Hitotsubashi ICS Commencement 2024: Congratulations to our graduates!

Hitotsubashi ICS Commencement 2024: Congratulations to our graduates!

By: The Commencement 2024 Team | September 17, 2024

Commencement is a celebration of hard work and achievement. To open Commencement 2024, the culmination of the Hitotsubashi ICS learning journey for this year's graduates, we reflected on our collective experience. With deepest gratitude, we acknowledged the people who supported us from the very start of our journey - from the decision to pursue another academic degree, to the pressures of the application process, to tight deadlines for work on case studies, group projects, strategy analyses, video presentations, pitch-deck assignments and more, all the way through to this happy occasion. 

In her welcome speech to graduates and guests, Commencement MC Jody Ono borrowed a quote from F1 racer Lewis Hamilton (in Netflix's Drive to Survive): "It's easier to chase than to lead." Why? Because when we take the lead, there is open road ahead, and unlike in Formula 1, no track. There won't always be an obvious "right way" - or certainly, no one way that rings right to everyone. So, we must rely on ourselves, on our character, our emotions, our wits. And, so importantly for relatedness and leadership, on our capacity to love both others and ourselves. A healthy relationship with ourselves is what ensures our capacity to keep moving, keep connecting, keep embracing all encounters, however challenging they may be.  

                          Jody Ono delivering the opening remarks

Dean Emi Osono, in her Commencement Address, recalled the difficult initial days of 2024, when a lethal earthquake struck Japan's Ishikawa prefecture. And globally, we continue to endure the heartbreak caused by violence, armed conflict, civil unrest, and political division. Climate change is affecting all of us, bringing human suffering and economic loss. From the setting of the university, we have a duty to contribute and apply what we have learned, to build our influence, and to inspire the people around us and in our diverse communities towards the creation of a more positive and sustainable society. This is the role of a wise leader.  

Yuan Shao, a 2-year MBA program graduate, highlighted the value of wabi-sabi, wabi-sabi, a Japanese concept that finds beauty in imperfection, embraces change, and values simplicity. During the first term of her MBA journey, she embraced the struggle - lots of work, and sleepless nights. Through connection and community, she was able to create a remarkable collaborative experience of shared memories and achievement with her classmates. 

Class of 2023 graduate Akiko Fushima reflected powerfully on her MBA journey from professional and personal points of view. Pausing a fast-paced job at a tech startup to start a family and earn her MBA led to transition and transformation in her life. With her aspirations rising even to new heights, she discovered and developed the joy of intentionally leading both herself, and her life. 

Jiamin Li, a DBA graduate, encouraged each graduate to take stock of their achievements throughout their academic journeys and to appreciate that these owe much to our perseverance and resilience. Importantly, he said, earning our degrees would not have been possible without the assistance of all the ICS community - the faculty and team members who leach day, lay the foundation for the university's work. From here on out, Stan encouraged, let's all strive for ever higher quality impact in life and work.

Graduates of 2024, we salute you!

Angela Shao (MBA Class of 2022) / Aki Fushima (MBA Class of 2023) / Stan Li (DBA Graduate)