Congratulatory Address

Congratulations to all of you who graduate or complete your studies in the Division of Mechanical Engineering in March 2022. Originally, we planned to hand over your diploma at the Degree Conferral Ceremony of the Division of Mechanical Engineering at Hagi Hall, but we decided to cancel it because of concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus. It is with great regret that we could not hold the event for three years in a row. I would like to ask for your kind understanding.
On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Division of Mechanical Engineering, I would like to express my congratulations to all of you.

Congratulations to those who graduate from the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. You have made it as the result of four years of undergraduate study at Tohoku University. Since we first met here, I believe you have had great opportunities to study in Sendai, not only in the classrooms at the Kawauchi campus and Aobayama campus, but also in the extra-curricular activities and part-time jobs outside the campus. When you went on to the third grade, you encountered an unprecedented situation of new coronavirus infection, and your life in the laboratory has become unexpected in many ways. In particular, the communications with the supervisors, classmates, seniors, and juniors in the laboratory became online or virtual, which brought inconveniences and difficulties. However, the fact that you were able to reach the day of graduation today is proof that you have overcome these issues. I hope you will positively consider it a precious experience for your future. Many of the students will go on to the Master’s program. In the Master’s program, you are required to learn by yourself and solve new problems. Sometimes your challenges may not be successful. But I believe the experience of overcoming difficulties will help you grow. I hope you will do your best with a positive attitude.

Congratulations to those who complete the Master’s program in the Division of Mechanical Engineering. I believe that you have learned a lot in our two-year program, mainly through research activities. However, in these two years, you had to study in an unusual situation where the guidance sessions and most of the lectures were given online. You have had a hard time completing your Master’s research project under the situation that you were unable to go to the laboratory as you planned. I fully appreciate your effort to overcome the difficulties.
Many of you will be going out into the world to work for companies and other organizations. Under the rapid changes in the social and corporate environments due to new types of diseases or other issues, you will be required to produce results within a set deadline and time frame, even more so than at universities. Although the research topic at university may not be directly connected to your work, I believe the approaches toward problem-solving that you learned in your Master’s research must be helpful. I believe in your success.

Congratulations to those who complete the Doctoral program and obtain the Ph.D. degree, which is a kind of license as an individual researcher. I would like to express my sincere respect to you for completing your Doctoral dissertation in the COVID-19 situation. You must have faced many difficulties, but you should be proud of the fact that you overcame them and are here today. In these three years, we learned the importance of face-to-face communication between people. On the other hand, we also learned the merit of being connected with the world through Internet technology. I hope you will make use of these experiences for taking a global leadership.
A Doctoral degree is important not only in academia, but also in companies in order to be active on a global level as an engineer or researcher. While being aware of its value and responsibility, I would like you to be active as a leader in all sectors of society.

I would like to express my congratulations again to all of you who have graduated or completed your studies. Please share your gratitude to your parents and others who have supported you. I hope you will take what you have learned in the Division of Mechanical Engineering, Tohoku University, and Sendai to heart and play an active role in the various fields in Japan and the world.

March 25, 2022
Chairman, Division of Mechanical Engineering

Kazuya Yoshida