2025 Fall Graduation Ceremony speech by Naoto Ohtake, president and CEO
Science Tokyo President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naoto Ohtake
September 22, 2025
Good morning, everyone.
First of all, to all the students completing their degrees, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your graduation. In the face of rapid change and uncertainty, including the Covid-19 pandemic and unstable international conditions, your determination, creativity, and resilience have been truly remarkable, and we celebrate together the culmination of your hard work. You had the rare experience of seeing your university's name change while you were enrolled here as students. Like President and CAO Tanaka, I want you to take pride in being Science Tokyo graduates.
To the families, friends, and loved ones who have tirelessly offered their comfort and support: Thank you, on behalf of everyone at Science Tokyo, for entrusting these individuals to us, and for everything you have done during these challenging times.
On this special day, 69 students graduate from Science Tokyo with bachelor's degrees, 235 students graduate with master’s degrees, and 132 students graduate with doctoral degrees.
Graduates: Throughout your time at the Institute, you have explored not only your specializations, but also the humanities and social sciences to formulate your own distinctive vision of the world. You have sought the questions and answers that define your path to new discoveries and a better and brighter life, society, and planet. I want to congratulate you for these efforts, and thank you for adding a new page to the history of Science Tokyo.
Today, I would like to touch on one concept that I think is important for anyone who is advancing to the next stage of their life. That concept is "freedom." I am sure that you have already recognized that the origins of research lie in the researcher's curiosity and free thinking. There are many examples of how research findings born out of the interest of a single researcher have changed history. Such researchers possessed the freedom to select their own way. This is also true for you. After you graduate, you will be on your own path and there will be many choices ahead of you, including becoming an engineer, a nurse, a doctor in a particular hospital, or a researcher. I hope that each of you will embrace the freedom that you have been granted, make courageous and impactful decisions, and live your life to the fullest. I am confident that the knowledge you have acquired, both in your specializations as well as the liberal arts, will guide you to do so.
There is another aspect of freedom worth considering, and that is the freedom from stereotypes. When you come across an opinion that is completely different from yours, I urge you not to reject it right away. Give it some thought. If you can unlock the chains of bias and compare your opinions impartially to those of others, you have achieved freedom from your stereotypes. This leads to significant personal growth and development. Perhaps you have already experienced this during your time as students. I hope you will continue to do so in the future.
Our vision for Science Tokyo is to create a vibrant and compassionate university where the students, faculty, and staff work conscientiously, and together with society, to envision a better, brighter future. This means taking on challenges such as creating new academic disciplines and industries, as well as addressing societal issues like pandemics and carbon neutrality. We want to share this vision with everyone connected to Science Tokyo, including, of course, alumni. Through dialogue, we strive to be one unified, dynamic team working together to create truly innovative solutions. I, together with Chairman Ido and Chairman Asano of Science Tokyo's alumni association for science and engineering and the medical and dental sciences, respectively, warmly welcome you, the newest graduates of Science Tokyo, to join us in turning this exciting vision into reality.
Class of 2025: You have a chance to utilize your freedom and make changes for the better. So, let me leave you with a question. As you move forward, will you take the paved, well-trodden path to a known destination, or will you blaze your trail to new landscapes and discoveries? From today, the choice is yours.
I look forward to seeing you all thrive in your careers, and your lives. Once again, congratulations on your graduation.
Contact
Administrative Affairs Group, Administrative Affairs Division
- Zip code
- 152-8550
- Address
- E3-1, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
- adm.aff@adm.isct.ac.jp