2026年度 春学期卒業式および学位授与式式辞／President's Address at the Commencement and the Ceremony for Bestowing Degrees for the Spring 2026 Semester
2026年9月26日
式辞
この日に至るまで、皆さんは本学で多くのことを学び、さまざまな経験を積んでこられました。今日という節目に、自分は何を学び、何を身につけ、どのように成長したのかを、あらためて振り返ってみてください。その振り返りは、過去を確かめるだけのものではありません。得られた学識や経験を、これから誰のために、どのように生かしていくのかを考えるための出発点でもあります。
幼少期から大学・大学院に至るまで、学ぶことは、まず自分の可能性を広げ、人生を切り拓くためのものでした。これからは、学んだこと、経験したことを自分のためだけにとどめず、他者のため、社会のために生かす道を探してください。知識や経験は、誰かの困難に向き合い、よりよい未来を形づくるために用いられてこそ、いっそう大きな意味を持ちます。
他者や社会に関心を向け、自分に何ができるかを考え、それを行動に移すためには、自分自身がしっかりと立っていなければなりません。同志社教育の目的として、「自ら立ち、自ら治むるの人民」、すなわち自治自立の人物の育成が掲げられているのは、まさにそのことと深く関わっています。
皆さんは在学中の学びを通して、入学した頃よりも、自分の足でしっかりと立てるようになったでしょうか。しかし、同志社の伝統における自治自立とは、人の手を借りず、何でも一人でできると誇るような、孤立した自立ではありません。私たちは誰も、一人だけで生きていくことはできません。苦しいときに「助けて」と言えること、自分の限界を知り、他者を信頼することも、大切な力です。自分を支えてくれる人と出会い、自らも多くの人を支えられる存在になること。その支え合いに、皆さんが目指す自治自立の道があります。
日本社会では、「助けて」と声を上げることが容易ではなく、できないことを自己責任として責められる場面も少なくありません。幼い頃から私たちは、「人に迷惑をかけないように」と繰り返し教えられます。しかし、家族をはじめ、誰にも迷惑をかけずに大きくなった人は、一人もいないはずです。「人に迷惑をかけてはならない」という思いが強すぎれば、助けを求める声を封じ、他者の苦しみにも不寛容な社会をつくりかねません。困ったときには手を差し伸べ合える社会を築くためにも、同志社教育が目指してきた自治自立の人物が欠かせません。
この考え方は、同志社の歴史の中にもはっきりと刻まれています。自治自立を、孤立した強さではなく、支え合いの中で志を形にする力として考えるとき、創立者・新島襄の生涯は、私たちに多くの示唆を与えてくれます。新島は周囲の人々をたびたび心配させ、大きな負担もかけた人物でした。それでも、強い志に突き動かされる新島を、何とか助けたい、支えたいと願う人々が、晩年に至るまで彼の周りにはいました。
昨年、同志社は創立150周年を迎えました。新島が始めた小さな学校は、150年の時を経て大きく成長しました。その生涯と同志社の歴史を表面だけたどれば、一つのサクセス・ストーリーのように見えるかもしれません。しかし、その歩みを成功の物語としてのみ捉えるなら、大切なものを見落としかねません。ここで、新島の生涯を短く振り返ってみます。
新島がアメリカを目指し、鎖国下の日本を脱出した際には、無謀とも思える決断を支え、手助けした人々がいました。アメリカ到着後も、ハーディー夫妻らの助けがなければ、学業はおろか、生活さえ難しかったでしょう。帰国後、大阪での学校設立計画は挫折し、新島の夢は途絶えたかに見えました。ところが、同志社の共同発起人となる山本覚馬との、奇跡的とも言える出会いがあり、さらに宣教師デイヴィスの献身的な支えを得て、1875年、京都に同志社英学校を設立するに至ります。その翌年には、熊本バンドと呼ばれた学生たちが熊本から大挙して同志社に集い、同志社教育の内実が次第に整えられていきました。
こうした人々との出会いと支えがなければ、新島は自らの道を進むことができず、同志社が誕生し、発展することもなかったでしょう。新島は幾度も壁にぶつかり、途方に暮れ、失意に沈みました。そのたびに、新島を立ち上がらせ、支えようとする人々が現れました。そして新島も、困難の中で得た一つひとつの出会いを大切につなぎ、それを形にしていく迅速な決断力と行動力によって、新しい道を拓いていきました。新島自身、多くの人に助けられることにより、自治自立の人物になっていったのです。
卒業後、社会に出ていく皆さんは、学生時代には想像もしなかった困難に直面することもあるでしょう。努力しても道が開けず、自信を失う日もあるかもしれません。そのようなときにこそ、多くの人に支えられ、同時に多くの人を支え、励ました新島の生涯を思い起こしてください。助けを求めることを恐れず、目の前の出会いを大切にし、自らも誰かの支えとなってください。そこから、思いもよらない道が開けていくはずです。
卒業式は、卒業生・修了生一人ひとりにとって、また同志社の歴史にとって、大切な節目です。しかし、卒業は縁の切れ目でも、関係の終わりでもありません。同志社との関係を新たに結び直す出発点です。同志社で学んだという共通の経験によって、最初の卒業生から今日の皆さんまで、私たちは「同志」としてつながっています。今日から皆さんは、世代や地域、立場を超えて結ばれる同志社コミュニティの一員として、新たな歩みを始めます。
同志社創立150周年を迎えるに当たって、同志社大学は新たなビジョンと、それを実行するための中期計画を策定しました。その柱の一つに、「卒業生との協働による大学基盤の強化と価値創出」という目標があります。同志社大学がこれまでに送り出した38万人もの卒業生は、社会の各分野で活躍しています。卒業生の皆さんと新しい形でつながり、知恵と力を寄せ合うことで、同志社大学はさらに発展できます。卒業生は、同志社大学にとって、かけがえのない宝です。
