University of Tokyo: 2021 Spring Graduate Matriculation Ceremony held

The University of Tokyo AY 2021 Spring graduate matriculation ceremony was held at the Nippon Budokan on the afternoon of Monday, April 12th.

The ceremony was held only with new students, in order to minimize risk of infection of the novel coronavirus. Approximately 2,500 new graduate students attended the ceremony.

The executive vice presidents, deans of the Graduate Schools and the directors of University Institutes went on stage, along with special guest Mr. Muneoka Shoji, chairman of the UTokyo Alumni Association. President Fujii Teruo was absent from the ceremony.

Executive Vice President Aihara Hiroaki gave a congratulatory message to the new students on behalf of the university, followed by a speech from Dean of the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences Tsutsumi Nobuhiro. Then Prof. Svante Lindqvist, former President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, gave a congratulatory video message and Mr. Muneoka gave a congratulatory message to the new students. Next, Mr. Ishikawa Tomoki, a student in the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, took an oath on behalf of the entire incoming class, after which the ceremony was concluded.