2024 Spring Graduation Ceremony speeches at Ookayama Campus by Naoto Ohtake, president and CEO
Science Tokyo President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naoto Ohtake
March 26, 2025
Speech to recipients of bachelor's degrees
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, your determination, creativity, and resilience have been truly remarkable, and we celebrate together the culmination of your hard work. Like President and CAO Tanaka, I also want you to take pride in being Science Tokyo's first 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, 1,009 students graduate from Science Tokyo with bachelor's degrees in the science and engineering fields.
Graduates: Throughout your time at the Institute, you have explored not only your technical specializations, but also the liberal arts, humanities, and social sciences, in order 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 the first page to the history of Science Tokyo.
Today, I would like to touch on one thing that I think is important for anyone who is advancing to the next stage of their life. The concept I would like to highlight is “change”. Science Tokyo was established by bringing together Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Tokyo Institute of Technology on October 1, 2024. I firmly believe that change is essential in a world that is experiencing increasingly rapid transformation. This need for change applies to institutions, but also to individuals. As the saying goes, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." I encourage each of you to be mindful of your need to evolve and adapt continuously.
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 early-career and senior faculty, medical staff, technical and administrative staff, research administrators, students, and of course, alumni.
Kuramae Kougyoukai, the science and technology alumni association of Science Tokyo’s predecessor university, has more than 80,000 members worldwide. Through dialogue with these alumni members and the members of the new Science Tokyo, we will become one unified, dynamic team working together to create truly innovative solutions. I, together with President Ido of Kuramae Kougyoukai, warmly welcome you, the first graduates of Science Tokyo, to join us in turning this exciting vision into reality.
Class of 2024: You have a chance to utilize change 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 research, your careers, and your lives. Once again, congratulations on your graduation.
Thank you very much.
Speech to recipients of master's and doctoral degrees
Good afternoon, 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, your determination, creativity, and resilience have been truly remarkable, and we celebrate together the culmination of your hard work. Like President and CAO Tanaka, I also want you to take pride in being Science Tokyo's first 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, 1,593 students graduate from Science Tokyo with master’s degrees, 35 students graduate with professional master’s degrees, and 236 students graduate with doctoral degrees in the science and engineering fields.
Graduates: Throughout your time at the Institute, you have explored not only your technical specializations, but also the liberal arts, humanities, and social sciences, in order 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 the first page to the history of Science Tokyo.
Today, I would like to touch on one thing that I think is important for anyone who is advancing to the next stage of their life. The concept I would like to highlight is “change”. Science Tokyo was established by bringing together Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Tokyo Institute of Technology on October 1, 2024. I firmly believe that change is essential in a world that is experiencing increasingly rapid transformation. This need for change applies to institutions, but also to individuals. As the saying goes, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." I encourage each of you to be mindful of your need to evolve and adapt continuously.
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 early-career and senior faculty, medical staff, technical and administrative staff, research administrators, students, and of course, alumni.
Kuramae Kougyoukai, the science and technology alumni association of Science Tokyo’s predecessor university, has more than 80,000 members worldwide. Through dialogue with these alumni members and the members of the new Science Tokyo, we will become one unified, dynamic team working together to create truly innovative solutions. I, together with Secretary-General Maemura of Kuramae Kougyoukai, warmly welcome you, the first graduates of Science Tokyo, to join us in turning this exciting vision into reality.
Class of 2024: You have a chance to utilize change 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 research, your careers, and your lives. Once again, congratulations on your graduation.
Thank you very much.
Update history
- This article was updated on April 30, 2025.
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