変化の激しい現代、私たちは目の前のことに追われ、視野が狭くなりがちです。しかし、世界には、気候変動、経済格差の拡大、差別、紛争など、地球規模の課題が山積しています。学問的知見を適切に用い、よりよい社会を築くために、今ほど、高い志と良心を備えた人物が求められている時代はありません。本学で培った知識と経験を携え、異なる立場の人に耳を傾け、自ら考え、勇気をもって行動してください。支えられることを受け入れ、支えることを喜びとする自治自立の人物として、それぞれの場所で力を尽くしてください。皆さんが同志社のよき伝統を体現し、社会の希望となって活躍されることを、心より願っています。新しい一歩を踏み出す皆さん一人ひとりの前途を、神様が豊かに祝福してくださいますようお祈りし、私の式辞といたします。
Convocation Address
I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all of you who have just received your bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees on this day of celebration, and to express my profound respect for your hard work in study and research up to today. My heartfelt congratulations also go to your families and acquaintances who have warmly watched over and supported you throughout the years.
To this day, you have learned a great deal and gained a wide range of experiences at Doshisha University. On this celebratory occasion, please take time to reflect on what you have learned and gained, and on how you have developed over the years. Such reflection is not only for looking back on your past, but also a starting point for thinking about how and for whom you will use the knowledge and experiences you have gained from now on.
From childhood through university and graduate school, learning was primarily about expanding your potential to carve out your own life. From now on, please seek ways to apply what you have learned and experienced not only for yourself but also for the benefit of others and society. Knowledge and experience are more meaningful when they are used to confront others' difficulties and shape a better future.
To pay attention to others and society, think about what you can do and put it into action, you must first stand on your own feet. This is closely related to the objective of education at Doshisha, which is to cultivate “self-governing independent individuals.”
Through your university experience, would you say you now stand more firmly on your own two feet than when you were a new student? However, self-governing independence in the Doshisha tradition is not the kind of isolated independence of proudly doing everything by oneself without the help of others. No one can live all by oneself; being able to seek help when you are in trouble, knowing your limitations, and trusting others are also important abilities. The mutual support of meeting people who will help you and becoming capable of helping many people yourself is the way of self-governing independence that you should strive for.
