The certificate conferral ceremony held by the Makiguchi Memorial Education Foundation for international students for the Makiguchi Scholarship for the 2019 academic year took place on May 8 (Wednesday) at the Discovery Hall of Central Education Tower “Global Square,” at Soka University. The scholarship, which was established with assistance from the Makiguchi Memorial Education Foundation, supports foreign students in undergraduate or graduate schools that face financial challenges in pursuing education, along with foreign students that study at Soka University’s Preparatory Japanese Language Program.

At the ceremony, after the conferral of certificates by Board of Trustees Chair Yasunori Tashiro, two international students shared their determinations. Ms. Yi Surgi from South Korea (junior student, Faculty of International Liberal Arts) shared: “At Soka University, students from various countries around the world gather, and we can make many friends. As we exert ourselves in our studies together, I was able to learn that ‘we are all the same, as human beings,’ transcending differences in nationalities and ethnicities. Bonds of friendship with which we encourage each other toward our dreams, saying, ‘I want to help others’ and ‘I want to contribute to world peace,’ became spiritual support for me. I also came to feel that I share in any calamities and risks happening in my friends’ countries—it’s not just their concern, it’s mine too. Using what I learned at Soka University as my spiritual nourishment, I will further grow and develop as a global citizen.”

Also, Mr. Kalki Sham Kumal from Nepal (second-year student, doctoral program, Graduate School of Economics) shared: “Thanks to the great scholarship system I am able to focus on my studies with a sense of assurance. In the future, I will obtain a doctorate degree and will make greater efforts so that I can contribute to the economic development of my home country of Nepal and to social development in general.”

Makiguchi Memorial Education Foundation head Mikiya Takanashi encouraged the students, by saying: “Each of you, international students, are precious individuals with the great mission in front of you to contribute to the ‘happiness of humankind’ and to ‘world peace’ via your studies and research at Soka University. This scholarship is imbued with our founder Dr. Ikeda’s heartfelt pledge to support you in this effort. I pray that your student days will be fulfilling.”

To conclude, President Yoshihisa Baba expressed his expectations, saying: “Soka University is a global campus, rich with diversity, with approximately 700 international students from 51 countries and regions. Please continue to challenge yourselves each day so that you can grow by working together while respecting each other as people coming from a variety of cultural backgrounds.”