“Youth is wasted on the young.”
This famous quote from Nobel laureate George Bernard Shaw was used by Mariko Hayashi, the chairperson of the board of trustees of Nihon University, during her speech at this spring’s entrance ceremony.
Although she jokingly referred to it as “adult envy,” she expressed a desire for the young to understand that they are standing on “an endless road of possibilities stretching ahead.”
“What does ‘honmamon’ (the genuine) exactly mean?” asked Masahiro Yoshimoto, the president of the Kyoto Institute of Technology. He explained that university education should enable students to discern real from fake.
In a world overflowing with artificial intelligence-generated falsehoods, the ability to discern truth is “cultivated through human interaction.”
“Do not fear failure,” urged Junji Kobayashi, the president of the International University of Kagoshima. He expressed hope that the university will serve as a safe place where students can repeatedly experience and learn from failure.
In an era of rapid and radical changes, he encouraged them to continue taking on challenges and striving for achievements beyond merely “serving until retirement without incident and feeling happy about it.”
“Systemic discrimination must be eradicated,” argued Teruo Fujii, the president of the University of Tokyo, where female students account for about only 20 percent of the new undergraduates.
He called for questioning “whether the university is attractive to diverse students, including female ones, and whether it has an environment that welcomes and accepts a diverse student body.”
The importance of who speaks is just as crucial as what is said. Hiroshige Seko, an Upper House lawmaker and the chair of Kindai University’s board of trustees, exhorted new students to “firmly grasp your position.”
His message echoes, ironically, how, in the wake of the political slush fund scandal, he repeatedly claimed ignorance of his secretary’s actions linked to the scandal that engulfed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, from which he has been effectively expelled.
More than three months have passed since the devastating Noto Peninsula earthquake.
The process of recovery and reconstruction that continues amid a deep sense of sorrow was the main theme of the address to new students by Hiromi Sanada, the president of Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University, which she described as the “university located closest to the disaster-hit areas.”
“Please start your studies without forgetting the value of life,” she said.
In conclusion, this column wishes to send a cheer to all new students embarking on their educational journeys.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 14
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
VOX POPULI: Words of wisdom from university entrance ceremonies
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15.04.2024
“Youth is wasted on the young.”
This famous quote from Nobel laureate George Bernard Shaw was used by Mariko Hayashi, the chairperson of the board of trustees of Nihon University, during her speech at this spring’s entrance ceremony.
Although she jokingly referred to it as “adult envy,” she expressed a desire for the young to understand that they are standing on “an endless road of possibilities stretching ahead.”
“What does ‘honmamon’ (the genuine) exactly mean?” asked Masahiro Yoshimoto, the president of the Kyoto Institute of Technology. He explained that university education should enable students to discern real from fake.
In a world overflowing with artificial intelligence-generated falsehoods, the ability to discern........
© The Asahi Shimbun
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