News

On September 21st, the entrance ceremony for new undergraduates and graduate students was held at the Waseda Arena. As many who joined us this September are international students, the ceremony was conducted completely in English.
418 new undergraduate students have started their lives at Waseda University! Also, 706 students have entered graduate school in order to further their education and will contribute to the ever-continuing development of higher learning (as of September 21, 2025).

Due to traffic concerns, only incoming students were invited to participate in the ceremonies. A live broadcast was available online for those who were unable to attend in person.

During the ceremony, Waseda University President Aiji Tanaka took to the stage to make his address to all incoming students:

On behalf of Waseda University, I am delighted to welcome all incoming students today. Congratulations on your entrance to Waseda University. I extend my heartfelt congratulations also, of course, to your parents, other family members, and friends.
We considered inviting family members in addition to incoming students to the entrance ceremony, but we were concerned that it would be dangerously congested on the road in front of Waseda Arena. Consequently, we have been inviting only the actual incoming students to this Arena for the last several years. We hope you will understand our decision.
Today, I would like to speak to you about two things. First, I will talk about Waseda’s educational ideals and philosophy. Second, I will talk about what I wish you to study and learn from what we offer at Waseda.
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I hope that at Waseda you will also find some extracurricular activities worth devoting yourselves to. Waseda offers an almost infinite variety of opportunities to develop your interests. At the same time, please be serious about studying diligently.
I hope you will enjoy your student life at Waseda. In four years, when you graduate from Waseda, you will be even more exceptional and admirable than you are already now.
Congratulations on your entrance to Waseda University! Welcome to Waseda!

For the full speech of President Aiji Tanaka 

After that, Waseda University awarded an honorary doctorate to Mr. Ronald Chao, Founder of Bai Xian Foundation, who then delivered an address to the attendees:

It is with profound humility and gratitude that I accept this honorary degree. Waseda, with its legacy of fostering global leaders and bridging East and West, is an institution I have long admired. To stand here today, among scholars and students committed to shaping a better world, is both an honor and a responsibility.
We live in an era of unprecedented connection—yet also of deepening divides. Technology allows us to communicate across borders in an instant, but true understanding requires more than digital exchange. It demands curiosity, empathy, and the courage to confront our own
biases.
Young people today inherit a world where geopolitical tensions, economic inequality, and cultural misunderstandings threaten progress. But you also inherit something far more powerful: the tools to transcend these challenges. Education—especially in institutions like Waseda—
equips you not just with knowledge, but with the wisdom to see humanity in every face, whether across a negotiating table or a social media feed.
Mutual respect is not passive tolerance; it is the active pursuit of common ground.
~~~
Waseda’s motto, “Independence of Learning,” reminds us that education is liberation—from ignorance, from prejudice, from fear. As I accept this degree, I pledge to continue working alongside you to build a world where intercultural understanding is not an aspiration, but a
practice.
Together, let us prove that diversity is not a fault line, but our greatest strength. Thank you.

For the full address by Mr. Ronald Chao

Entrance Ceremony Photo Album

Complete Recording of the Sept. 21, 2025 Entrance Ceremony