【Niigata Univ.①】Graduate Representative!
On 23 March 2021, I was the graduate representative of the Niigata University Graduation Ceremony for the academic year 2020. To be honest, I wasn't sure until the end if I was a suitable representative, but I gave my speech* to express my gratitude to Niigata University for helping me to grow up.
Manuscript of my speech.
This academic year, the ceremony could not be held at Toki Messe as in previous years but was instead held via live streaming. That was a form never before seen because my speech was recorded at the Library Hall, Niigata University Central Library on 10 March and then was live-streamed on the day of the ceremony.
Picture before the recording in the laboratory of the supervisor (Assoc. Prof. Shinsaku KOJI).
Picture after the recording in the Library Hall, Niigata University Central Library.
It was all very unpredictable until the very end because I had Prof. Takatsune NARUMI and Assoc. Prof. Shinsaku KOJI come to the recording, and had my makeup applied for the first time in my life. I hope I will continue to enjoy the unpredicted.
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*Original text of my speech (Japanese) (PDF) ----English follows Japanese----
答辞
厳しい冬に堪え忍んで開花した雪椿が、春の日差しに映える季節となりました。
本日は、朱鷺メッセでの対面による式典は叶いませんでしたが、私たちのために配信により式典を挙行していただいたことに、卒業生を代表して御礼申し上げます。ただいま牛木学長より激励の言葉を賜りました。新潟大学で得た知識や経験を糧に、自己実現を果たしていくことを改めて決意いたしました。
本日に至るまでの日々は、大変予測し難い出来事ばかりでした。2011年3月11日、私は中学校の卒業式の帰りに東日本大震災の被害に遭いました。原発事故の影響で、日常生活を送るのが困難な日々が続きました。震災から10年。私たちは、災害という脅威にどこまで立ち向かうことができているでしょうか。2020年、新型コロナウイルス感染症が世界的に拡大しました。特に私たちにとっては、学修、研究、就職活動、そして何より人と人との交流という点で、学生生活が制限される場面がいくつもありました。私たちは、ウイルスという脅威にどこまで立ち向かうことができているでしょうか。
私にとっては、2017年の大学入試から、現在の研究分野の選択まで予測し難いことの連続でした。私は文系学部への進学を志望していましたが、受験勉強を進めるうちに、興味を抱いた生物学を学びたいと考えました。しかし文系から理系に転じるには時は遅く、センター試験間近でした。私はそれでも自分に嘘をつきたくありませんでした。そこで大学から理系の分野を学べないかと考えました。新潟大学創生学部は、受験時の文理選択によらず、大学から興味に応じた分野の履修が可能であることを知りました。私は、急遽進路を文学部から創生学部へ変更しました。さらに現在では、学部の演習で知った、蛋白質代謝学、臨床腫瘍学に関連する研究を行っています。私は文学部を志望していた当時、現在の研究分野に携わることを予測できていたでしょうか。
この世界はきっと、予測が困難なことばかりだと思います。明日は大きな困難が待っているかもしれません。大きな失敗をしてしまうかもしれません。しかし、それを絶望と捉えるか深みのある人生の1ページと捉えるか、あるいは、失敗と捉えるか成功への一歩と捉えるかによって、その後の結果が大きく変わると思います。私は研究を続けて参ります。研究でも期待した結果が得られない場合がよくあります。私はそのときに落ち込まないようにします。大きな発見の入り口にいるのかもしれないと、楽観的に考えるようにします。
こうした考え方は、創生学部で醸成されました。創生学部は、37年ぶりに新設された学部で、社会課題を念頭に置いた学修、文理に縛られない学修に特徴があります。私はこれに加えて、多くの分野の先生方、学生と議論できたことが大変有意義でした。さらに私は理学を中心に学修しました。これにより、社会課題を念頭に置いた応用研究だけでなく、すぐに役に立つかはわかりませんが、知的好奇心や学問的価値という観点から重要な基礎研究の意義も理解することができました。私は今後基礎研究に従事します。その時に、どのように応用研究に結び付けられるかも考えるようにします。俯瞰的にものごとの立ち位置を理解しようとするようになったことが、私の創生学部生としての到達地点でした。
創生学部での4年間も予測し難いことばかりでしたが、微力ながら1期生として後輩のモデルになれていれば幸いです。私たちはこのように、先の見えない明日を一歩ずつ進んでいく必要があります。しかし私たちの一歩は、後に続く者の道しるべとなります。自分の決めた道を信じて、他者を魅了する一歩を踏みしめて参ります。
最後になりますが、鳴海敬倫創生学部長をはじめ、ご指導を賜りました先生方、学生生活を支えてくださいましたすべての皆さまに御礼申し上げます。そして何より、私の進む道を見守ってくれた両親に、心より感謝します。皆さまのご多幸と、新潟大学のさらなる発展を願い、答辞といたします。
令和3年3月23日
卒業生代表
創生学部創生学修課程 騎西健太
*Translated language version (English)
Speech by graduate representative
This is the season when the snow camellias that have endured the harsh winter bask in the spring sunlight.
