Kelleher Marlena Cecilia ”Marci” firstly explained the reason why she selected Soka University.　When she was searching for an international business graduate project, she wanted to ensure she selected a university that was peace and people-oriented, in defiance of the solely profit-driven mindset that dominates American business culture. She knew Soka University’s guiding principles of humanism and peace would allow for an education that provides a solid foundation for a “people first” type of business. She secondly shared her research topic selection: virtual reality (VR) and Ikeda-sensei’s 1996 speech “Makiguchi's Lifelong Pursuit of Justice and Humane Values”. In his speech, Ikeda-sensei uses the life of Makiguchi-sensei to discuss three key points of his philosophy: the importance of action, the power of education, and the creation of value. According to Ikeda-sensei, there are both active and passive forms of anger and tolerance; it is only through the active forms that we can effect meaningful change. Additionally, just as the negative forms of anger and hatred are taught by those who would do evil, righteous anger and active tolerance must be taught by us as part of our pursuit of peace, thus underscoring how essential education is. These efforts are all done with the goal of creating value; that is, actively contributing to society in ways that positively affect others and enhance the experience of life. And, as Ikeda-sensei shows, we can look to the life of Makiguchi-sensei to see the values of action, education, and value creation at work. VR is one such advanced technology that we must look at through the lens of Ikeda-sensei’s philosophy. VR is a simulated 3D environment that enables users to explore and interact with a virtual surrounding in a way that approximates reality, and it comes with a number of risks and benefits. VR can serve as a source of detachment, can be easily exploited, and can be inaccessible even in developed communities; on the other hand, VR can provide us with inspiration and can serve as an outlet for expression, can allow us to collaborate and can function as a platform for dialogue, and can be used as an educational tool. In conclusion, it is through Ikeda-sensei’s philosophy and the example set by Makiguchi-sensei that we can use technological advancements—such as VR—not only in a responsible manner, but also in a manner that acts as a force for good. Although there are risks to VR, Ikeda-sensei’s philosophy provides us with tools to navigate around those risks and instead focus on as well as promote the benefits.
 

Ruziboev Bobur ”Bob” Alisherovich firstly demonstrated, as to the reason why he selected Soka University, that he had been inspired by his fellow friends who studied here, and he would like to experience a supportive environment and learned from experienced professors in Soka University, aiming to enhance his global business skills. He secondly moved on to his research topic, Robotics, and demonstrated the structure of robots, comprising a central processing unit, sensors, actuators, power supply, and programming. Highlighting the benefits, he emphasized increased efficiency, improved safety, cost savings, and operational speed advantages. On the other hand, he also mentioned that there are disadvantages including job displacement, maintenance costs, high initial investment, lack of analytical ability, and concerns about dependence on technology. Transitioning to Dr. Daisaku Ikeda's lecture, “A new humanism for coming century”, given in New Delhi, India, in 1997, he introduced Ikeda-Sensei's thoughts on humanism and the centrality of humanity's power in shaping the future and he outlined the key topics covered in the lecture: New Humanism, the role of education, and the importance of peace in human civilization. As the main body of the presentation, he presented Ikeda sensei’s thoughts on new humanism, education, and the importance of peace. Reflecting on the 20th century as a period of regret due to global wars, he emphasized Ikeda-Sensei's point of view on peace as not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of positive and harmonious conditions. He emphasized that peace, as envisioned by Ikeda-Sensei, realizes human potential, drives cultural and educational progress, and fosters global unity. He concluded that Ikeda-Sensei believed that peace is essential for cultures to grow, and education can deliver a positive change.