago from today, by the government of the Meiji-period (1868~1912 in the history of Japan) to foster young leaders for the exploration and development of the frontier island, Hokkaido. It also aimed to rival higher education institutions in the West. As you may know, this is the precursor to Hokkaido University.


This era was when Japan took its first steps towards becoming a modern state following the Meiji Restoration (1868). Taking European universities, especially German universities as role models, many imperial universities were founded to produce quality graduates who would play leading roles in modernizing the country.


In contrast, Sapporo Agricultural College opted to provide a liberal arts education. Even by today’s standards, it is surprisingly progressive that Sapporo Agricultural College placed liberal arts, in other words, to acquire a broad general knowledge, at the core of its higher education curriculum and offered not only agricultural studies but also foundational courses which ranged from mathematics, chemistry and biology, to languages, history and economics in English.


Since then, the University has developed and maintained the following four basic principles of education and research rooted in its liberal arts tradition:


“Frontier Spirit” with which you explore uncharted fields of academic research;


“Global Perspectives” which give you knowledge and awareness required for a globally competent individual, and cultivates respect for diversity;


“All-Round Education” which gives you the foundation for your personal development;


And “Practical Learning” which encourages you to contribute the knowledge and outcomes you have gained back to the society.


I have visited many universities in the country and around the world and am proud to say we have the most beautiful campuses in the world. We are also blessed with the beauty of four seasons including the winter covered with snow. Hokkaido University is truly unrivaled for its unique history and amazing locations.


In 2026, five years from now, we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the University. For this historic milestone, Hokkaido University has set the strategic goal, “Contributing to the Resolution of Global Issues” and committed itself to continuous transformation.


Many of you may think there is not much you can do to contribute to finding solutions to global issues.


Whatever the lager issue may be, small efforts you make every day to solve a problem in your daily life will eventually add up to a solution on a global level. Lately, we often hear a phrase “Think Globally, Act Locally” as a guiding principle of “SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)”. This phrase clearly signifies the importance of taking small steps forward every day while seeing the bigger picture and thinking of the wider world.


This is not that difficult to achieve. Gaining broad knowledge and information to build a solid foundation is of course important. And sorting them out and applying them on your own are even more crucial.


To think critically, you must never dismiss people who think differently from you. The core principle for education and research at higher education is to respect and value diversity. This is of the utmost importance for a higher education institution expected to maintain a stronghold of knowledge and become an epicenter for social change and innovation.


In today’s world  we place great emphasis and value on diversity. However, being diverse is not always easy. We tend to feel comfort in a homogeneous group or in familiar surroundings. Diversity sometimes makes us feel nervous and anxious. Going forward, however, we must push through our own discomfort, overcome the difficulties we face and transform it to our power and strength. To achieve that, merely experiencing different cultures or interacting with people from other countries will not be enough. You must learn across disciplines and exchange your opinions and thoughts with people who think differently from you.


To your advantage, in the history of the University, we find many pioneers who can be your role models. Dr. William S. Clark, the first Vice President of Sapporo Agricultural College, came to Sapporo in 1876 which was only 100 years since the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America and only eight years after the Meiji Restoration. I would imagine that to Dr. Clark, a teacher from another country, this place located in the far north region of a small country in the far east must have been greatly unfamiliar, and he must have had to endure many hardships here. Nonetheless, he firmly planted the seed of our basic principle, “Global Perspectives”.


Dr. Inazo Nitobe, who was our graduate in the second-ever class at Sapporo Agricultural College, made significant contributions on the international stage as the first Under-Secretary General of the League of Nations (the forerunner to the United Nations).


In addition, there are Kanzo Uchimura and Takeo Arishima, who both had a strong influence on the society through their social activism or writings. They teach us compassion and empathy for the society’s most vulnerable groups or neglected populations in the world.


At this moment, we are in the middle of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. These are truly trying times for all of us around the world. Your first year at the University became completely different from what you had initially imagined or dreamed of. Both mentally and financially, this past year must have been extremely difficult and challenging for you.


The end of the pandemic cannot be easily predicted. However, we shall overcome this challenge. And along with this pandemic, we are now at a major turning point in the history; many profound changes are taking place such as digital transformation, the initiatives for Society 5.0 (Japan’s initiative for human-centered, technology-based socio-economic system)  and carbon neutrality for a more sustainable society. Undoubtedly, all of you here today are the generation that builds the society that comes next, the post-COVID world. I am certain that perseverance you have cultivated during this pandemic will help you greatly in the future when you step into uncharted territories.


