東工大について

令和元年度9月入学式 式辞

令和元年度9月入学式式辞は英語で行われました。

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my great pleasure to hold the Tokyo Tech 2019 Fall Entrance Ceremony in the presence of the Board of Directors, deans, directors, and special guests. We are here to celebrate the new students joining us today. You have all worked hard to come this far, and you should be proud of your achievements. Let us also congratulate your parents and families, and express our gratitude for the time and effort they have dedicated to your life and academic success.

This fall, total enrollment is 503 students, with 2 entering the bachelor's degree program, 321 entering the master's degree program, 12 entering the professional master's degree program, and 168 entering the doctoral degree program. Surprisingly, among you, we welcome 390 overseas students, that is 78 percent of students coming from abroad. You are all now members of Tokyo Tech, a diverse and multicultural community which will provide you with a truly unique experience.

Tokyo Tech has been sharing these experiences for over 138 years. Since its beginnings, the Institute has strived to nurture ambitious students with strong scholastic abilities, diverse perspectives and approaches that provide real-world solutions, and the creative competence to become pioneers in various fields of science and technology. Tokyo Tech has also recently implemented various changes to enhance its curriculum and boost its research strengths. These efforts were recognized last year when Tokyo Tech was selected as a Designated National University to lead society into the future. Therefore, whatever your aspirations, it is an exciting time to be here. Tokyo Tech's cutting-edge research is more diverse and interdisciplinary than ever, and from today, you are the newest ambassadors of this inclusive community.

Last year when I became the president, I put forth the Tokyo Tech Commitments — three guiding principles that I share with all students, faculty, and staff at the Institute. These commitments are: first — appreciating diversity, second — embracing collaborative challenges, and third — taking decisive action. Let me briefly mention how these commitments can enhance your Tokyo Tech experience.

Firstly, diversity comes in many forms, and means different things to different people. No matter how we define it, however, diversity is a source of creativity and innovation. Allow diversity to flourish, and you may find a surprisingly simple solution to a difficult problem.

Secondly, collaborating with fellow Tokyo Tech members will expand your perspective and generate exciting, new ideas. If you team up — and at times compete with — the bright minds around you, then you can take on even the toughest of challenges.

And thirdly, once you have determined the direction you want to go, take action! The Tokyo Tech learning and research environment is designed to reward those who act. Reap those rewards by being proactive.

To demonstrate the potential impact of this last commitment — decisive action — I would like to share a story about a Tokyo Tech legend. Some of you may have heard this story at the graduation ceremony last week, but I will repeat it. In the early 1930s, a number of people around the world were trying to solve the problematic stability of oscillation frequency for radio transmitting stations. Professor Issac Koga (Issaku Koga) — please remember his name — who taught here at Tokyo Tech from 1929 to 1960, was one of them. After systematic studies on quartz cutting, Professor Koga discovered that by cutting crystals at specific angles, he could produce oscillators with almost zero frequency-variation at around room temperature. His quartz crystal proved to be indispensable to all radio and wireless communications systems and much of information electronics, including all of your smartphones. In other words, Koga's decision to act — his determination to solve a pressing issue, think through the entire problem, make and test theoretical predictions, and physically produce a practical quartz crystal — still has massive implications 90 years later. You can see his achievements in the second floor of the Museum of the Centennial Hall at the main gate of Ookayama Campus. I strongly recommend you visit there.

You may be wondering how Professor Koga's story relates to you. The fact is that, like Professor Koga, today's Tokyo Tech researchers and students consistently exhibit creativity, persistence, and passion in their work. It is in their DNA. And since you are here today, I strongly believe it is in yours, too.

Congratulations to you all, and welcome to the Tokyo Tech community!

September 25, 2019
Kazuya Masu
President, Tokyo Tech

お問い合わせ先

東京工業大学 総務部 広報課

Email pr@jim.titech.ac.jp