President’s Address at the Convocation Ceremony for the Fall 2026 Semester

　Congratulations on your entering Doshisha University. It is my great pleasure to welcome you here at Kambaikan on the Imadegawa Campus. Welcome to Doshisha University. I would like to express my deep respect to all of you gathering here today for your past efforts. I would also like to extend my congratulations to your families and acquaintances who have nurtured and watched over you until this day.
　Today, I would like to talk about “truth” and “conscience” that Doshisha University has valued since its founding. I will begin with the origin of this building, Kambaikan.
　The name Kambaikan was taken from the Chinese poem by our founder, Joseph Hardy Neesima, “Truth is like a plum blossom in the cold. It dares to bloom, braving storms and snows.” Like the plum blossom that blooms in the cold weather as if to resist the wind and snow, Neesima meant to say that truth is found in harsh and adverse circumstances, and that it is through perseverance that you can reach the truth. Truth is not necessarily in easily obtained answers.
　In recent years, generative AIs have advanced rapidly, giving us convincing answers immediately after we ask a question. Cutting-edge technology is certainly convenient, but if you only enjoy the convenience, you cannot recognize what the answer means to you or how it points the way to the truth. AI users are expected to be willing to ask questions, examine them, and think them through patiently on their own, rather than simply receiving answers. I would like each of you to be like a plum blossom blooming in storms and snow.
　The emblem of Doshisha University also features the Latin word for truth. It depicts Clarke Memorial Hall, beneath which the Latin phrase “VERITAS LIBERABIT VOS” is inscribed. This message is taken from the Gospel of John in the New Testament and means “the truth will set you free.” In other words, the pursuit of truth at Doshisha is not limited to the acquisition of knowledge but is regarded as striving to live more freely.
　Each of you comes from a diverse ethnic and cultural background. A diverse student body is essential to learning at the university because it exposes students to different perspectives and helps them see the world more broadly. In the real world, however, ethnic, religious, or class differences cause tensions and conflicts between nations and even within a country. Learning that involves examining facts from multiple angles and persistently seeking the truth is even more important in such a chaotic era. I expect you all to develop an intellectual foundation that enables you to think for yourself without being swept up in the flood of information, and to learn alongside people from different backgrounds by meeting and interacting with teachers and classmates, so that you will grow into a freer person.
　On the occasion of Doshisha’s 150th anniversary of its founding last year, Doshisha University issued a new vision called “Know together, change together - With a Good Conscience.” “Know together” is the original meaning of the word “conscience,” and it represents our commitment to inheriting and pursuing the philosophy of Neesima, who spoke about conscience on important occasions. “Knowing together” before judging good and bad is a basic mindset, but with deepening divides and conflicts today, it is becoming increasingly difficult. We can “change together” by accumulating experiences of “knowing together” difficult problems. Learning with conscience means continuing to question what truth is, together with others.
　For Neesima, conscience was deeply connected to freedom and truth, and it served as a force that pushed people to a new stage beyond the existing system. Neesima also strongly believed that people and society can be changed through a new form of education. We can nurture people with conscience and spread the idea of conscience across society only if we continue our endeavor to “know together and change together,” rather than being content with our 150-year tradition.
　Your student life begins with the convocation ceremony here in Kambaikan. Having celebrated the 150th anniversary of our founding, I am pleased to welcome you, our new students, to this community of knowledge where we pursue truth together. I would like to conclude my address by congratulating you on your enrollment and wishing you a fruitful and productive student life.