Degree Conferment Ceremony Held for the Graduate School of Dentistry (FY2026, September)
Oct. 9, 2026
On Friday, September 25, 2026, a Degree Conferment Ceremony was held in the Large Conference Room on the 1st floor of the Clinical Research Building, Faculty of Dentistry, for graduate students who completed their programs at the Graduate School of Dentistry in September.
This year, degrees were conferred on seven students who completed the doctoral program, five of whom are international students, and six of them attended the ceremony.
In his address, Dean Ken Osaka introduced the parable of the three stonemasons. A traveler came across three artisans cutting stone and asked each what they were doing. The first replied that he was cutting a stone to earn a wage; the second, that he was carving the smoothest, most precise stone using the best tools of his craft; and the third looked upward with conviction and said, "I am building a cathedral."
Dean Osaka remarked that although all three were performing the exact same physical task, their inner purpose and the meaning they found in their labor were worlds apart. He encouraged the graduates to keep sight of the larger purpose that lies beyond their day-to-day, steady efforts, noting that "every pipetted sample, every statistical analysis, and every restored tooth is a foundational stone in a grander structure—one that elevates human health, alleviates suffering, and preserves the dignity of individuals across the world."
▲Degree conferment
▲Dean Ken Osaka delivering his address