Congratulations on your graduation today to the six students who have successfully met the graduation requirements for the bachelor's program and become Bachelors of Engineering and Science and Engineering. I also extend my respect and congratulations to the seven graduates who completed Graduate School Master’s Course, and the fourteen who completed Doctoral Course and earned the highest degree of Doctor of Engineering, for their academic achievements and degree acquisitions. We also extend our heartfelt blessings and respect to your families, friends, and academic advisors who have been eagerly awaiting your graduation and completion.

Now, upon graduation or completion of your studies, you will be moving on to various fields of society. Looking at society on a global scale, with the progress of globalization, problems such as food shortages, resource depletion, and environmental issues have become apparent and are spreading on a global scale. Without even mentioning the examples of Ukraine and the Gaza Strip in Palestine, conflict and division are constantly occurring. Furthermore, with the emergence of generative AI such as ChatGPT, the cyber world, consisting of AI, big data, and the internet, is undergoing a major transformation, and our lives are about to change dramatically. In addition to this, Japan and Hokkaido are at the forefront of important global issues such as a declining birthrate and aging population, a decrease in the working-age population, and environmental, energy, and depopulation problems, making us, in a sense, a country at the forefront of addressing these challenges. It is up to you, who have deeply studied the fundamentals and applications of science and engineering and have an interest in a wide range of issues, to solve these problems. I expect that you will use the specialized knowledge you have gained at university, the general knowledge you have acquired, and the problem-solving skills you have grasped, and especially those of you who have completed your doctoral studies, to tackle these challenges with your high research capabilities, thereby creating vitality and new value for society.

Our university's philosophy is "Turning dreams into reality through creative science and technology," but since last year, we have adopted "Creating future value through genuine curiosity" as our new slogan, based on this philosophy. We sincerely hope that all of you who are now setting sail into the world will put "value creation" into practice in various fields of society. Furthermore, we strongly desire that our university continue to be a place that fosters the creation of future value for society.

Going forward, rather than limiting issues to a single specialized field, cooperation and collaboration from adjacent or different fields will be increasingly needed. Based on your confidence and abilities in your area of expertise, keep in mind that collaboration and integration with other fields lead to better problem-solving, and above all, make sure to communicate and work together with those around you. Around you, more than 40,000 graduates and alumni of our university are already thriving, helping to enhance the Muroran Institute of Technology 's reputation. Everyone, please do your best as one of them.

For those of you about to enter society, I am confident that you will make full use of the skills you have acquired at our university and overcome various difficulties, but if you ever hit a dead end in various situations, please consider relying on the university once again. Muroran Institute of Technology will continue to evolve not only as a place for consultations based on trust, but also as a place for collaboration and relearning.

Finally, I sincerely wish you all the many good encounters in Muroran Institute of Technology as your assets, enjoying life in this ever-changing era, feeling and thinking about many things, continuing to learn, and succeeding. I sincerely congratulate you on your glorious beginning, and I extend my greetings.

Congratulations on your graduation, completion of studies, and obtaining your degree today.

September 24, 2025
Muroran Institute of Technology President Mizushi Matsuda