春爛漫の季節となりました。洋の東西を問わず、厳しい冬を耐えて迎えた春は数々の詩や歌にうたわれてきました。19世紀英国の詩人ロバート・ブラウニングの有名な詩「春の朝」をご存じの方も多いと思います。

時は春、
日は朝、
朝は七時、
片岡に露みちて、
揚雲雀なのりいで、
蝸牛枝に這ひ、
神、そらに知ろしめす。
すべて世は事も無し。
（上田敏訳、『海潮音』より）

　標高約250メートル、賀茂台地の一角にある東広島キャンパスでは、まさにこの詩のような光景が広がっています。生きとし生けるものが光り輝く春、本学も多くの新入生を迎えました。洋々と広がる未来に胸を膨らませている若い人たちのさんざめきを耳にすると、私も四十数年前の入学したころを思い出します。

　当時の私には、将来なんとなく医師になることは分かっていましたが、人生設計をどのように立てるのか、どのように生きていくべきかの指針もありませんでした。多くの師、先輩に導かれつつ、春の海に独り漕ぎ出した小さなボートのようなものでした。

　「春の嵐」という言葉があるように、うららかな陽気から一転して突然、荒れ模様になることがあるかもしれませんが、皆さんの小さなボートが大きなダメージなく目的地に着けるよう心より祈っています。

　今日、テロと戦争が日常化する中で、ポピュリズムや反知性主義の嵐が吹き荒れ、民主主義を危機に陥れています。人類が創造した知の最高拠点である大学の役割が、今まさに問われているのではないでしょうか。真理探究の旗を高く掲げて、前に進んでいかなければならないと、あらためて誓っています。

　私が学生諸君に期待したいのは、周りにいる友人や後輩たちから「この人についていきたい」「一緒に挑戦してみたい」と信頼してもらえる、そんな未来のリーダーを目指してほしいということです。そのためには、これからの人生で「想定外」の難題にぶつかったときに自らの力で切り開いていく力を養うことが欠かせません。もとより、それは一朝一夕に得られるものではありません。生涯を通じて幅広い教養を身に着けながら、自分の目で見、自分の頭で考え続けることによって培われていくものです。その第一歩を大学生活で踏み出してほしいと願っています。

Now, spring is in full bloom. In all parts of the world, there have been many poems or songs about spring which comes after a long, bitter winter. Many of you probably know the famous poem, ‶Pippa’s Song" by Robert Browning, a 19th century British poet.

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill‐side’s dew‐pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his heaven ―
All’s right with the world!

The Higashi Hiroshima campus, located in one corner of the Kamo Plateau at a height of 250m above sea level, commands the kind of scenery written by Browning above. In the season of spring when all living things are bursting with spring color, we have welcomed many newly enrolled students today. Hearing the rumbling of voices of young students whose hearts are filled with excitement with the prospect of a rosy future, I feel quite nostalgic, because the occasion reminds me of my entrance ceremony more than forty years ago.

Although I was vaguely aware of the fact that I would become a doctor in the future, I did not have any guiding principle for issues such as ‶how to approach the task of planning my life" or ‶how to live my life." It felt like being alone on a small boat, ushered into the spring sea, led by boats with many of my teachers and seniors at the helm.

According to the expression ‶spring storm," sometimes the balmy spring weather may suddenly turn very stormy. Be that as it may, I sincerely hope that your ‶small boats" reach your destinations with minimal damage; perhaps with just a few character-building dents along the way.

Today, acts of terrorism and war have become relatively common, and populism and anti-intellectualism are sweeping the globe, which in turn are jeopardizing democracy. I think that universities all over the world are now being asked what kinds of roles they should play as the best knowledge hubs that mankind has ever created. Once again, I tell myself that while holding the ‶pursuit of truth" flag high, we should be moving forward.

What I truly hope and expect, is that you will become future leaders, so that your friends and peers look up to you as their role model and even mentor, aspiring to follow in your footsteps or to join you in various challenges.

To achieve such a goal, it is essential to acquire the ability to cope when the going gets tough; to acquire the resourcefulness to resolve issues by taking alternative paths, and to be resilient in the face of adversity. Indeed, this builds character, learning from trials, tribulations and ‘mistakes’. As the saying goes ‶what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!"

Some skills cannot be acquired overnight; they have to be cultivated by constantly observing with your eyes and thinking with your head, while gaining wide-ranging knowledge and deep insights to last a lifetime. I hope that you will take your first steps towards such a goal during your life here on campus.