Lastly, I would like to leave you with Dr. Clark’s words, “Girls and boys, be ambitious!” These are quite well known, and short and easy to memorize yet deeply inspiring. There is no other university in Japan blessed with such celebrated, encouraging words.


“Girls and boys, be ambitious!” Please remember, these words will speak to your soul and keep inspiring you in times of adversity or sorrow during your journey at the University or even throughout your life.


As I have stated at the beginning, I believe a president’s message is an important opportunity for the University to express its commitment to the members of the community and to the society.


All of us at the University including myself, the executives on the stage, the faculty and staff members of the University have been contemplating the meaning of the word, “ambitious”. And to all of us, implementing our four principles I have shared with you today, achieving digital transformation and SDGs, and rebuilding the world post-COVID are “lofty ambitions”. As we move towards our 150th anniversary, we would like to partner with all of you to take a step forward every day to achieve our lofty ambitions. Please join us.


I wholeheartedly wish you all the best in your continued journey at the University.



HOUKIN Kiyohiro

President

Hokkaido University


The Entering Class of 2021 Congratulatory Address

The following speech has been translated from its original language in Japanese.


Hokkaido University Entrance Ceremony |

The Entering Class of 2021 Congratulatory Address by the President

April 6th, 2021


This spring, we are honored and privileged to welcome 2,546 new students to Hokkaido University. Congratulations to all incoming students on your admission to the University.

On behalf of the University, I would like to warmly welcome each one of you and extend my congratulations to your families, guardians, mentors and all other people who have supported you to this day.


Welcome messages are delivered at entrance ceremonies every year by university presidents, and they often draw public attention. In a message, a president, representing a university, welcomes incoming students and shares its history and principles. I believe this is extremely important. I also see it as a critical opportunity for a university to express its vision, mission and values to the members of its community as well as to the society. For that reason, today I hope to accomplish both by first talking about our history and principles, and then sharing with you all, the newest members of our community, our aspirations and the direction we are headed for the future.


Sapporo Agricultural College was founded in 1876, 145 years ago from today, by the government of the Meiji-period (1868~1912 in the history of Japan) to foster young leaders for the exploration and development of the frontier island, Hokkaido. It also aimed to rival higher education institutions in the West. As you may know, this is the precursor to Hokkaido University.


This era was when Japan took its first steps towards becoming a modern state following the Meiji Restoration (1868). Taking European universities, especially German universities as role models, many imperial universities were founded to produce quality graduates who would play leading roles in modernizing the country.


In contrast, Sapporo Agricultural College opted to provide a liberal arts education first. You may not be familiar with the word, “liberal arts”, but, if nothing else, this is the word I would like you to remember from this entrance ceremony today. It is not easy to explain concisely what “liberal arts” mean. A simple explanation would be “broad general knowledge” which one might potentially misunderstand as merely acquiring some tools such as “knowledge” or “skills”. However, even by today’s standards, it is surprisingly progressive that Sapporo Agricultural College placed liberal arts at the core of its higher education curriculum and offered not only agricultural studies but also foundational courses which ranged from mathematics, chemistry and biology, to languages, history and economics in English.


Since then, the University has developed and maintained the following four basic principles of education and research rooted in its liberal arts tradition:


“Frontier Spirit” with which you explore uncharted fields of academic research;


“Global Perspectives” which give you knowledge and awareness required for a globally competent individual, and cultivates respect for diversity;


“All-Round Education” which gives you the foundation for your personal development;


And “Practical Learning” which encourages you to contribute the knowledge and outcomes you have gained back to the society.


Hokkaido University is centrally located in the city of Sapporo, and our Sapporo Campus is one of the largest university campuses in Japan. The University also has Hakodate campus, large forest research stations, marine and lake stations, an orchard, botanic gardens and stock farms. We conduct globally competitive education and research in an environment blessed with nature.


I have visited many universities in the country and around the world and am proud to say we have the most beautiful campuses in the world. We are also blessed with the beauty of four seasons including the winter covered with snow. Hokkaido University is truly unrivaled for its unique history and amazing locations.


In 2026, five years from now, we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the University. For this historic milestone, Hokkaido University has set the strategic goal, “Contributing to the Resolution of Global Issues” and committed itself to continuous transformation.


