Message from the President of Saitama University to the 2019 Graduates
Due to the record warm winter, this year’s cherry blossom bloom in Tokyo was the earliest
since the statistics began in 1953. The cherry blossoms also on the campus of Saitama
University shine in the brilliant sunlight, giving us the joy of spring. On this pleasant day,
I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on your graduation. In addition, I
express deep respect and congratulations to your families who have given support to you.
The numbers of graduates who earned doctoral, master’s and professional degrees are 26,558 and 23, respectively. 87 of them (14% of all graduates) are from 12 overseas countries,and 53 (9%) are re-educated people with their jobs. It is distinctive to be full of diverse
students in "Saitama University All in One Campus at Metropolitan Area Saitama".
Originally, I planned to speak directly to you at the graduation ceremony, but I cannot do
so because of the ceremony cancelation due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection,
which is rampant worldwide. Given that the graduation ceremony is a milestone in yourlife, it is very unfortunate not to have the graduation ceremony with the Presidentaddress. I just wish that you shall be starting a new step with the peace of mind, and thatthe infections both in Japan and abroad will not spread further.
In fact, the graduation ceremony was canceled even in March 2011, considering the effectsof the Great East Japan Earthquake of 3.11. As we have experienced the cancellation ofgraduation ceremony twice in the last ten years and we witnessed the intensification ofnatural disasters such as the heavy rain disaster last year, which had a great influence onus, we are obliged to realize that the fragility of human society has advanced and that therisks in human society have been diversifying.
Professor T. Kamisato of Chiba University has published an interesting essay on "Risk"
and "Risk Society" (Gakutou, Maruzen, 2018). "Our lives have been suffering from various
anxieties, before someone knows. Of course, in every era, there must have been anxiety.
But the situation in which anxiety is so far in the foreground is not normal. Why has thishappened?” Starting with this question, he introduces the ideas of Ulrich Beck, a leading
German sociologist. "Two major changes will take place as modernization progresses. The
first is that modernization, which was originally aimed at affluence, is becoming a threat
to our lives. One example is the occurrence of environmental issues, and modernization
leads to the personalization of decisions and consequently their responsibility. Anotherchange is that of people. Generally, when material wealth is achieved to some extent,
people become more afraid of losing rather than obtaining new things. Even if you havethings, if you don't have time to use them or if you are not healthy, you cannot enjoy
consumer life." Based on the Beck’s argument, Prof. Kamisato explains that thesimultaneous progress of these two changes will put risk at the top of the social agenda.
By referring to the risk view of another German sociologist, N. Luhmann, Prof. Kamisato
also discusses as follows. "After all, risk always shows up when decisions are made in
freedom. Furthermore, responsibility comes with it. Luhmann mentions that there is risk
where there is control, and this ironically means that the wider the possibility of adecision, the riskier the world becomes. Risks come down to us, along with freedoms andresponsibilities, as technology advances to make the outside world more manipulable, andas democracy expands to broaden the channels of citizen participation in politics."

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So how do we deal with these risks? It's a tough question to answer, given the risks posedby the new coronavirus. However, I think the talk in the book, Thought on City andNature (Shueisha, 2017), between the philosopher Dr. K. Washida and the anthropologist
Dr. J. Yamagiwa, which discusses about the role of scientists and the Fukushima nuclear
accident, gives us a hint. As an example of clinical philosophy, Dr. Washida first explains asense of housework such as thinking about what to cook with remaining ingredients,
washing dishes and looking after children while preparing meals. He then says, "It is
important to have a wisdom of worrying about the whole and the others by watchingaround and by using available things well. Such intellect is now demanded. As academic
disciplines have been segmentalized, the person who controls all the intellect has gone
and this might have caused the nuclear accident to be enlarged." Meanwhile, Dr.
Yamagiwa points out as an anthropologist, "Recently it is not necessary to gather even fora meal because people prefer to eat their favorite things anytime and anywhere they like,just as scientists stay in their favorite academic areas without turning their eyes on theoutside world. Scientists dig deeply into their own themes to master their specialty and,during that time, there is no room to pay attention to other things." Then Dr. Washidafollows, "Now scientist is not a wise man with intellect, but a person just with knowledge.
He needs the intellect paying attention not only vertically but also horizontally. If thenuclear power plant accident is reconsidered on the basis of the previous housework idea,
for example, it is necessary to foresee the budget, a future risk and cleanup. Isn’t it theliberal arts of professionals to be able to pay attention to all these directions
horizontally?"
I am sure that " liberal arts of professionals" is a very important perspective for you todeal with risk. It is essential to start paying attention to all the horizontal directions, andon top of that, the words by Prof. S. Kajitani of the University of Tokyo in his book, WhatThinking Means (Gentosha, 2018), may be helpful. "We begin to think only by having aquestion. Even if we think in our head, it just floats and disappears, so we need to talk.
What's more, our thinking would be deeper and richer if someone could respond ourtalking. Therefore, the dialogue is meaningful in the senses that the dialogue with others
in different standpoints and perspectives naturally broadens and deepens our own way of
thinking, and also that we become aware of what used to be our constraints and able tothink about the possibilities of something different." Through dialogue, we may be able todevelop knowledge in various horizontal directions.
The future society is a risk society with rapid and unpredictable changes. We must gather
intellect of diverse experts both vertically and horizontally for the human wellbeing. Eachand every one of you is expected to play a role as a member of this knowledge-intensivesociety. I do hope you to master liberal arts of professionals by continuing 'questioning','thinking' and 'dialoguing' based on your research at Saitama University, and to become awell-balanced intellectual professional in the future.
March 23, 2020
YAMAGUCHI Hiroki, Dr. Eng.
President, Saitama University2