教養学部報
第676号 
"To unite is to weave together particular diversities, not to erase them for the sake of an empty order."
Torahiko TERADA
Dear Colleagues, Distinguished Members of the Faculty, and above all, our new students in the PEAK/GPEAK program,
As the Dean of the College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, it is with immense pleasure and great pride that I welcome you to the University of Tokyo. You come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and you are now members of an academic community that continues to uphold the values of excellence, innovation, and dialogue among cultures.
I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to speak today about a subject that I consider essential to the future of higher education, research, and our society as a whole: cultural diversity at the University of Tokyo.
We live in a world where borders are becoming increasingly permeable. International exchanges, advances in communication technologies, and the growing interdependence of our societies lead us to encounter people from different cultures, languages, and traditions on a daily basis. In this context, the university cannot be merely a place where knowledge is transmitted. It must also be a space for dialogue, openness, and mutual learning.
The University of Tokyo has long been recognized as one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in Asia and throughout the world. Its scientific and academic excellence attracts students, researchers, and faculty members from many countries. This international dimension is a remarkable strength of which we can all be proud.
However, cultural diversity should not be viewed merely as a statistical reality or as the outcome of an internationalization policy. Above all, it represents a fundamental value. It enables us to broaden our understanding of the world and to question our own assumptions and certainties.
When people from different backgrounds work together, they bring a variety of perspectives, ways of thinking, and life experiences. Such diversity fosters creativity, stimulates innovation, and often makes it possible to find new solutions to complex problems. In the sciences as well as in the humanities, dialogue among different cultures is a precious source of intellectual enrichment.
Cultural diversity also plays a vital role in promoting peace and international understanding. History teaches us that many conflicts originate in ignorance, prejudice, or an inability to understand differences. Conversely, mutual knowledge encourages trust and respect. Universities therefore bear a special responsibility: they must educate not only competent specialists, but also global citizens capable of engaging in dialogue across cultural boundaries.
This idea was admirably expressed by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his posthumously published work Citadelle (The Wisdom of the Sands). He wrote:
"To unite is to weave together particular diversities, not to erase them for the sake of an empty order." (« Unifier, c'est nouer même les diversités particulières, non les effacer pour un ordre vain. »)
This reflection remains as relevant today as ever. Too often, we are tempted to believe that unity requires the elimination of differences. Yet true unity arises, on the contrary, from mutual recognition and respect for individuality. A university community is not strong because all its members think alike; it is strong because it knows how to welcome different sensibilities, backgrounds, and visions of the world while bringing them together around a common purpose: the pursuit of knowledge and service to the common good.
At the University of Tokyo, this conception of unity in diversity is a particularly valuable ideal. By fostering encounters among students from diverse backgrounds, our university creates conditions for a fruitful intellectual dialogue in which everyone can learn from others without having to renounce their own identity.
Of course, cultural diversity is not a challenge to be addressed solely by international students. It concerns the entire university community. Every member of the university, regardless of origin, has a role to play in building an inclusive environment in which everyone feels respected and valued.
We must therefore encourage international academic exchanges, expand mobility programs, support intercultural initiatives, and create more opportunities for interaction between Japanese and international students. These efforts will help make our university a model of openness and cooperation.
Allow me to conclude by returning to Saint-Exupéry's words:
"To unite is to weave together particular diversities, not to erase them for the sake of an empty order."
This sentence perhaps summarizes our shared ambition better than any other. The University of Tokyo should not seek to eliminate cultural differences. On the contrary, it should embrace them, bring them into dialogue, and transform them into a source of collective enrichment.
Cultural diversity is not merely an institutional objective or an indicator of internationalization. It is a human, intellectual, and moral treasure that is indispensable to the education of the citizens of the twenty-first century. In a world too often marked by division and misunderstanding, universities bear the special duty to demonstrate that differences are not barriers, but bridges.
Dear students, it is my sincere hope that the University of Tokyo will continue to be a place where cultures, languages, and ideas from all horizons meet; a place where academic excellence is accompanied by a profound openness to others. This university is now your intellectual home. We are delighted to welcome you, eager to support you, and proud to count you among us.
Thank you for your attention. I wish every one of you a year filled with discovery, friendship, inspiration, and success.
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Tokyo
無断での転載、転用、複写を禁じます。