In Japanese society, it is not easy to ask for help, and people are often blamed for what they cannot do, with the expectation that it is their personal responsibility. From an early age, we are repeatedly taught by elders “not to cause inconvenience to others.” Yet no one grows up without ever causing inconvenience to others, including their family. If the idea of “not causing inconvenience to others” is too strong, it may silence the voice of those seeking help and create a society intolerant of others’ suffering. Self-governing, independent individuals, whom Doshisha aims to cultivate through its education, are crucial to establishing a society where people help one another when in trouble.
This philosophy is clearly etched in Doshisha's history as well. When you consider self-governing independence as the ability to realize your vision through mutual support rather than strength in isolation, the life of our founder, Joseph Hardy Neesima, offers us much inspiration. Neesima often worried those around him and put a heavy burden on them, yet until his last years, he was always surrounded by people who were moved by his strong motivation and were willing to help and support him in any way.
Doshisha celebrated its 150th anniversary of its founding last year. The small school founded by Neesima has grown immensely over the past 150 years. His life and the history of Doshisha may seem like a success story on the surface, but you will miss an important point if you see his journey only that way. Here, I will briefly look back at Neesima’s life.
When Neesima departed Japan for America despite the overseas travel ban, there were people who helped him carry out his rather reckless plan. He would have had difficulty studying after arriving in the United States, or even just surviving there, were it not for the support of Mr. and Mrs. Hardy. After Neesima’s return to Japan, his plan to open a school in Osaka fell through, and his dream seemed shattered. However, thanks to the miraculous encounter with Yamamoto Kakuma, who would become the co-incorporator of Doshisha, and the dedicated support of missionary Davis, Neesima finally established Doshisha Eigakko (Academy) in Kyoto in 1875. The following year, a group of students called the Kumamoto Band joined Doshisha, adding substance to the school’s education.
Without the encounters with and the support from these people, Neesima would not have been able to pursue his path, nor would Doshisha have been created or developed. Every time he faced obstacles, felt at a loss, and had his heart broken, there were people who helped him rise from disappointment and carry on. His ability to make quick decisions and act also helped him pave new ways, cherishing each encounter he had amid difficulties and turning them into concrete form. Neesima himself also received support from many people as he grew into a self-governing, independent person.
As you graduate and enter society, you may face challenges you never imagined during your student days. There may be days when you lose confidence because your efforts do not seem to open a way. At such times, I would like you to recall the life of Neesima, who had the support of many people and, at the same time, supported and encouraged many others. Do not be afraid to seek help, cherish the people you meet in real life, and become someone who can provide support to others. That will open up an unexpected new path for you.
The commencement ceremony is an important milestone for each graduate and for Doshisha’s history. However, graduation is not the end of our relationship but the starting point for a new relationship with Doshisha. From Doshisha’s first graduates to you all today, we are all brought together as “doshi,” comrades who share the experience of learning at Doshisha. Starting today, you are a member of the broader Doshisha community, connected across generations, regions, and social positions.
As Doshisha celebrated its 150th anniversary, Doshisha University developed a new vision and a medium-term plan to implement it. One of the core goals is “Strengthening the university’s foundation and creating values in collaboration with alumni.” To date, 380,000 people have graduated from Doshisha University and are actively working in various fields of society. Building new connections with our alumni and gathering their wisdom and strength will help Doshisha University grow even more. Our alumni are a precious treasure to us.
In today’s rapidly changing world, we tend to become preoccupied with immediate concerns and lose sight of the broader picture. Yet the world faces many global-scale problems, such as climate change, widening economic disparity, discrimination, and conflicts. There has never been a time more in need of people with high aspirations and a strong conscience, who can use their academic knowledge and skills to create a better society. With the knowledge and experience you have gained at Doshisha, please listen to what people from different standpoints say, think for yourselves, and act with courage. Do your best in your respective places as self-governing, independent people who accept support and are happy to support others. It is my sincere hope that each of you will work actively as the hope of society, embodying the good tradition of Doshisha. I would like to conclude my address by wishing that God will bless each of you on your future path as you take this new step forward.