令和7年度千葉大学大学院入学式　学長告辞

As the autumn light grows gentle and the clear air passes through the trees on our campus, it is my great pleasure to congratulate all of you entering the Master’s, Doctoral, and Professional Degree Programs at Chiba University Graduate School. I also extend warm congratulations to your families and supporters.

Many of you have come here after experiences in your undergraduate studies or in society. You chose to begin new research, to deepen your studies, or to gain advanced professional skills. We are very pleased and proud to welcome students filled with curiosity and determination. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I promise that we will give our full support as you pursue your goals.

Seeds of research are as diverse as the number of researchers. Beneath what we think of as “obvious facts,” many unknowns still remain. During your years here, I encourage you to follow your interests and passions, and to explore fully the research themes and academic fields that inspire you.

Chiba University was founded in the postwar era as a new national university. And this year we mark the 76th anniversary of our founding. Today, the University has 11 faculties and nine graduate schools, including the newly established Faculty and Graduate School of Informatics. Guided by the principle “Always Aim Higher,” we pursue learning, education, and research as a comprehensive university. I hope you will not only pursue your own specialization deeply, but also broaden your perspectives through interdisciplinary exchanges that enrich both your studies and your life.

Japan today faces serious challenges: a declining birthrate and aging population, frequent natural disasters, international tensions, and issues of environment, energy, and climate. In such a time, graduate schools play a vital role. They are not only places to deepen knowledge, but also centers for integrating ideas, creating new value, and showing the way forward for future society.

This year, Chiba University has presented a new vision: “Shaping the Future of Life, Environment, and Society, through the Resonance of Knowledge.” This vision is not limited to a single field. It aims to bring together our wide range of disciplines, deepen knowledge through the three pillars of Life, Environment, and Society, and create new value through their resonance. Each of your studies and research will become a source of this “resonating knowledge.”

At the same time, we are strengthening ties between the University and society, and fostering entrepreneurship. We established the Entrepreneurship Center and the company we call Chiba University Connect. At Kashiwa-no-ha Campus, we opened the Biohealth Open Innovation Hub to promote collaboration with industry, local governments, and research institutions. I hope you will take advantage of these opportunities.

As you begin your graduate journey, I would like to emphasize three points.
First, deepen your expertise, but also engage in dialogue with other fields. Complex problems cannot be solved without wisdom across disciplines.
Second, build international perspectives and communication skills, while always keeping society in mind. Do not stop at theory, but learn to connect research to real-world issues, to understand diverse values, and to speak and act on the global stage.
Third, maintain high ethical standards and integrity as researchers. Research is free, but its impact extends to society as a whole. Please pursue knowledge with responsibility.

You are graduate students, but also young researchers at the front line of knowledge. Chiba University is committed to supporting you with financial aid and research environments. More than 300 graduate students each year benefit from programs such as the All Directional Innovative Challenger Ph.D. Project. Please use these opportunities actively, and draw out your full potential. Chiba University welcomes your challenges and will continue to support you.
We look forward to seeing your achievements at Chiba University Graduate School. Once again, congratulations on your admission.

October 1, 2025

Koutaro Yokote

President of Chiba University