President's Address on the occasion of Saitama University
Entrance Ceremony 2021
April has come round once more. As the campus looks forward to the blooming of spring, so
we too look forward to having you all join us here. Today, we are proud to welcome 1,598
Bachelor’s students, 543 Master’s students and 51 Doctoral students to our university.
Allow me to officially congratulate you on beginning your studies here and on behalf of all ourstaff, let me welcome you with an open heart. I would also like to express my congratulations andgratitude to the family and friends who supported you throughout your journey.

Last year, the spread of COVID-19, along with the declaration of a state of emergency has hada significant impact on both our individual lives and society as a whole. Students starting theirfreshman year at the university not only had to contend with the difficulties of the pandemic, butalso with the introduction of the Common Test for University Admissions and the confusingreformation of the university exams. Students who are joining us as graduates spent last year
under severe restrictions, most likely in a state of anxiety and frustration unable to proceed with
their research as they would have liked. You have all continued tirelessly with your studies andresearch under incredibly difficult circumstances, to join us here as undergraduates and graduates,
and you have my deepest, sincerest admiration.

Saitama University traces its roots back 147 years to the founding of Saitama Normal School.
In 1949, Saitama Normal School was joined with Saitama Youth Normal School and Urawa HighSchool to become a new university, and in its 71-year history has sent over 80000 graduates out
into the world. Our graduates, including the winner of the Nobel Prize for physics, Takaaki Kajita,
are active in a wide range of fields, from politics, economics and industry to academia andeducation, and make significant contributions to the development of Japan and the world.
Now, today I would like to talk about “learning.” But first, let me talk a little about the historyof the Urawa High School. From the Meiji era until after the end of the Pacific War, the highschools that were part of the old education system were places to provide preparatory education
to enter the faculties of the old system of universities. The universities followed a liberal arts
curriculum with a focus on humanities and foreign languages. The Urawa High School opened in
1921, exactly 100 years ago, and was originally located on the site of Kita-Urawa Park, in what
was then Urawa Machi, Kita-Adachi-Gun, Saitama prefecture.
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In 2009, the university celebrated its 60th anniversary, and was presented with important
historical documents by the alumni association of the Urawa High School. These documents werethen placed in a memorial room in the library. One of these documents contained an essay titled“On Learning” by the philosophy professor Yutaka Awaya, who writes “Only when we havedigested knowledge, made it flesh and blood, may we say it has been ‘learned’. Only a personwith broad knowledge, an avid curiosity and capable of absorb information, may be called ‘aperson of learning’. Hence, to advance in any specialty or profession, an education that fosters
learning in a broad range of subjects is essential.”
A student taught by Professor Awaya wrote “‘Learning’ is the power to expand time and space.”
The essay continues, “The desire to ‘learn’ is at the core of self-motivated study, both in theclassroom and out. Learning is what helps us to cultivate compassion, empathy and an open mind.”
The student also wrote that the “power of learning” lies in its ability to help us see the world witha broader perspective, and seek to make connections with others. These documents show us thata deep love for ‘learning’ in its purest sense was at the heart of the Urawa High School educational
philosophy. These essays also place learning as the very quality that enables us to obtain andimbibe knowledge, and approach matters with an open mind.

Modern society has undergone a major transformation, driven by dramatic advances in digitaltechnology and globalization. The pace of technological innovation will continue to accelerate,
and the COVID-19 pandemic will likely cause people to re-examine and reflect on what is
important to them. Furthermore, as the United Nations establishes Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), ensuring the sustainability of the earth, humanity, and society is becoming evenmore critical. These are only reflections of a major change, and 20 to 30 years from now, whenyou are at the center of society, the world will be undergoing even greater changes than we canimagine. “Learning,” which Professor Awaya and his colleagues place so much importance on,will provide you with a strong foundation so you may respond creatively to these changes. By
enriching yourself with learning, you develop the ability to think autonomously, and can carveyour own path in an ever-changing age. If you wish to truly “learn,” you must look further thanyour studies. You must seek out people, books, experiences, and never lose your curiosity.

Atuniversity, students are expected to identify problems on their own, and use their creativity to findsolutions and seek out the truth. These problem-solving skills are also integral to learning. To
foster learning, you must do more than just acquiring knowledge. You must take that knowledge,
absorb it, and make it your own. Only then can you say you have truly “learned.” I hope you
remember this during your time here.
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At our university, all the different faculties and graduate schools are brought together in our
beautiful green campus. It is a place where students from different faculties and specialties cancome together. This makes it the ideal environment to meet people from different backgrounds,
to broaden your knowledge and develop your mind. In addition, the university has strong ties withover 170 overseas universities and prides itself on providing rich experiences to overseas students,
and to Japanese students studying abroad. In the 2019 academic year, we welcomed 634
international students, and 57 students were undergoing long-term study at partner universities
overseas. Saitama University has also established an international dormitory where international
students and Japanese students can live together, where we hope students may cultivate acomprehensive understanding of diversity in culture. As I mentioned earlier, if you wish to foster
learning, you must make efforts to educate yourself.

Eventually, the restrictions put in place forthe pandemic will be lifted, and alongside new online technology, people will once again startmoving and international exchange will return. We offer many programs for students to study
abroad, and I hope that you will take on these challenges. Find the confidence and the desire to
knock on the door and take the opportunity that awaits you. Remember, your potential for growthis limited only by your own imagination.

Today, you have taken the first step on your academic journey. As last year so clearly taught us,
there are many things that we cannot predict. However, whatever the era, whatever the society,learning is a path that always leads to hope. I am sure that while you are at Saitama University,
you will learn well, discover friendships, and experience both highs and lows. All of this will lead
you to a bright and hopeful future. We, the faculty and staff, will do our best to support you on
your journey.
Once again, congratulations on your admission to our school.

April 8, 2021
Takafumi Sakai
President, Saitama University3