At the high schools of Soka Gakuen in Tokyo and Kansai, Japan, every year on the profoundly significant graduation day of March 16th, a special honor arrives all the way from Macao, China–the UM Best Academic Achievement Award. This award not only recognizes academic excellence but also carries the deep friendship between the two institutions and their shared aspiration for nurturing future talent.
Origins
The seeds of friendship between the two universities were sown decades ago. In 1995, UM awarded Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Soka Gakuen, an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences. In his acceptance speech, he specifically praised the ‘open and embracing spirit of Macau,’ which aligns closely with the Soka’s educational values of ‘understanding differences’ and ‘respecting individuality.’ The two sides joined hands to establish a solid partnership in academic research, talent cultivation, and other areas. To date, the student exchange program, running for over twenty years, stands as a model of sustainable educational cooperation.
Tradition and Glory at the Graduation Ceremony
Soka Gakuen chooses to hold its graduation ceremony annually on March 16th, symbolizing the passing on of its educational mission. At this year’s 55th graduation ceremony, this special honor from UM shone once again, awarded to four outstanding graduates: two from Soka Senior High School and two from Kansai Soka Senior High School.
This award aims to commend students for their exceptional academic achievements and to inspire the recipients to serve as ambassadors, continuously deepening the connection between the two schools. In the email conveying the good news to UM, Soka Gakuen expressed its sincere gratitude and relayed the solemn commitment of the recipients: they will strive to develop into capable individuals embodying the UM motto of ‘Humanity, Integrity, Propriety, Wisdom and Sincerity.’ Soka Gakuen also stated that it would follow the noble founding spirit of UM as an exemplary model and redouble its efforts to foster wise, humanistic individuals.
Voices of the Awardees
The acceptance speeches of the four students expressed not only gratitude but also revealed broad perspectives and lofty aspirations.
Yoshiaki Hamabe from Soka Senior High School shared that his six years at Soka Gakuen taught him to proactively understand different viewpoints and personalities. Mr. Ikeda’s mention of ‘open and embracing spirit of Macau’ deeply moved him. He resolved to take this as an opportunity to strive to become an open and tolerant person capable of ‘transcending all boundaries.’
Hiromi Kawashima, also from Soka Senior High School, spoke about balancing academics with extracurricular interests. She aspires to help create a world in which children all over the world can blossom with joy and hope, making great strides toward realizing their dreams. To this end, she is determined to ‘study harder than anyone else’ at university and actively engage in ‘dialogue transcending nationalities,’ becoming a true global citizen.
Hironobu Shinomiya from Kansai Soka Senior High School, bound for Soka University of America, stated his goal is not only to master languages but to grow into someone who can ‘learn from and crown the cultures and identities of others.’ He aims to contribute to eliminating discord arising from differences and conflict, and to work for world peace.
Hiina Miki, also from Kansai Soka Senior High School, dreams of ‘working globally for world peace, to prevent the outbreak of wars and conflicts.’ During high school, she deeply studied international issues and actively participated in volunteer work. Her experience discussing nuclear non-proliferation with American and Japanese students at the ‘Critical Issues Forum’ in the US became a turning point in her life. She is determined to keep learning and embrace challenges to become someone who can ‘contribute to building world peace.’
Resonance of Ideals
This accolade from UM, spanning the ocean, symbolizes the shared pursuit of core values like ‘openness, tolerance, global perspective, and humanistic care’ by the two educational institutions. Soka Gakuen’s founding philosophy is to cultivate ‘individuals who will shape the future of Japan and contribute to world culture.’ The aspirations of the four awardees vividly embody this ideal. This award serves as an invisible bridge, connecting the educational wisdom of both schools and inspiring students to bravely shoulder the future. These blessings and expectations reflect the mutual radiance of educational ideals and the resonance of youthful aspirations transcending borders. It is hoped that they will continue to nurture more outstanding talents who will stride onto the world stage.
