Congratulatory Address from the Chief Trustee
On this fine day when you can feel the warm breath of spring, I would like to extend my heartfelt
congratulations to all of you who are graduating today.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to your families and all those who have nurtured and warmly
watched over you. My deepest gratitude is also extended to the faculty and staff of Miyazaki International University
for the guidance you have provided our students throughout their time with us.
As representative of Miyazaki Gakuen, I commend you.
Miyazaki Gakuen was founded in 1939 by its first Chief Trustee, Sukehide Otsubo. The history of Miyazaki
Gakuen has been marked for 83 years through various changes and developments over the three eras of Showa,Heisei, and Reiwa.
The College was founded in 1994 by its second Chief Trustee, Hisayasu Otsubo. Aiming to nurture humanresources who can play an active role in global society, the college has since strived to offer an advanced liberalarts education in English. In the year of our 20th anniversary, we newly established the Faculty of Education andbegan to train educators.
The educational philosophy of the institution is "respect and diligence. " The goal of the philosophy of"respect and diligence" is the growth of all human beings. In the spirit of "respect," we have aimed for students torespect civility and humanity, to discipline themselves, and to think from the perspective of others. Furthermore, inthe spirit of "diligence," we aim to make a positive effort in all that we do, with both mind and body. These are
principles that call for a sincere attitude in our daily lives.
The world we live in is faced with various difficulties such as wars, natural disasters, and the spread of
infectious diseases. It is said that the next generation is the era of VUCA, and I firmly believe that we are now in themidst of the VUCA era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. You all entered MIU under the cloud of
the Corona virus and spent four years shackled by diverse restrictions. Your student life was one marked by abundant
tolerance. However, you overcame the difficulties of not being able to do as you wished and have made it to this day.
I have no doubt that the four years of university you experienced under the cloud of the Corona crisis will have aprofound meaning for the rest of your lives.
In order to live in this new era, we will need to have the ability to make connections and accept connections.
In addition to communication skills, you will need a wide range of knowledge, and the ability to collect, read, andinterpret data. These are in a constant state of change and advancement. Therefore, we must never stop learning
every day. Continued learning and learning throughout your lives will be essential.
The liberal arts have provided the foundation of your learning. I am sure that many of you haveencountered moments on our global campus when your common sense was not the norm. I hope that you willcontinue your studies based on the foundation of this university, aiming to understand people, understand the times,
and contribute to an affluent society.
Another crucial factor will be humility. I hope that you will remember the "respect and diligence" that isembedded in the founding spirit of the school, and live your lives with humility.
Kazuko Watanabe has authored a book titled "Bloom where you are placed. In her book, Ms. Watanabe writes,"No matter where you find yourself, never lose the desire to blossom.
Over the past four years, we have sown the seeds of a variety of lessons for all of you. In addition to the global

learning that our founder, Mr. Hisayasu Otsubo, sowed, we have also planted the seeds of learning that nurture
multifaceted thinking and the growth of our children.
I hope that each and every one of you will make the effort to nurture the seeds of learning sown at this university
and to make them blossom in your own unique ways in each of the places you will encounter in the future. The sun
may continue to shine, the wind and rain may continue to blow. Nevertheless, my greatest wish is that you willcontinue to move forward with courage and hope for the blooming of your own flowers.
At long last, the is time for you to embark on your new journey into the world. I hope that you will use yourstudies at Miyazaki International University to contribute to the development of global society. I sincerely hope thatyou will follow your own paths with high aspirations and lead wonderful lives.
In conclusion, I would like to express my deepest desire the long-lasting happiness of all our graduates, andmy sincere appreciation for the support of all those present here today, and our faculty and staff.
March 13, 2024

Keiko Yamashita
Chief Trustee, Miyazaki Gakuen