On March 25, the 2023 undergraduate and graduate graduation ceremonies were held at the Tokyo International Forum. This year, 2,497 undergraduate students, 432 graduate students, and 10 midwifery students graduated, and their parents and guarantors also attended the ceremony.
The ceremony was conducted in two parts: the morning session was for Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Graduate School of Theology, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Graduate School of Law, Graduate School of Language and Linguistics, Graduate School of Global Studies, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies and Course of Midwifery, and the afternoon session was for Faculty of Humanities , Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Global Studies, Faculty of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Philosophy, Graduate School of Humanities, Graduate School of Applied Religious Studies, Graduate School of Economics, and Graduate School of Science and Technology.
The ceremony began with music by Sophia University’s orchestra and followed by a blessing by a Father of the Catholic Jesuit Center, commencement address delivered by President Yoshiaki Terumichi, as well as conferment of degrees and certificates, then congratulatory speeches by Chancellor Sali Augustine of Sophia Corporation and Mr. Masao Torii, President of Sophia Alumni Association, and an acknowledgement speech made by the graduate representatives (Rinka Toda from the Graduate School of Human Sciences in the morning session, and Daiki Kawashima from the Faculty of Economics in the afternoon session).
In his address, President Terumichi expressed “As graduates of Sophia University and Sophia University’s Graduate Schools, whose educational philosophy is “For Others, With Others,” I sincerely hope that you will turn your eyes keenly toward the vulnerable as you take on challenges.”
The ceremony concluded with the singing of alma-mater by the Sophia Choir, the Glee Club, and the mixed choir Amadeus Chorus, accompanied by the orchestra.
For the full text of President Terumichi’s address, click here.
For the full text of Chancellor Augustine’s congratulatory speech, click here.
