500彩票网

令和7年度東京大学大学院入学式 祝辞

President Fujii, Distinguished Faculty, incoming graduate students, proud parents and friends,

First, I wish to thank President Professor Fujii and the Members of the Executive Board for inviting me to address you, the incoming graduate students at Tokyo University.

Warm congratulations on your acceptance at this globally renowned place of discovery and learning.

I am excited and grateful to be standing in front of you all. Poised at a crossroad, you each opted to pursue a completely life-changing challenge at one of the world’s great institutions.

You might feel that doing so will lead to better opportunities for a fulfilled and prosperous life, and I believe you are right. At the same time, we can all feel a little uncertain about where our decisions can take us, and what that journey might entail. So - it is my honor today to try and help with some words of support and advice.

Firstly, many people have supported you in different ways, and this support will have helped you to get here. They will include family, friends, very likely some of your teachers in school, or the faculty who supported your undergraduate study. They will all be very proud of you today, so it will mean a lot when you express your gratitude for the inspiration they provided.

In my own case, it came from my middle-school chemistry teacher. This gifted teacher showed us the beauty of the molecular world and helped me appreciate its endless opportunities for discovery. This is a world that spans all sciences. It is essential to our understanding of ourselves and what surrounds us.

So, I decided on a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, which demands exploration and integration of many scientific and technological fields.

What I did not know was that a PhD education is so much more than learning how to explore, discover, and disseminate new knowledge in a chosen area. At the beginning I was totally absorbed by carving out the area of scientific challenge that I would be the one to explore and solve. And along the way, my supervisor opened up a global scientific network to me and supplemented my own search with deeper wisdom and broader experience. I fell in love with interdisciplinary basic science, and it has stayed with me all my life.

What proved irresistible for me was exploring the intersections between disciplines. These intersections have unlimited opportunities just waiting to be captured. In addition to the new knowledge I developed, I acquired the skill to listen and to understand perspectives different from my own. I applied this skill when collaborating with colleagues in differing areas of science, and in my later career working with industry, governments, and many public bodies.

Interdisciplinary research permits the integration and combination of ideas and challenges across limitless fields, and this can lead to truly thrilling and unexpected discovery. But it must emerge from verified knowledge. Never forget the importance of this when working on an interdisciplinary basis.

So, what else do I mean, when I say a PhD is about much more than developing new knowledge?

To me, and the close to 100 young researchers that I have had the privilege to supervise, a PhD education is as much a personal development, and a life-changing experience, as it is about learning and performing academic research.

The research challenge you embark on is usually carefully designed, and straightforward in the beginning. But unexpected results, or unknowns, begin to appear at some point along the road. And this pitches you into a place where you cannot rely on existing knowledge. What you know up until that moment is no longer enough. It will teach you a great deal about yourself and your drive in life.

Remember that;
- Unexpected results can still lead to inventions if you remain curious and resilient.
- Seeking guidance when you are facing a wall can lead you to a supportive, lifelong network.
- And a failing experiment will build character and persistence.

During my own PhD experience, all of these challenges and uncertainties helped me develop a matrix of skills and a unique network for life.

So, during your graduate education take advantage of any opportunity to gain insight into your own preferences and building your network.

Learn how to build trust by listening, and trying to understand others. This will allow you to put different approaches to work in the best way.

Design your own unique perspective, but always retain an open mindset.

Try, in your work and life, to interact across disciplines and geographies.

Throughout history, people have experienced transformation or turbulence and have got to grips with new realities. Our brains help us navigate such challenge. We become more resilient to the unexpected IF we learn and practice lateral thinking, and combine logic, imagination, empathy, and emotional insight. I think that a PhD education is absolutely perfect for building this survival kit!

So, dear graduate students: Develop your personal skills to become system-wide leaders in whichever arena you choose, be it the private sector, public organizations, or academic environment.

In 2004 I took a huge step leaving my research group that I loved so much and that had developed to be a vibrant academic environment. I had to follow my internal drive to support the role of universities in our society.

As President of Chalmers University of Technology I had the opportunity to develop and test new incentives for research, introduce new working procedures, and devise ways to shift the mindset and culture of a whole organization. I devised incentives for PIs to manage research collaborations, where stakeholders, leaders, and students all worked together. It was a model we tested carefully, first trying to build trust and respect for each other different roles with a selected industry partner. I remember the first case, the chosen partner was a company running an incineration plant for waste.

The researchers changed the traditional quartz sand bed used in incinerators, and added Ilmenite, an oxygen carrier. This worked wonders for efficiency. Full-scale testing took place a few months later, with the trust and support of all involved. A scientific paper on chemical-looping combustion was published in 2008, prompting great interest all over the world. With your PhD education, you can enter a world where basic research can directly transform industries.

Let me end by saying, Dear Graduate Students: Develop your skills as leaders. Remain curious. Observe. Ask questions. Always strive to learn from people who are different from you.

I wish each of you every success in your PhD education.

Thank you for your attention.

令和7年4月11日
沖縄科学技術大学院大学 学長兼理事長
Karin Markides