Congratulations on your graduation from St. Luke's International University Graduate School of Public Health. I am very happy to see your proud faces in person. I also would like to congratulate your families, colleagues and other supporters who are joining us today to celebrate your graduation.

You are attending the ceremony because you have completed the courses in Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Health Policy and Management, Environment Health, Health and Behavioral Sciences, Global Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Sciences and the Capstone Project. You are regarded as having acquired competencies such as Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health, Public Health and Healthcare Systems, Planning and Management to Promote Health, Policy in Public Health, Leadership, Communication, Interprofessional and Intersectoral Practice, and Systems Thinking.

As you know, this ceremony is called a commencement ceremony. You will start your new life with such knowledge and competencies. Recently, we have faced unprecedented challenges—the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental crisis, and global tension between superpowers to name just a few. We have recognized that what happens in one part of the world affects all of us, no matter where we live. You may encounter public health problems in your new life, and I hope you will solve the problems with your knowledge and competency in public health.

Congratulations again to all of you from the bottom of my heart. I wish every success to you in the future. Thank you very much.

NISHI Nobuo
Dean, Graduate School of Public Health