President’s Address at the Saitama University Graduation Ceremony
for the academic year 2022
As we come together on this auspicious March day, with new buds beginning to sprout on thecampus zelkova trees, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all those who are
graduating from Saitama University and completing their graduate studies. And to thefamilies and supporters who have watched over and supported these students with deep
affection, and on behalf of our faculty and staff, I offer my congratulations and gratitude.
Today, 1581 undergraduate students, 511 master’s students, and 22 doctoral students will
graduate and complete their studies. Included among our graduates are x international
students, who come from China, Korea, Bangladesh, etc.
Although the novel coronavirus pandemic that began three years ago is finally showing signsof ending, many constraints have been placed on your student life during this time, and there
have been times when communication with classmates and teachers was difficult. Despite
these challenges and conflicts, I want to express my sincere respect to all of you for overcoming
them and pursuing your studies and research tirelessly to make it to this day.
Over the past three years, we have witnessed significant divisions and conflicts that will godown in history, not only with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, but also with Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine and the attacks on the Capitol in the United States and Brazil. In ourcomplex and strongly interconnected world of today, the political, economic, cultural, andsocial issues faced by each country have a global impact, and we must always be aware of therisk of division and conflict.
On the other hand, the rapid progress of science and technology has begun to greatly change
our ways of living and thinking. In recent years, the application of AI, the utilization of bigdata, and the introduction of metaverses have undoubtedly changed our lives. Considering
the major waves being made in the world and the accelerating development of science andtechnology, even in the near term, we cannot predict the future of society as an extrapolationof the past, and it is inevitable that we would face a volatile, uncertain, complex, andambiguous era known as VUCA.
Today, I would like to talk to you about the importance of respecting diversity as a way tosurvive these times and achieve well-being for each and every one of us.
In 2019, Matthew Syed, a columnist for the UK newspaper The Times, published “Rebel

Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking,” which was translated into Japanese as “The Scienceof Diversity: Organizations That Decline Due to Uniformity and Organizations that Solve
Problems with Multiple Perspectives.” In this book, Syed noted that one of the factors that
led to the failure of the CIA, the US foreign intelligence agency, to prevent the simultaneous
terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001, was the lack of amulti-faceted perspective due to being composed of a homogeneous group in terms of race,gender, social class, education, and other factors. Additionally, he stated that when attempting
to solve complex problems, such as developing new products, treating diseases, andaddressing issues such as climate change and poverty, it is necessary to step back and viewthings from a new perspective that is different from what has been done before, and that“diversity” is important for the healthy development of things and projects.
Indeed, I believe that the quality of decision-making declines when a highly homogeneousgroup of people gather for discussion due to their similar basis of thought. Each individual has
their own narrative and unique perspective, and in an organization composed of people withdiverse backgrounds, different opinions and ideas are more likely to be presented, allowing
for multidimensional considerations. Recently, there has been a greater emphasis on theimportance of diversity, including gender and race, and it can be said that ensuring diversity
in knowledge, experience, and culture is an important condition for the growth anddevelopment of society and organizations. The principle of “leave no one behind” at the heartof the “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” adopted in 2015 includes diversity.
Respecting diversity leads to the elimination of all discrimination and inequality, contributes
significantly to the realization of a society where everyone can live well, and leads to therealization of our individual well-being. So what is required of each of us to live in such asociety or organization? The answer is to not hold prejudices against people with backgrounds
or values that are different from our own. However, humans cannot avoid having some biases,
which leads to prejudice. That is why it is essential to consider things under the recognition
that we have biases ourselves, and it is the power of education that helps us recognize ourbiases. On the other hand, to allow diversity to be demonstrated, it is also important toestablish a “self” that can think, judge, and act independently, rather than blindly conforming
to others. Therefore, I hope that you will continue to maintain an attitude of aiming for adiverse society by establishing yourself, and understanding and respecting others’ narratives.
Saitama University, from which you are all graduating, began its history in 1873, when theSaitama Prefectural Government started a teacher training program. This year marks the150th anniversary of its foundation, while one of the university’s predecessors, the former
Urawa High School, opened its doors 101 years ago. It has been more than half a century since
the campus was relocated to its current location in Okubo, and throughout this long history,

the campus has been covered with lush greenery and has offered magnificent views in every
season. I hope you always remember the cherry blossoms and budding trees in spring, thedeep greenery and shade in summer, the autumn leaves, and the dignified appearance of thetrees in winter. Through your education at the greenery-rich Saitama University, you havegained the necessary knowledge and skills to pave the way for a new era and build a peacefulworld, and have fully developed the ability to succeed in society. Be proud of this achievement,
and confidently walk towards your future.
I sincerely wish that your future days will be filled with hope and brilliance.
Congratulations to you all.
March 24, 2023
Takafumi Sakai
President, Saitama University