武庫川女子大学の令和5年度卒業式が行われました。20日も行われます。

English below.

 

武庫川女子大学の令和5年度卒業式が3月19日、午前午後の2部に分かれて行われました。20日も行われ、両日で2221人が進学や就職など次のステージに進みます。

 

19日午前は文学部、建築学部、音楽学部、看護学部、午後は教育学部、生活環境学部、薬学部が卒業式に臨みました。今年度の卒業生は入学時、新型コロナウイルス感染症のまん延により、入学式が中止となった世代だけに、家族が複数人参列するケースも多くみられ、会場は３階まで参列者で埋まりました。

 

学院歌のメロディの鐘で幕が開き、在学生の司会で厳かに式典がスタート。各学科の代表者が舞台に進み、瀬口和義学長から卒業証書を受け取りました。

 

瀬口学長は式辞で4年前、入学式が中止となったことに触れ、「不安でいっぱいだったことでしょう。今、当時の自分が少し幼く、いとおしく感じられたら、それが成長の証です」と気遣いました。さらに世界で紛争が絶えず、国内では災害が多発し、少子高齢化に歯止めがかからないこと、ChatGPTに代表される生成AIが教育の現場を揺るがしていることなど社会情勢を概観。「世界は未知なるものであふれている。未知なるものは希望と恐れを伴う」としたうえで、「変化はチャンスです。4年間、様々な学びと活動に取り組んだみなさんは、困難に耐え、危機をはねのける力を身に付けています。何も恐れることはありません」と激励。「未知なるものにワクワクするか、恐れるか、無関心であるかは一人ひとりの心の向け方次第です。どうか心のアンテナを瑞々しく保ち、未知なるものにワクワクしながら学び続け、実り豊かな人生を歩んでください」と語りかけました。

 

在学生の送辞、卒業生の答辞でも、コロナ禍への言及が続きました。在学生総代の心理・社会福祉学科3年大塚華さんは「コロナ禍で活動が制限される中でも、オンライン等を活用して体育祭や文化祭を実施した先輩たちの姿を見て、諦めず立ち向かう大切さを学びました」と述べました。卒業生総代の音楽学部演奏学科の中村早紀さんは「私たちの大学生活は入学式中止の知らせから始まりましたが、徐々にキャンパスに当たり前に音のある日々が戻ってきました。何か一つ欠けても他の視点でアプローチすることで道が開けることを学びました」と振り返り、友人、教職員、家族に感謝を述べました。

 

卒業生は同窓会組織である「鳴松会」の会員となり、母校とつながり続けます。

 

20日は大学の卒業式と、大学院、専攻科の修了式、21日は短期大学部の卒業式が行われます。

 

The 2023 graduation ceremony of Mukogawa Women's University was held on March 19th in two segments, morning and afternoon, and will be held on 20th as well, with 2,221 students graduating in total.

On the morning of March 19th, the graduation ceremony was held in the schools of Literature, Architecture, Music and Nursing, and in the afternoon Schools of Education, Human and Environmental Sciences and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences celebrated their graduation ceremonies. This year's graduates are from the generation whose entrance ceremony was cancelled due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, so there were many cases where several family members attended the ceremony and the hall was filled up to the third floor with attendees.

The curtain was raised by the bells to the melody of the school anthem, and the ceremony began solemnly, with students who are currently enrolled in the school acting as MC. Representatives from each department proceeded to the stage to receive their diplomas from President Kazuyoshi Seguchi.

In his address, President Seguchi referred to the cancellation of the entrance ceremony four years ago and said: 'You must have been full of anxiety. If you now feel a little younger and more affectionate than you did then, that is a sign of growth". He also gave an overview of the social situation, including the constant conflicts in the world, frequent disasters in Japan, an unstoppable decline in birthrates and an ageing population, and generative AI such as ChatGPT shaking up the field of education. 'The world is full of unknowns. Change is an opportunity, and after four years of learning and engaging in a variety of activities, you have acquired the ability to withstand difficulties and defy crises. You have nothing to fear. Whether you are excited, afraid or indifferent to the unknown depends on the direction of your mind. Please keep your sense of alertness sharp, keep learning and be excited about the unknown, and lead a fulfilling life'.

 T The valedictorian of the year was Ms. Hana Otsuka, a third-year student in the Department of Psychology and Social Welfare, who said: 'I learnt the importance of not giving up and facing up to the situation by watching the seniors who organized the Sports Festival and Cultural Festival using online and other means, even though there were restrictions on activities due to the pandemic'. Saki Nakamura of the Department of Performance at the Faculty of Music, who was the valedictorian of the graduating class, said: 'Our university life started with the news that the entrance ceremony was cancelled, but gradually we were able to regain a sense of normality on campus. We learnt that even if one thing is missing, we can find a way by approaching it from other perspectives", she reflected, expressing gratitude to her friends, faculty and family.

The graduation ceremony of the University for graduate and postgraduate courses will be held on January 20th, while the graduation ceremony of the junior college will be held on January 21st.