Dear students, faculty and staff,
By now you are all aware that a state of emergency has been declared in Miyagi prefecture due to the rising number of COVID-19 infection cases in recent weeks. While we remain hopeful that the situation will be under control soon, several upcoming university events will, unfortunately, be affected.
We had originally planned to hold this year's commencement ceremony on March 25, at the Kamei Arena Sendai, with all graduating students in attendance. However, as Miyagi prefecture is now in a state of emergency, the university has decided, in the interest of safety, not to proceed with such a large event.
Instead, a small ceremony will be held, with only award recipients and selected student representatives. Students and faculty involved in this new format will be contacted individually.
For the rest of the graduating class, the method of receiving your certificates will be announced through your faculty and graduate school. The pared-down ceremony will be broadcast live online, so I hope that you will watch the stream from the safety of your home.
I know that this is extremely disappointing news, but I ask for everyone's understanding. The safety of our students, faculty and our community, will always be our main priority.
For new students about to begin your studies at Tohoku University, your entrance ceremony that was originally planned for April 2, is also being reconsidered. A formal decision will be made about it in the coming days.
I understand that this news and the rise in COVID-19 cases that prompted the emergency declaration might be concerning, but I'd like to reassure you that the university monitors the pandemic situation very closely. Last year, we established a Council for Infectious Disease Control and put in place wide-ranging infection prevention measures on all our campuses. Details of our safety protocols can be found on the university's official website.
As we all navigate the turn of the academic year together, I urge everyone to be responsible, stay safe and look out for each other as fellow members of the Tohoku University family.
News in Japanese(3/21), (3/19)
Contact:
Tohoku University International PR SectionTel: +81-22-217-4816
Fax: +81-22-217-4818
Email: public_relations
grp.tohoku.ac.jp