First, I would like to express my joy and sincere welcome to our new students― Welcome to Kyutech! This April, 1,647 new students have newly enrolled to the undergraduate and graduate schools. The number includes 153 female new students and 3rd year transfer students which account for more than 15% of undergraduates, and 55 international students from 12 countries and regions. The total enrollment of undergraduates and graduates has now reached to 5,630 including 330 international students from 42 countries and regions.

Now the COVID-19 is rapidly spreading and giving huge impact to the world in which people and goods move beyond borders easily on a massive scale, and each country strongly depends on each other. In Japan, the Government declared a state of emergency and requests us to refrain from various activities. Kyutech organized the Emergency Headquarters on 17 February to respond to the situation, cancelled the commencement and entrance ceremony this spring, and postponed the start date of the spring semester of 2020. Kyutech will continue to implement expeditious measures in coordination with related departments.

I also imagined that you students are having insecure feeling about your campus life, especially studying. Since it is unforeseeable when the infection will stop spreading, Kyutech decided to provide all the classes of the first quarter of 2020 by remote class, not face-to-face class. Now the University is preparing quickly for the remote class in order to keep providing the students with the opportunities to learn. Please be prepared for taking remote classes, and if you have any question or feel unsure about it, contact the University’s consultation desk. The related information will be posted on the University website and by other notices, check them every day and keep yourself updated.

For the information and notices from the University and the list of consultation desk, click here.

We are now facing the difficult situation, then let’s think about the present and the future you will live and work actively. The present and the future is often characterized by “VUCA”; Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. At such times, we need to continue learning all through our lives in order to have interests on and understand changing situations, new technology and skills. To continue learning, desire to learn and skill of life-long learning is required. For the skill of learning, it is important to be accustomed to online learning with electronic learning materials. To secure the health and safety of the students and faculty staffs, Kyutech launches various learning styles by remote class. This is not what we expected, but it will be great if you take this opportunity to acquire such skills.

Before this difficult time, Kyutech students have learned in various ways, through talking and learning face to face on campus, discussing in teams, experiencing creating things, learning in overseas universities, participating in joint research with industries. When the time comes and you are back on campus, enjoy such various style of learning. And let us turn this crisis into opportunities with our creativity and overcome the hardship. I strongly hope that the COVID-19 expansion will soon be ended and wish you good health and safety.



Yuji Oie
President
Kyushu Institute of Technology