Many of you may think there is not much you can do to contribute to finding solutions to global issues.


Whatever the lager issue may be, small efforts you make every day to solve a problem in your daily life will eventually add up to a solution on a global level. Lately, we often hear a phrase “Think Globally, Act Locally” as a guiding principle of “SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)”. This phrase clearly signifies the importance of taking small steps forward every day while seeing the bigger picture and thinking of the wider world.


This is not that difficult to achieve. Gaining broad knowledge and information to build a solid foundation is of course important. And sorting them out and applying them on your own are even more crucial.


To think critically, you must never dismiss people who think differently from you. The core principle for education and research at higher education is to respect and value diversity. This is of the utmost importance for a higher education institution expected to maintain a stronghold of knowledge and become an epicenter for social change and innovation.


In today’s world we place great emphasis and value on diversity. However, being diverse is not always easy. We tend to feel comfort in a homogeneous group or in familiar surroundings. Diversity sometimes makes us feel nervous and anxious. Going forward, however, we must push through our own discomfort, overcome the difficulties we face and transform it to our power and strength. To achieve that, merely experiencing different cultures or interacting with people from other countries will not be enough. You must learn across disciplines and exchange your opinions and thoughts with people who think differently from you.


To your advantage, in the history of the University, we find many pioneers who can be your role models. Dr. William S. Clark, the first Vice President of Sapporo Agricultural College, came to Sapporo in 1876 which was only 100 years since the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America and only eight years after the Meiji Restoration. I would imagine that to Dr. Clark, a teacher from another country, this place located in the far north region of a small country in the far east must have been greatly unfamiliar, and he must have had to endure many hardships here. Nonetheless, he firmly planted the seed of our basic principle, “Global Perspectives”.


Dr. Inazo Nitobe, who was our graduate in the second-ever class at Sapporo Agricultural College, made significant contributions on the international stage as the first Under-Secretary General of the League of Nations (the forerunner to the United Nations), and is also the internationally acclaimed author of “Bushi-do: The soul of Japan”. Dr. Nitobe’s global awareness and abilities to lead across boarders developed in the Meiji-period (1868~1912) while also maintaining his pride in his own heritage are astonishing even for us who live in the 21st century.


In addition, there are Kanzo Uchimura and Takeo Arishima, who both had a strong influence on the society through their social activism or writings. They teach us compassion and empathy for the society’s most vulnerable groups or neglected populations in the world.


At this moment, we are still in the middle of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. It is for the great effort of all the related parties that we are able to come together for this entrance ceremony today under these difficult circumstances while taking maximum preventive measures.


These are truly trying times for all of us around the world. Your courses will be conducted under strict safety guidelines, and your campus life may become quite different from what you had imagined or dreamed of before the pandemic.


The end of the pandemic cannot be easily predicted. However, we shall overcome this challenge. And along with this pandemic, we are now at a major turning point in the history; many profound changes are taking place such as digital transformation, the initiatives for Society 5.0 (Japan’s initiative for human-centered, technology-based socio-economic system) and carbon neutrality for a more sustainable society. Undoubtedly, all of you here today are the generation that builds the society that comes next, the post-COVID world. I am certain that perseverance you have cultivated during this pandemic will help you greatly in the future when you step into uncharted territories.


Lastly, I would like to leave you with Dr. Clark’s words, “Girls and boys, be ambitious!” These are quite well known, and short and easy to memorize yet deeply inspiring. There is no other university in Japan blessed with such celebrated, encouraging words.


“Girls and boys, be ambitious!” Please remember, these words will speak to your soul and keep inspiring you in times of adversity or sorrow during your journey at the University or even throughout your life.


As I have stated at the beginning, I believe a president’s message is an important opportunity for the University to express its commitment to the members of the community and to the society.


All of us at the University including myself, the executives on the stage, the faculty and staff members of the University have been contemplating the meaning of the word, “ambitious”. And to all of us, implementing our four principles I have shared with you today, achieving digital transformation and SDGs, and rebuilding the world post-COVID are “lofty ambitions”. As we move towards our 150th anniversary, we would like to partner with all of you to take a step forward every day to achieve our lofty ambitions. Please join us.


I wish you all the best in this new chapter of your life.

Once again, congratulations, and welcome to Hokkaido University.



HOUKIN Kiyohiro

President

Hokkaido University


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