While we are not able to hold an actual graduation ceremony at Toki Messe today, on behalf of all the graduating students, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for this online ceremony. Prof. Tatsuo USHIKI, the President has just delivered his words of encouragement. We renew our determination to make good use of the knowledge and experience we gained at Niigata University in our pursuit of self-realization.
We have witnessed so many unexpected events up until today. On 11 March 2011, I was on my way home from my junior high school graduation ceremony when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. In the aftermath of the nuclear plant accident, it was difficult to lead a normal life for a long time. Ten years have passed since the massive earthquake. How well prepared are we now to face the threat of disasters? The novel coronavirus pandemic spread all over the world in 2020. For us, this has entailed many restrictions in the students’ life in terms of our studies, research, job hunting, and most importantly, interaction with other people. How well prepared are we to face the threat posed by this virus?
The novel coronavirus pandemic spread all over the world in 2020. For us, this has entailed many restrictions in the students’ life in terms of our studies, research, job hunting, and most importantly, interaction with other people. How well prepared are we to face the threat posed by this virus?
Personally, I had had to face unpredictable situations from the time I took the university’s entrance examination in 2017 to the time I decided on my current field of research. At first, I was going to study the humanities. But when I was preparing for the admission test, I became interested in biology and wanted to major in this field. However, it was too late to shift from the humanities to the sciences because it was too close to the National Centre Test for University Admissions. Yet, I still wanted to follow my heart, so I tried to find out if I could study science courses after entering the university. I later learned that enrolment in the College of Creative Studies enables you to study fields depending on your interests regardless of whether you enter the university as a humanity or science student. I quickly changed my application from the Faculty of Humanities to the College of Creative Studies. At present, I am doing research related to protein metabolism and clinical oncology, areas of study that I learned about in my seminar. At the time I wished to study the humanities, I could not have imagined that I would end up studying these subjects today.
I think this world is probably full of the unpredictable. We might face great difficulties tomorrow or we could make big mistakes. The result, however, will be very different depending on whether you regard those as something hopeless or as a profound experience in life, or whether you think of those as failure or as a step toward success. I will continue with my research. While one is often unable to obtain the expected results in research, I will not be disheartened; I will think optimistically that I could be on the brink of a great discovery.
This is the mindset that I acquired at the College of Creative Studies. The college is the first new faculty founded by the university in thirty-seven years. It focuses on investigating social issues across the boundary of the humanities and the sciences. In addition, I also think that the discussions with professors and many students from various fields are of great significance. Furthermore, I studied mainly science. They have helped me to understand the significance of not only applied research focused on social issues but also basic research from the standpoint of intellectual curiosity and academic value, even though this may not be of immediate usefulness. I will continue to engage in basic research while I will also think of how to link this to applied research. The ability to understand the paradigm of things from a comprehensive perspective is one achievement I have made as a student at the College of Creative Studies.
I have also had many unpredictable experiences in my four years at the college. I only hope that I can serve as a role model for succeeding students as a member of the first batch of students at this college. We need to move forward, one step at a time, into the uncertain future, but each step we take will become a guidepost for those coming after us. We will believe in the path that we have chosen and take solid steps that will inspire others.
Lastly, I would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Takatsune NARUMI, the Dean of the College of Creative Studies and all the professors who guided us, and to everyone who supported our student life. Above all, I would like to thank my parents, who watched over me as I moved ahead, from the bottom of my heart. As I end this speech, I would like to wish you all happiness and wish for Niigata University’s advancement.
23 March 2021
Graduate representative: Kenta Kevee Kisaï
Creative Studies Course, College of Creative Studies
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Zaku-Zaku-Gohan, Kenta Kevee Kisaï, #5
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