On October 1, Okayama University held The Autumn 2021 Okayama University Matriculation Ceremony at the 50th Anniversary Hall. Twenty-four undergraduate students admitted to the Discovery Program for Global Learners and 118 graduate students prepared to begin their student life at Okayama University. 　

As a result of the ongoing situation under the coronavirus pandemic, attendees were limited to new students and university personnel to lower the risk of infection.

During the opening speech, President MAKINO Hirofumi encouraged students by saying, “As a student studying at a research university promoting the SDGs, we hope that you will learn many new things with your friends and colleagues that will enable you to produce and deliver innovative discoveries, skills, and applications to the world. With that purpose in mind, please enjoy the opportunities to experience the history and culture of the Okayama region as well as its rich natural environment. Today you are standing at a new gateway in your academic career. Step ahead and challenge yourself to forge a new path. We are here to support you!”

Student representative KUBO Yotsuha, who will join the Discovery Program for Global learners, took an oath of admission on behalf of incoming students, declaring, “As incoming students of the 2021 academic year, today we become a part of Okayama University, a school promoting the SDGs. We pledge to work together with our classmates in the pursuit of more cultivated and diversified perspectives in order to solve the global and societal issues that we are currently facing. We are determined to help each other, approach our studies with an inquisitive spirit and contribute to a sustainable future.”

○Click here to watch the matriculation ceremony (Okayama University YouTube Channel)
○Click here to read President Makino’s full speech