Tatsuro Ishibashi
President, Kyushu University

 

The 2021 academic year has begun. I would like to welcome all of the new students who have worked so hard to join us here at Kyushu University. It is now time for you to start your life as a university student. For current students, faculty, and staff, this is a new milestone and another step forward in your education, research, work, and life at Kyushu University. Unfortunately, we are still faced with the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Kyushu University, we have taken a variety of precautions to prevent the spread of infection, and thanks to your cooperation, we have confirmed that no cases of infection have resulted from in-person classes, research, or student extracurricular activities.

Even with the latest advances in video conferencing technology, there is still an essential need for face-to-face interaction, whether it be experiments in the research lab or experiences with classmates on campus. Based on what we have learned from the past year, we plan to dramatically increase the number of in-person classes for AY 2021 while continuing to give the utmost consideration to preventing the spread of infection.

I would also like to reiterate the need for all members of the student body to wear face masks, practice proper hand hygiene, avoid the “3 Cs,” and continue to limit movement and refrain from going out.

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